Back to Pen and Paper

I usually have a notepad nearby for quick sketches while I work. This started when I realised it had been a while since I’d sat down just to draw.

One weekend, I grabbed a black fineliner and set myself a simple task: fill a page.

A nautical theme started to emerge: lighthouses, anchors and sea creatures. I was aiming for something that felt a bit like an old woodcut, with thick lines, texture and some unevenness.

As the drawings came together, I started thinking about how they might work on posters and signage. That gave me a reason to take them a little further.

Blue nautical illustrations surrounding orange Low-Tide lettering.

The illustrations brought into the Low-Tide identity.

The sketches became a personal brand concept for a fictional coastal bar called Low-Tide. I tried the illustrations on posters, coasters and a tote bag, pairing the blue drawings with orange type.

The Low-Tide concept in motion.

Low-Tide tote bag with a blue seahorse illustration and orange lettering.

Trying the identity on a tote bag.

It was a small project with no client brief, and a good excuse to spend some time drawing.

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