Clan Crest 2.0 and a Celtic Cross/Clan Crest combo!

So, I have been doing lots of designing for my main site, celtic hammer club, but I haven't posted a Caomhánach design in quite a while.

All the practice with my other designs have taught me some new techniques and ways of taking my artwork to the next level. I was excited to apply some of these new skills to the Caomhánach crest.

So here's what I came up with....

FIRST, I redid the lion passant. I took my time and added additional details and redid the shading to give it a more professional, 3-d look.

I added small lines and details, and I overhauled the shading scheme to create a more professional looking lion passant for the Caomhánach crest

I also redid the shading on the crescents.

Crescents 2.0

Once the new crest was complete I went about creating a new shield to place it on. I have become obsessed with creating textured, weathered, distressed looks to my artwork, so the first shield I did was a very rusty one. I wanted it to look like it had been buried in the ruins of a clan castle for centuries.

Clann Chaomhánach, rusty shield version

I also created a scroll with the family motto of "Peace and Plenty" on it. All of the different details like the cracks in the crest and the scroll, the various colors that make up the rust, and all of the other details are painstakingly layered on top of each other and adjusted until I'm happy with the end product. This is actually a lot of work and not as simple as just copying and pasting a bunch of stuff together, but it's fun. I enjoy fooling around with color balances, gradients, opacity, and all the other components until it looks just right to my eye.

The only thing I DON'T enjoy is when my program continuously crashes from all the complexity in these very detailed pieces. I often lose a few steps that I hadn't saved yet, and my Irish temper lets loose!

So, I liked the rusty shield, but I also thought a more shiny shield would look cool also. So I took out some of the rust elements and added some shadows to create this version:

Clann Chaomhánach, shiny shield version

The "shiny" version is still quite distressed and weathered, but it looks to be in a lot better shape than the rust covered one. I played around with a totally distress-free, super-metallic version of the shield, but it looked too bright and cartoony to me. So, I did not complete that version.

Finally, I combined the shiny shield version of the crest with one of my original Celtic cross designs (to see images and shop for apparel with just my original Celtic cross on it (without the crest), click the link HERE).

I also added some shamrock ornamentation.

I'm really fond of the Celtic cross design because it's all original artwork. A lot of graphic designers use stock Celtic crosses in their work, and while the image is cool, you see the same crosses on tee shirts and logos everywhere. In this case, you're getting all original stuff done by me which makes it much more distinctive.

So that's it for now. I always like to point out that I always use the original Gaelic spelling of the surname in my designs, Caomhánach, as opposed to favoring one of the many anglicized spellings (Kavanagh, Cavanagh, Cavenagh, Cavanaugh, etc.). I think the original Gaelic honors the true roots of the surname, and it also makes it marketable to anyone with any version of the name because every variation is rooted in that same Gaelic surname.

Don't forget to check out my Redbubble page to see all the cool accessories you can get with this artwork on it!

Lots of goodies on my Redbubble page!

Until Next Time...

-Douglas Cavanaugh

"BLACK RENT" Vintage Label Series

The "Black Rent"...

     15th Century Ireland. Art Óg Mac Murchadha Caomhánach (Art "The Younger" MacMurrough Kavanagh), leader of the native Irish Gaelic Caomhánach Clan, had pushed out the foreign Anglo-Norman settlers from a huge swath of land in what is now north Wexford and coastal Wicklow. The Clan was so formidible under the leadership of Art Óg that they threatened the Anglo-Irish towns of Wexford, Carlow and even Dublin.

Bourbon Whiskey Label Design

     This land came under complete control of the Clann Caomhánach, and was commonly referred to as "Caomhánach country". This was unusual, and a testament to the strength of the Clan at the time because The Caomhánach Clan managed to take control of a huge kingdom during a time when the native Irish Gaelic clans were being dominated by Norman invaders from England. Not only that, but the Caomhánach country actually butted right up against an English stronghold known as "The Pale". This is quite a feat when you consider that not only are you one of the only Native Irish Gaelic clans to still retain any land and power for yourselves, but that your land actually borders the English stronghold, and they can't do anything about it! 

   It's not like the Caomhánach country was on the far side of the island, and able to retain its status by simply being out of reach of King Richard II and his Norman henchmen. No, the Caomhánach country was right in Richard II's back yard! Right in his face. In fact, Richard II made two expeditions into Ireland during this time. One of which with the largest land force that Ireland has ever seen. All to try to bring the Caomhánach Clann into submission under English rule. It was to no avail. Art Art Mór ruled for 41 years!

Irish Whiskey Label Design

     So what's all this "black rent" stuff I'm seeing on all three of these designs? Hold onto your pint glasses because there is, of course, a historical significance to it. The English King, Richard II, actually paid Clan Caomhánach a yearly tribute of 80 marks for protection. Protection of royal subjects as they passed through the Caomhánach country, and, also, protection of The Pale itself from other rival Gaelic Clans and raiders. This tribute became known as the "black rent", or "the MacMurrough Kavanagh's black penny." It is the only historically recorded instance of an English monarch paying tribute to an Irish noble or king.

Irish Stout Label Design

     Even though Domhnall Caomhánach (Donal Kavanagh) was the very first to take the Caomhánach name in the 12th century, most Caomhánach's today are descended from Art Óg. As his power and influence caused the Clan to proliferate considerably. I mean, what young lady wouldn't want to get with a king who collects a "black rent" from one of the most powerful monarchs of Europe?? Pretty bad ass, if you ask me....

Art Óg riding to meet the earl of Gloucester, 
as depicted in an illustration to Jean Creton's Histoire
 du roy d'Angleterre Richard II

      I love the story of Art Óg and the "black rent". Very dramatic. I've been wanting to incorporate the black rent into a design for a long time, and I came up with an idea that would allow me to use a reference to this little gem of Caomhánach family history.

     Vintage labels. I love them. Whiskey, beer, you name it. There is something timeless about them. The style is as cool today as it was when they first became popular. I thought, "How cool would it be to create designs that look like old-school labels, but tweak it to include Caomhánach stuff??"

     So that's what I did. I made three different designs. A bourbon label, an Irish whiskey label, and an Irish stout label. All of them use the Clan Arms as a center piece, and all of them reference the "black rent" and the 80 marks that the King of England paid the Caomhánach Clan every year for protection.

     It just seem to fit. "Black Rent" and "80 Marks" just fit perfectly into a vintage booze label. These are all original designs done entirely by me so you will not find anything even close to it anywhere else!

     There are many different color options available. Also there are styles for both men and women for each design, Hoodies, tanks, and more!!. Check out the shop to purchase some original Clann Caomhánach Vintage label apparel!

Best,

- Doug

New Designs

One of my main goals with this site is to create some really cool, stylish stuff that incorporates my love for history; specifically, family history.

I have found some cool K(C)avana(u)gh stuff over the years, but everything I have found has been pretty generic. There was no edge to it. They were all very similar looking images slapped on a t-shirt or a mug.

I want to create images that, at first glance, could pass for a stylish graphic tee out of one of the major retailers. Something anyone would want to wear; not necessarily just a K(C)avana(u)gh. I want to create images that are cool, period. But then, also, upon closer inspection, you realize that the image is full of historic symbols and meaning. Therefore, making it a little more special than just your run of the mill graphic tee with some cool artwork on it, and especially more special to those that have a connection to those historic images. I love subtlety. I don't necessarily want everyone to know that the shirt I'm wearing has meaning. Most people may not realize the symbolism and historical significance of the designs below, but those who are "in the know" will, and, to me, that's pretty cool.

The images below are original artwork by yours truly, and I promise you that you will not find anything like this anywhere else!

CLAN CREST DRAGONS

I was very happy when this design was completed because I actually drew the dragons that are guarding the Clan Crest ten years ago. I only just recently created my own version of the Lion Passant, so it was cool for me to see this design come together... finally!

I also added some red paint smears and lots of cracks to give the whole image a "distressed" look. In the banner I used the original Gaelic version of the family name, Caomhánach, so that it works no matter what your spelling variation is.

Clan Crest Dragons

"Peace and Plenty" Graphic Tee

Men's and Women's apparel available in the Clan Creations Store

I really love this design. Its so full of Clan history, but I also love how stylish it looks with all of the different letters and fonts. If you look closely, each little piece has meaning and a connection to history. Super stylish, but also very special to those of us with a connection to what it represents.

"Peace and Plenty" Graphic Design

New Clann Caomhánach Crest Completed

You may remember a post from a week and a half ago where I shared a sketch I was working on?

The plan was to create my own adaptation of the Clann Crest. I wanted to create something that was true to the traditional image of the Lion Passant, but I also wanted it to be a little stylish. I also wanted to create something that stood apart from any images that currently exist of the Clann Caomhánach Coat of Arms. I think I achieved that with this finished image:

I'm very happy with how this came out. I've created a few products in the shop with this image if you are interested. Please let me know what you think of my take of the Clann Coat of Arms in the comments section below.

Men's and Women's Styles available

"Distressed" Clan Crest Now Available!

The whole vintage "distressed" look is very popular right now. Sometimes it is referred to as "grunge". I love the look. It's very stylish. So I created a distressed Clan Crest design for some apparel. Check it out, we have men's and women's styles in a variety of colors.

You will not be able to find anything like this anywhere else! Everything can be found in the online store.

"Distressed" Clan Crest

Latest Work

I love the traditional image of the Caomhánach Clan Crest. It's a classic, obviously, but I want to create my own interpretation of the Lion Passant that was a little more edgy; a little more modern; something that had my own stamp of style on it.

So I have started sketching my interpretation of the Clan Crest. I'm really happy with how it is coming along. Final product is a ways off yet, but I will post when it is completed, and I will be sure to create a lot of products for the Clan Creations Shop ;)