Reaper Academy: the brainstorm of an identity

 I forgot to properly post last weekend the small 2 or so hour task I worked on using Photoshop and some google image search findings.  I cannot place an exacting tone to the design as it is at the moment, but it was a brainstorm and idea of what the Reaper Academy identification could look like. 

Enlarged within this post for the best possible view of what we are working with here. Below I will explain the thoughts of the design and symbols ( most likely under a page cut ); but I first wish to note that doing this rough idea has quickly given me ideas and details I hadn't thought of prior.  One being that I hadn't quite figured out the way different ranks would be noted visually.  I always figured a form of military-like badge, but after designing this and feeling it was a bit too tall and cumbersome - I feel the design can easily become 3 separate uniform designs to which each it's own meaning.  So shall we jump into the meanings? 

Lets!

The base of this design comes from needing to be blunt with the symbolism of " death" and Grim Reapers. Googling quickly produces the main ones like Black Cloak, Scythe, Skeleton, etc.  Others of more interest included the Hourglass of Time & in some forms of the reaper - a dagger instead of scythe. 

Hence; The hourglass sits with a stylized dagger graphic through it. The dagger into the top sands is producing a vibrant red of blood thru to the bottom of the glass.  The black ribbons symbolizing the Latin ( as best as I could google ) for Reaper Academy; followed with the Year of the European Black plague - which was apparently the first time a image was given of what the grim reaper looked like. 

Under the hourglass logo, is a pair of sickles, again a close version to the scythe and associated in some counties to a reaper. It's stylized with the two crossing handles in an attempt to both add some interest and avoid getting into dangerous USSR imagery we don't need to be getting mixed up with. 

Below that is a black ribbon with a pentacle in the center.  This seems overall bulky and cumbersome to the overall design and with some thinking the following days - I believe I will instead utilize this as the ranking system badge. The number of pentacles on the ribbon would indicate your rank, other color ribbons may even mean higher ranks or simply designate the point of your study you are in. Much like grades in a common school. 

The image above, as I mentioned, may become 3 separate badges us use. The hourglass itself the seal of the Reaper Academy, only placed together as seen above on banners hung within common area halls; such as one may associate as inner halls of Hogwarts was in Harry Potter. But within the uniform the Hourglass may be a circular badge or crest shaped within the chest pocket or breast of a uniform jacket.  There to signify your pride to the academy and that you are a part of it's environment. 

The Sickles may simply be a Banner only item or found simply on one of the sleeve spaces of a uniform. Their meaning being fairly mute beyond a nice extra decoration of symmetry and order the academy requires all attendee's to posses in their path to becoming reapers.  

The Pentacle ribbon placement I feel could be either on the opposite breast of the jacket or blouse, a sleeve point, or just above/below the Hourglass.  It's basically the first thing all others will see and instantly be able to mark you as to your rank and ultimately your importance overall. 

The entire design took about 2 hours to do and was really just a brainstorm of a possible option in my head.  Leave me any feedback you may have for me on this and consider following the blog to keep up to date on posts.