Letterforms and illustration © Iskra Design
Asian-inspired brush work can be used to create distinctive brandmarks in packaging, in editorial illustration, graphic identities and publishing. These are a few examples of different techniques, some done with brush and some with a pen, that all come from training in sumi-e.
Mark Oliver Design recently contacted me to work on the rebranding of Muir Glen. Sometimes words have an aesthetically fortunate combination of letters, and it was a delight to try many different approaches. Although our solutions weren't chosen for the final package I am showing them here as they represent a good range of styles that are appropriate for contemporary package branding.
Here is the brandmark in context in Mark Oliver's package applications. Simplicity and functionality: recipes combined with exquisite watercolor illustrations (I do not know the name of the illustrator.)
Cleaning out the flat files is not always pure procrastination. Today I unearthed this cover for the recently departed and oh so fabulous Liz Taylor. I won't tell you how many times I wrote this three-letter word……Art Director, StevenBrower, photographer Paul Hesse, for Birch Lane Press.
This book title for Ballantine was a subtle challenge. We needed a style of writing that expressed Ashley Judd's femininity and popular appeal while suggesting a wistful and authentic voice. The book is surprising and real and very hearfelt, and covers the actress' activism and social justice work as well as her personal life history. Many different brushes were tried to create an effective casual script. One of the trickiest tools, surprisingly, is a soft felt-tip marker. They are unpredicatble, and the point can change every few minutes as it softens with time and use. I was pleased with how this turned out.
I don't know why, but when I see the bunnygrass appear in the aisles each year, along with the chocolate rabbits holding thier baskets and quivering their whiskers it just makes me unreasonably happy. Easter is one day of the year when I feel completely freed from the boundaries of good taste. I mean, you could dye those eggs with onion leaves and parsley, or you could go ahead and ornament them with a temporary tattoo in pink and green. And then set the eggs in a basket with crinkled fossil fuels from the grass factory and shiny foiled candies. And eat them by Monday. This is a holiday you can't do on an Ipad. It's real.
© Iskra Johnson 2011
I started my career in art as a fingerpainter. My side-of-the-hand technique was admired by all (all 22 of the other children in my kindergarten class.) I thought for this holiday I would return to my roots. Fingerpaint collage on non-archival cheap paper from Joann's Craft Emporium.
Designer, calligrapher, lettering artist. Read more 