Brewer's Ampersand
As part of a brewery rebrand, I was asked to produce an illustrated ampersand that reflected the ampersand in the company’s name and to highlight its most distinctive beer.
The beer’s rich, dark flavour is enhanced by being brewed in aged, oak whisky barrels. To impart this, I illustrated the ampersand’s outer edge with the wood planks and steel hoops of a traditional barrel.
The face of the character reinforces the oak theme with acorns and leaves, together with the beer’s key ingredients and flavours: hops, barley and vanilla.
The ampersand’s shape was based on a design found on a steel printing chase from a prominent local type founder, operating from 1809 to 1952.
The client chose waratahs, gum and banksia plants which I constructed into a pattern harmonious with the letterform. Waratahs are very large, distinctive flowers that grow on straight, thick stems and so these became the central spine of the K. These dominant flower heads draw the eye and form a central repeating structure, enabling the viewer to quickly comprehend the overall design, a technique that Morris employed in his own patterns. The wheat is slightly thinner than the rest of the illustration to darken and strengthen and top arm of the letter.
