spicy sardine matchbook
For this project, I was required to design and create an original matchbook. The concept of the matchbook had to be related to matches or fire in some way, whether that be literal or metaphorical. I was required to design the inside and outside of the matchbook, and designing the matches themselves was optional.
Upon receiving this project, I was caught up on the idea of a tin of sardines. Perhaps it is because of the small size of the matchbook, and the idea that there is something “hidden” inside when it is closed. I drew inspiration from vintage cans of sardines for the outside, while I kept the sardines themselves fairly realistic. Because sardines are not related to fire or matches, I had to think outside of the box and I made them into spicy sardines.
I also played around with the idea of basing my matchbook on lanterns—a much more straightforward reference to fire—but I was not satisfied with any of my sketches.
I created a template using a plain matchbook that was provided to me, and then I overlaid that onto my canvas as I worked. For the outside of the matchbook, I wanted to draw inspiration from vintage sardine cans. I had to keep in mind the size of the matchbook and the way it bends, so I approached it in a simpler way than I might have if it had just been a 2D illustration. Additionally, I wanted the outside to be distinct from the inside, so I used a limited color palette and a more stylistic approach to make it seem like typical packaging.
I used blue to bring forth the idea of the sea, and used red and orange accents to give it a fiery touch.
I added two additional elements to help this matchbook look more like a sardine can. I rounded the edges, making it an oblong shape so that it resembled a can, and then used the Cricut to die-cut it. Then, I die-cut a traditional sardine can opener. I tucked that into the folded part of the matchbook to give the illusion that the can had been opened once you flip up the top.
For the inside, I knew that I wanted a more realistic approach as opposed to the stylized look of the “packaging” on the outside. Because I could not make the spicy aspect of this concept blatantly obvious like I could on the front, I had to be more creative. I made the liquid in the can a warmer color, and added flecks of peppers and spices around the fish to give the idea that they were more than just typical sardines.
With this project, I struggled the most with my physical craft. Because the matchbook had to be scored and cut in such a precise way, it was incredibly easy for things to become lopsided or not line up completely. Having a template premade greatly helped the process, but I had to learn to be patient and not try to rush through what I was doing.
