From Drawing Board to Finished Product

I spend so much time drawing motifs and coming up with new little animals or cute objects to sketch that I start to think of the Pickett's Press extensive design library as "family".  :)

Original Drawing of Client’s Beagle Puppy

Finished and colored stationery

For instance, the little beagle I drew for a client 10 years ago seems like an old childhood friend, whereas I feel like I’m still getting to know the new holly berry motif I drew just last year.

Original pen and ink holly sprig drawing

  Holly on the original card for which it was commissioned

Once an image is sketched, usually because a client asks for a product with that image, I gradually work it into the Pickett's Press product library- generally we start out with stationery but often an icon works really well as a repeated pattern on journals or platters, so we start with those.

An iteration of stationery using the boat drawing, in color

The design process is a lot of fun, and when I am drawing, my job doesn't feel like work at all.  It's what I'd be doing in my free time anyway! (And I get to say I'm "working" so people leave me alone lol..).  Here are the newest "members" of our design library family, drawn over the last week, and some of the designs into which I've incorporated them.

Globe original drawing

Letterpress stationery in hunter green

Fly fishing sketch

Letterpress Stationery in cobalt blue ink 

Drawing of a swiss army knife

Red letterpress knife on paper

Red Playing Cards drawing

Red Letterpress Playing Cards Stationery

Some of my favorite work is commissions of houses or boats from clients.  Taking an idea, to locating the object of that idea to sketch, to doing the sketch, to translating that sketch into a digitally rendered icon which can be printed and put on products, and then designing the product, colors, size, fonts, with that image, is an extensive, intensive, and fun process that takes a LOT of time. Here are some of my favorite ideas to finished product!

Commission of a family farm, the site of their wedding

Detail of the final save the date, in color

Photograph of drawing in progress of a Greenwich home as a gift for her sister

The final drawing was used on pads, stationery and memo notes

One of my favorite parts of my job is drawing custom homes, and the sky is the limit as to what can be created between art and product.  Stationery, pads, trays, cups, napkins, iPhone covers, I’ve done it all!

I grew up drawing people, pets and houses for fun- I constantly had a pen or pencil in my hand.  I am so lucky to be able to do what I love, as my job.  

XO, Kate