Three small projects which I was commissioned in August-September of 2014.
Milana & Anton
Milana and Anton gave me almost absolute creative freedom for this project.
The only thing they wanted is their monogram to fit well within a circle.
There were a lot of sketches...
To tell the truth, I love the stage of sketching. It's always like
a fascinating journey full of new discoveries and surprises.
Eventually we decided on this design. I made dozens of studies
and selected the most balanced one.
and selected the most balanced one.
Manual tracing is a great piece of work. It always demands a great deal of time and attention to the detail for any inaccuracy may ruin the dynamics and subtle beauty of calligraphic line.
To finalize tracing, usually I make several test prints
and then I review and refine the contour if any inaccuracy catches my eye.
Voilà ce que c'est que de voir la vie en rose:)
Natalya & Konstantin
Natalya and Konstantin asked me to create something simple and clear.
They loved broad nib calligraphy better.
As always, I made a lot of sketches and pretty soon the design was approved.
Tracing work requires patience.
Sometimes when I'm in doubt with the tracing of some letter parts, I create and print
several alternative variations. Then I review and choose one of them for final refinements.
Done!
Elena & Andrey
Elena and Andrey fancied their future monogram inside an oval.
And besides, they didn't want it to be too much ornate.
I started my journey with loose lines and letters...
Enjoyed several days of doing sketches...
Elena and Andrey loved this design.
As always, there was a great deal of meticulous tracing work.
Reviewing the final contour and choosing the optimal downstroke weight.
Done!
And as a small bonus, Mahatma Gandhi's words which I was inspired while working:
"Where there is love there is life."
