The first series of hand lettered illustrations is based on famous lyrics, quotes, or sayings. I designed them to evoke the meaning or feeling of their content. In some cases, this was quite literal, in others, more metaphorical. In my first foray into hand lettering, I decided to keep it simple and stick to the basics; hierarchy, contrast, and legibility. These black and white compositions explored various type styles as well as various compositions.
The lyrics featured are: “I am the walrus, coo coo kachoo” —The Beatles, “I’ve got the world on a string” —Frank Sinatra, “Man in the mirror” —Michael Jackson, “Excuse me while I kiss the sky” —Jimi Hendrix, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” —Muhammad Ali.
The second series of illustrations complemented various school newspaper articles. Because these were intended for a newspaper, each illustration could only be shown in black and white. I used this as an opportunity to strengthen my shading skills and apply meticulous gradations to each sketch. These illustrations had to not only convey the tone and personality of each article, but they also had to describe the subject matter. Due to the simplicity of the pen tool, these drawings challenged me to create meatier concepts and more dynamic compositions.