[null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b31015f2b6a288be5a69877/1529938289408/Ila%27s+Tea+Room+-+End+of+Year+show.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b31015f2b6a288be5a69877/1529938289408/Ila%27s+Tea+Room+-+End+of+Year+show.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Ila s Tea Room   End of Year show", "alt_text": "Ila's Tea Room - End of Year show.jpg"}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b31073f6d2a73fc7bba8fe9/1529939785376/Ila%27s+Stationery+assets+-+branding+guidelines+and+other+material.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b31073f6d2a73fc7bba8fe9/1529939785376/Ila%27s+Stationery+assets+-+branding+guidelines+and+other+material.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Ila s Stationery assets   branding guidelines and other material", "alt_text": " Printed branding stationery :- including flyers, business cards, menus and of course the brand-guidelines for Ila. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b311dce03ce64eedbb5b546/1529945555617/TopFloorDesign+-+team%21.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b311dce03ce64eedbb5b546/1529945555617/TopFloorDesign+-+team%21.jpg", "formatted_filename": "TopFloorDesign   team", "alt_text": " Me, Kirsten, Victoria, Imaani and Exza (part of TopFloorDesigns) at our preview night at Broadway Gallery last week. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b311e52f950b7f055e50cca/1529945724355/A+picture+of+me%2C+mum+and+my+brother+Sam.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b311e52f950b7f055e50cca/1529945724355/A+picture+of+me%2C+mum+and+my+brother+Sam.jpg", "formatted_filename": "A picture of me C mum and my brother Sam", "alt_text": " Here is me, my mother and my brother Sam! "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b0c0116758d461b37fb2ec3/1527513374612/Screen+Shot+2018-05-28+at+13.08.15.png", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5b0c0116758d461b37fb2ec3/1527513374612/Screen+Shot+2018-05-28+at+13.08.15.png", "formatted_filename": "Screen Shot   at", "alt_text": " Colours and use page from the brand-guidelines. Outlining the RGB colours/pan-tone colours for printing and digital use. "}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbc45af950b71b08de65fb/1526449275740/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+06.26.59.png", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbc45af950b71b08de65fb/1526449275740/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+06.26.59.png", "formatted_filename": "Screen Shot   at", "alt_text": " The amended design, after initial studies of Yumchaa's logos and more contemporary brands I pushed for a simplistic design - with a hand-drawn typeface and vector doiley effect, in keeping with some of the previous ideas in my file. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbca18f950b71b08dee755/1526451640093/Chalkboard+-+Ila%27s+Tea+Room+DISPLAY.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbca18f950b71b08dee755/1526451640093/Chalkboard+-+Ila%27s+Tea+Room+DISPLAY.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Chalkboard   Ila s Tea Room DISPLAY", "alt_text": " Templates - available from Graphic-burger. Putting the logo &amp; Ila's slogan (personal) onto the chalkboard for effect. See the current chalk-board below to see the difference in execution. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbcfc5aa4a994bbed4fb3a/1526452378639/Ila%27s+current+display.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbcfc5aa4a994bbed4fb3a/1526452378639/Ila%27s+current+display.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Ila s current display", "alt_text": " Applied with chalk-paint, how the display looks on Trinity walk. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbd1bf0e2e72d2d8a24cc6/1526452783328/Ila%27s+Tea+Shop+-+Business+card+FINAL+template+%282%29.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbd1bf0e2e72d2d8a24cc6/1526452783328/Ila%27s+Tea+Shop+-+Business+card+FINAL+template+%282%29.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Ila s Tea Shop   Business card FINAL template", "alt_text": " The front of Ila's contemporary (version) businness card. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbd3102b6a28e917f858bc/1526453139490/Canvas+bag+-+Ila%27s+Tea+Room+concept.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5afbd3102b6a28e917f858bc/1526453139490/Canvas+bag+-+Ila%27s+Tea+Room+concept.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Canvas bag   Ila s Tea Room concept", "alt_text": "Canvas bag - Ila's Tea Room concept.jpg"}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5af9b596575d1fda7b97ed47/1526314725589/Speciality+-+tea+shop.JPG", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5af9b596575d1fda7b97ed47/1526314725589/Speciality+-+tea+shop.JPG", "formatted_filename": "Speciality   tea shop", "alt_text": " Just the outside of the shop. Located on Nottingham, 50 Friar Ln, Nottingham NG1 6DQ. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5af9b836aa4a99f5fa1c4421/1526315080732/Speciality+Coffee+Shop+-+instagram.png", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5af9b836aa4a99f5fa1c4421/1526315080732/Speciality+Coffee+Shop+-+instagram.png", "formatted_filename": "Speciality Coffee Shop   instagram", "alt_text": " Their instagram feeds where you can see owners Michaelangelo and Lucy showcase earthy sourced imagery promoting their passion for coffee! Customers/regulars also get involved with tagging their watery beverage @thespecialitycoffeeshop. The photos promote their ethos and story, as seen from their website https://www.thespecialtycoffeeshop.com/story. This is a great addition to their homepage, giving visitors a glimpse into their passion and business. "}, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5ab24d396d2a73fa016586ba/1521635386568/20180224_110245.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5ab24d396d2a73fa016586ba/1521635386568/20180224_110245.jpg", "alt_text": " The front frontage shop of Ila's Little Tea Shoppe. As seen from the front, there is currently no visible applied sign display. Speaking to a few of her customers and regulars they sometimes would mention it can be challenging to find/locate in Nottingham. This photograph proved to be a template for me to experiment further, such as 'mock-up' tests to see things in situ. "}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5ab2cc0e562fa75153d16563/1521667208411/Menu+-+Concept+%234+-Recovered.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5ab2cc0e562fa75153d16563/1521667208411/Menu+-+Concept+%234+-Recovered.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Menu   Concept    Recovered", "alt_text": " Here is my selected menu concept cover for Ila's shop, utilizing a new logo design with refinement to the illustration as well. The illustrations give flavour and bite, inspired by the menus from Betty's I desired to have hand-designed aspects present on it. "}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5ab2cf51758d46a99757e8c6/1521668082744/Ila%27s+Little+Tea+Shoppe+-+signage+visual+concept+3.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5ab2cf51758d46a99757e8c6/1521668082744/Ila%27s+Little+Tea+Shoppe+-+signage+visual+concept+3.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Ila s Little Tea Shoppe   signage visual concept", "alt_text": " One of the stronger logo designs implemented onto her shop signage, more pre-visualization to show Ila and also for my VIVA presentation on the 22nd of March! For the window display my intention was for the illustration to be produced as a vinyl, to grab the attention of passerby's.&nbsp; "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5a002853652dea4f7208a26c/1509960225336/Screen+Shot+2017-11-05+at+20.06.01.png", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5a002853652dea4f7208a26c/1509960225336/Screen+Shot+2017-11-05+at+20.06.01.png", "formatted_filename": "Screen Shot   at", "alt_text": " The Cover-art for 'Outrun' video game published by Sega in 1986. The developer behind the game was Yu Suzuki and Sega AM2. It was a commercial success when it was released, selling over 20,000 arcade cabinets with the game installed in it. The red sports car makes debut, and is actually a Ferrari Testarossa Spider, which is strikingly similar to the car on Kavinsky's 'Outrun'. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5a0028b224a6943fd0f9c937/1509960253052/Screen+Shot+2017-11-05+at+23.24.47.png", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5a0028b224a6943fd0f9c937/1509960253052/Screen+Shot+2017-11-05+at+23.24.47.png", "formatted_filename": "Screen Shot   at", "alt_text": " Hotline Miami is a game which was influenced by music score of Outrun. The game's narrative is incredibly visceral, with a teenager donning an animal mask. The lead character is named Jacket and is lead astray into the underworld of the Russian mafia. The fast paced nature of the game allows the soundtrack to really shine, achieving great harmony. The teenage hero is also your typical archetype character, trying to save his girlfriend from certain doom. The pink-neon typeface in the poster is also synonymous with Miami, referring back to the nightlife of the city, and when the drug wars were rife. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5a00297ef9619a4291b4f897/1509960290825/Screen+Shot+2017-11-05+at+19.49.23.png", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/5a00297ef9619a4291b4f897/1509960290825/Screen+Shot+2017-11-05+at+19.49.23.png", "formatted_filename": "Screen Shot   at", "alt_text": " Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive . In this poster there is a feeling of tension, and immanent action. Gosling has his eyes transfixed on something, purely focused on the job at hand. The typography from Drive and Kavinsky's Outrun do share some similarities regarding the design. The poster evokes a type of broodiness, within the central character \u2013 something just isn't right. "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59e3b8ccf09ca4772546e29b/1508109160886/Semiotics+visual+signs+1.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59e3b8ccf09ca4772546e29b/1508109160886/Semiotics+visual+signs+1.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Semiotics visual signs", "alt_text": " For a quick exercise. .here is the Grey alien. It is an iconic image, and well known type of 'alien'. The signifying word here is Alien. The image/illustration itself is the signified or icon. "}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59e3be3ff6576e84f9086bf7/1508097646646/Semiotics+visual+signs+3.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59e3be3ff6576e84f9086bf7/1508097646646/Semiotics+visual+signs+3.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Semiotics visual signs", "alt_text": " A common site in shopping malls, and other convinence stores. "}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59d3d62503596e8d6ceb48fd/1507055186751/Procrastiwork-1.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59d3d62503596e8d6ceb48fd/1507055186751/Procrastiwork-1.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Procrastiwork", "alt_text": " There must be a few of you out there who like me, do tend to procrastinate and put things off like you do. .You know that feeling, oh I'll do it later at x time , its something we all have to take responsibility of, and learning to forgive yourself more importantly. All those awesome personal projects, sketches and doodles that we LOVE to do because they make us feel good, but at the same time we still have that assignment by Ted we need to be working on! "}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.marcusgilmoreart.com/blog", "unformatted_src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59d3e5db2994cab8d38008c5/1507059892852/%27Do+Good%27+-+medieval+typeface.jpg", "src": "https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d835d4c2ea51353ba20c75/t/59d3e5db2994cab8d38008c5/1507059892852/%27Do+Good%27+-+medieval+typeface.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Do Good    medieval typeface", "alt_text": " Here is an example of some practice calligraphy I came up with last week. I did use a guide reference in illustrating this font, specifically the Gothic style. I've always admired Ye Olde Medieval texts and illuminations, the artistry present in them and the symbolism. My affinity and appreciation of all things Medieval definitely came from my Mother who is quite the history buff. Just imagine those hundreds of years ago in Medieval Europe. . .monks and scribes having to HAND illustrate several hundred page plus tomes, and bibles for the monarchs and ruling bodies. Sometimes it could take between 6 months to a few years to illustrate a tome or illuminated manuscript. "}, null]

Hello! It's been a few tumultuous weeks of preparation and organizing for our End of Year show this coming June. Currently I have been working into finalizing the brand-guidelines for my final major project. The show will be happening from the 20th to the 23rd of June at Broadway cinema, leaving us the 17th and 18th to set up our display areas accordingly.

For Ila's Tea Room condensing her core brand values and beliefs into a cohesive guideline was important in establishing consistency. In this booklet crucial information regarding Ila's brand is presented, from the details regarding the selected typography/type to the colour swatches in the final logo design. Branding stationery from the A6 flyers, business cards, menu, small scale art prints for principle use. All the nitty gritty elements that go into managing a brand, such as her audience. She expressed keen interest in diversifying her target audience, to attract Nottingham's younger professionals and students for example. As the majority of Nottingham's hospitality/cafe' scene is predominantly comprised of the established corporate chains, understanding Ila's independent competitors was important – such as White Rabbit/Thea Caffe'. Colours and use page from the brand-guidelines. Outlining the RGB colours/pan-tone colours for printing and digital use.

After previous visitations to Ila and her tea room, I further understood what kind of regular customers came to visit her. Her current brand 'Ila's Little Tea Shoppe', comments such as the shop's location were a regular concern. Customers would give feedback on specific logistical concerns about how to locate the tea-room, this was an important question and would be resolved by producing a vector map outlining its whereabouts. With a designed map as part of the menu, customers will be able to locate the tea-room with ease. Example page from the Inspiration I collated in the beginnings of this project, from Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Willow Tearooms to the Yumchaa tea brand.

Hello there! Since I handed in my final project from the 10th of May, I have been following upon the guidance of my tutors at Nottingham College and have embedded a more contemporary version which I produced over the weekend. Following advice from my brother and tutors (Richard/Sarah), I have implemented changes to further improve and make the design more suitable for mass audiences. What I have submitted below are the re-worked versions of the newer improved logo design, with carefully selecting colour palettes seen in Ila's tea shop I have went about - capturing the teapot and tea leaves with a suitable colour. The amended design, after initial studies of Yumchaa's logos and more contemporary brands I pushed for a simplistic design - with a hand-drawn typeface and vector doiley effect, in keeping with some of the previous ideas in my file.

I have implemented a few situ images that tie the contemporary branding for Ila's here, they are an alternative branding concept to make it more accessible to a larger demographic. Understanding that the majority of her current audience base, consistent of more maturer ages having a clear and appealing brand image. Understanding the research that goes into a brand is one of the more critical aspects – who is your audience/market? What they want and how can your service/or product solve their problems and emotional needs. In this case for Ila's tea shop it was about creating a warm pleasant experience that will attract consumers from a myriad of ages, not just a maturer demographic – this was to be communicated through the branding elements I suggested in my proposal, such as the menu/flyers/business cards/brand guide-lines and the vinyl print.

Reflecting back to this Final major project, expanding upon more contemporary examples would have been much more beneficial earlier on. Having explored this then at a later, has definitely improved my design and confidence overall – and the execution of specific ideas. The additional situ designs showcase the additional contemporary brand assets, they are significantly different to the original submitted designs on the 10th. Templates - available from Graphic-burger. Putting the logo & Ila's slogan (personal) onto the chalkboard for effect. See the current chalk-board below to see the difference in execution. Applied with chalk-paint, how the display looks on Trinity walk.

For the business cards, I followed the theme of having less repetitive elements and included Ila's name (first) to be placed on the front. And the back to include social media pages and contact information. The front of Ila's contemporary (version) businness card.

Here are the tote-bag ideas I had in mind just to see how the applied branding could appear on bags and accessories. Looking at templates on Graphic-burger (great resource). Currently I'm in the process of double-checking all the elements to be verified and sent to the printers, I have been receiving additional support via the ACES team at the Nottingham College, and they have been instrumental in helping me manage my schedule and progress. 

The album cover for Outrun draws multiple themes/inspiration from a particular kind of lifestyle, such living in Miami in the 1980s. The cover was designed by French electro house artist SebastiaAn.

The main elements of the cover include: the central protagonist, the sports car and the lightening bolt giving us an indication to the narrative/theme. The emphasis placed on the red K in the main title attracts the eye, inviting the viewing in. The sense of danger and excitement is visually portrayed from the car’s head lights, the night’s sky – referencing back to the American teenager.

Listening to the official soundtrack, synthesizers are heavily utilized throughout the album, these were used throughout the 70s and 80s - a definite nod to the time period set in Outrun. During the rebellious 1950s, American teenagers wanted to get away from their over-bearing parents, and wanted to have fun. Teens would often be out to the cinemas with the boyfriends or girlfriends, pulling up in fancy new cars. Instances of this can be seen in movies and television characters with established archetypes, such as the confident Jock in his jersey jacket.

The genres of film include the acting work of James Dean who promoted American youth culture during the 1950s. His most important film was Rebel Without a Cause (directed by Nicholas Ray), where he played a brooding red-jacketed teenager, named Jim Stark. His untimely death from a car crash, transfixed him into a cult figure of timeless fascination.

The term American Dream originally came from a historian in 1931 named James Truslow Adams, referring to That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability of achievement. The colonists of America represented the American Frontier, Thomas Jefferson claimed that everyone in America was “entitled to a life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”. It has since then evolved in the minds of all Americans as an ideal to aspire towards, this 'dream' that they could make their hopes/ambitions a reality. The Cover-art for 'Outrun' video game published by Sega in 1986. The developer behind the game was Yu Suzuki and Sega AM2. It was a commercial success when it was released, selling over 20,000 arcade cabinets with the game installed in it. The red sports car makes debut, and is actually a Ferrari Testarossa Spider, which is strikingly similar to the car on Kavinsky's 'Outrun'. Hotline Miami is a game which was influenced by music score of Outrun. The game's narrative is incredibly visceral, with a teenager donning an animal mask. The lead character is named Jacket and is lead astray into the underworld of the Russian mafia. The fast paced nature of the game allows the soundtrack to really shine, achieving great harmony. The teenage hero is also your typical archetype character, trying to save his girlfriend from certain doom. The pink-neon typeface in the poster is also synonymous with Miami, referring back to the nightlife of the city, and when the drug wars were rife. Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. In this poster there is a feeling of tension, and immanent action. Gosling has his eyes transfixed on something, purely focused on the job at hand. The typography from Drive and Kavinsky's Outrun do share some similarities regarding the design. The poster evokes a type of broodiness, within the central character – something just isn't right.

The concept of Semiotics is about the usage of signs and understanding how they impact on us. They are all around us, from road signs to stop signs, to traffic lights.

They are a form of visual linguistics that have immense sway in our daily lives. For a quick exercise. .here is the Grey alien. It is an iconic image, and well known type of 'alien'. The signifying word here is Alien. The image/illustration itself is the signified or icon. What do you see in this sketch? Do you see just a mask, or more specifically an infamous character from a well known comic book? How has this particular icon, inspired a well known internet/hacker group? A common site in shopping malls, and other convinence stores. A destructive force of nature, that destroys all in its path. What is it?


Thanks for sparing the time to check out this little space! This marks my first official blog entry to my website. This place will be where I share my thoughts on the work of established Typographers and Illustrators in the creative industries. I'm currently based at New College Nottingham (NCN) doing my Foundation degree in Graphic Design (Illustration) which i'm currently enjoying - the challenges, learning curves and the importance of social networking!

Over the course of my summer holidays this year, I compiled research into a multitude of designers & illustrators, and one of whom who grabbed my attention was Jessica Hische.

Jessica's contributions within the graphic design realm is extensive, she has a book out titled In Progress which is a sneak-peak into her creative working process. Which is currently on my Amazon wish list this year.

To see her folio of work, you can visit her website here at : http://jessicahische.is/working

Since discovering her work, I was inspired to try my hand at typography and calligraphy which came with varying results. These exercises are a great way of creative problem solving, figuring out how to approach a certain type or font - which takes a steady hand and patience. There must be a few of you out there who like me, do tend to procrastinate and put things off like you do. .You know that feeling, oh I'll do it later at x time, its something we all have to take responsibility of, and learning to forgive yourself more importantly. All those awesome personal projects, sketches and doodles that we LOVE to do because they make us feel good, but at the same time we still have that assignment by Ted we need to be working on! Here is an example of some practice calligraphy I came up with last week. I did use a guide reference in illustrating this font, specifically the Gothic style. I've always admired Ye Olde Medieval texts and illuminations, the artistry present in them and the symbolism. My affinity and appreciation of all things Medieval definitely came from my Mother who is quite the history buff. Just imagine those hundreds of years ago in Medieval Europe. . .monks and scribes having to HAND illustrate several hundred page plus tomes, and bibles for the monarchs and ruling bodies. Sometimes it could take between 6 months to a few years to illustrate a tome or illuminated manuscript.