The online portfolio of Page Redford
I was asked to design Save the Dates for digital distribution (the bride-to-be wanted to email them to friends and loved ones so that she can spend more money on the wedding invitations). After a few sketches, she approved this design and layout:
I created this design that features Peonies, a favorite flower of the couple.
The design was created using original floral illustrations and existing fonts.
Working on a new typographic illustration for Valentines Day! I hope to color this and make it into cards and prints. 
This illustration was made this week to be used in some printed signage and decorations for our Fearless Flyer. I sketched this fine flying fellow using pencil and my trusty Papermate Flair. (My favorite affordable felt-tip pen for inking detailed black and white drawings.)
I love his iconic Steampunk vibe.
He will be colored and printed in black and white.
Happy Friday! In a previous post I showed some of the steps I take to create a typographic illustration. Now I will show you some of the steps I take to color a piece!
I generally do a quick thumbnail off to the side (or make a photocopy) to make sure the colors I use work in harmony. If you are working digitally, you can easily change the colors in photoshop, but with traditional work, it helps to work out your colors ahead of time.
I decided to use circus-inspired bold colors to match the bold fonts.
Once you have decided on your colors, start blocking them in. I always make sure to have another piece of paper under my drawing to help absorb some of the marker that bleeds through.
I use a variety of pen and marker types for my illustrations. Copic and PrismaColors are favorites of mine, but I also use Sharpies. Many of the colors you see in my finished illustration are a combination of several colors. Another useful tool in my typography illustrations is a chalk marker, which I use for the highlights on letterforms.
The finished illustration!
Hand-Lettering is a BIIIG part of my life. It seems like every day I have a new lettering project that I am working on. Some projects are client-driven, while others are ones that I take on myself. This illustration was an exercise in not only doing the work, but documenting it and photographing the steps.
I chose the phrase “do your best” for this illustration because I want to encourage others to strive to do the best they can do with their art.
I wanted to show my followers on Instagram the steps I take in completing the inking of a typographic piece. I always start with a pencil sketch. I generally use mechanical pencils for their precise line and easy erasing.
Once the lines are finalized, I go over them with ink. I use a variety of pen sizes and types.
Start to finish: counter-clockwise from top left.
I wait a short while for the ink to dry and then use a soft, white eraser to erase the pencil lines. This is sometimes the hardest part! Be careful to let the ink dry, though, as it can smear and ruin your drawing!
I added stippling after adding the bold ink outline.
After the ink has dried, you can add other embellishments like hatching, cross hatching, or stippling to add contrast. I think I will color this piece, but I will leave that for another time!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
I was so fortunate to be able to surprise my family by driving to see them! Work let me swap a few of my days off this week and take an extra day to travel through to surprise them!
My parents were none-too-happy that I was ignoring their Christmas calls (while I was simultaneously driving through Canada to see them!). My little brother and I had a good laugh, though. He knew I was coming,but kept it a secret.
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I hope that you are able to spend time with your family, friends, and loved ones. Today quick lettering sketch, then back to spending time with family. Happy holidays!
Happy Monday!
Today, a quick sketch today to wish you HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Black ink on craft paper.
The holidays are fast approaching! (Can you believe it is already December?!) And Christmas music has been on the airwaves for weeks now.
I’ve been decorating the store (and my apartment) with all manner of cute woodland creatures and snow people.
This little Reindeer was drawn using my trusty Copic markers and pens, Papermate Flair pen, Sharpies, and Prismacolor. A little bit of chalk marker was used for some of the white highlights. I plan on drawing these much larger and reproducing them for decorations around the store. Stay tuned!
One of the most fun parts of my job is that I get to create hand-painted signs using chalk, paint, and other traditional materials. I think that classic look A-FRAME signs are on of my favorite things to make.
They are a fun, quick(ish), easy(ish) way to let customers know about events and activities. This A-Frame was created to celebrate our anniversary party.
Come celebrate with us!
The A-Frames we use measure 2 x 3 feet. They are sturdy, durable, and reusable. I generally use mostly white chalk and white chalk pens to do the lettering and, depending on the board, add additional colors to highlight aspects of the design.
It’s my Birthday (coming up)…and I will make silly cards if I want to!
Page Redford 