Ares - Logo Design

Wordmark Design for ARES: The Greek God of War, Courage, and Battle Lust

The inspiration for the lettering style of this logo draws from the concept of war paint—ritually applied to the face and/or body before entering battle or, in a more contemporary context, during protest marches. The letters are designed with simplicity in mind, resembling strokes as if drawn with a finger.

Historically, there is no direct evidence that the ancient Greeks used war paint. The oldest reference to war paint can be found in Julius Caesar's 'The Conquest of Gaul,' where he mentioned that the Britons dyed their bodies with woad, creating a terrifying appearance in battle. Think of the blue war paint often depicted in modern art and fiction when envisioning the Picts. However, the accuracy of this portrayal is debated.

One culture known for its use of war paint is the Native American tribes, who have employed body paint since their first appearance in North America around 10,000 B.C. This practice served various purposes, including psychological preparation for war and other visual expressions.

As for my choice of color:

• Red can symbolize many things, but in this context, the red color symbolizes the blood that flows on battlefields.

• In Sparta, a city with a strong militaristic culture, hoplites and other residents were known to wear red clothing.

Image sources:

• '300' (2007) Warner Bros. Pictures

• 'Dances with Wolves' (1990) Orion Pictures

• 'Centurion' (2010) Warner Bros. Pictures

This logo is part of my design exercise, to create wordmarks for each of the twelve Olympians from ancient Greek mythology.