2018

One of my decisions this year is to streamline my online posting, consequently from this January, I've decided to post all my lettering and illustration news on my website. 

I want to thank those of you who follow me on Blogspot for all your support, you can still find my news on professional commissions and personal projects by clicking through to my website and navigating to the relevant folders. If you'd like to continue to follow me on social media, you'll find links at the top of the homepage.

If you have any questions or need any help finding information about specific samples of work, feel free to  contact me through my website.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and creative year ahead,
Ruth.

Christmas Lettering for Country Living Magazine

By Ruth Rowland

Editorial: Country Living Magazine

It's been wonderful to have the opportunity to create lettering for the beautiful pages of Country Living Magazine for another year. 

Each quote is lovingly hand rendered with ink and brush for a warm tonal feel, it's a time-consuming technique but I hope it does justice to the many talented artisan makers and designers who are featured every month within the pages of this iconic magazine.

To get in the festive spirit, I'm showing some lettering from the last few months as well as the festive issue, photographed in a little make-shift shoot in my studio. I took so many, that in they end I couldn't decide between them, so if you'd like to see more, head over to the full project on my website ... I hope you enjoy them.

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your support over the last year. As some of you may know, it's been a difficult year for me personally, I'm currently on bereavement leave but I'm looking forward to getting back into the studio in the New Year and already have some interesting projects booked in for January.

Wishing you all a joyous Christmas and an inspirational New Year!

Hand Lettered Book Titles for Jane Fallon

By Ruth Rowland

Publishing: Jane Fallon Lettering I Penguin Books

I had a lot of fun working on these hand lettered book titles for popular author, Jane Fallon.

Commissioned by Penguin, these fresh and witty designs were the perfect excuse to get my marker pens out and create some casual script to work with the photography.

So far I’ve created two titles for her novels, Strictly Between Us and My Sweet Revenge. The third in the series, Faking Friends, is about to come out in January (but if you’d like a sneak preview of the cover, click through to my website … shhhhh!).

Journal: Thirty Days of Digital Lettering

Thanks to everyone who followed my thirty day journey experimenting with digital lettering with an Apple Pencil on the new iPad Pro. If you missed the posts on social media, you can see all thirty of the hand lettered pieces in the new journal on my portfolio website.

Thirty Days of Digital Lettering & Harry Potter Picturing Magic Course

By Ruth Rowland

JOURNAL: RR LA Facebook . RR LA Instagram . RR LA Twitter . British Library Picturing Magic Course

I've recently invested in a new iPad Pro and Apple Pencil and I'm enjoying exploring the array of creative apps available for this impressive mobile device.

As I progress, I've been collating a digital lettering sketchbook and I've decided to share some of the work on social media in the coming month as Thirty Days of Digital Lettering.

Murano Ampersand by Ruth Rowland Lettering Artist

To start off with, I'm experimenting with some of the Adobe Mobile Apps, which are included as part of my Adobe CC subscription. If you're interested in following along, you'll find these digitally hand lettered pieces posted on my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts during October (links at top of post). 

Sassy S by Ruth Rowland Lettering Artist

The British Library Harry Potter Picturing Magic Course

I'm excited to have been asked to contribute to the Picturing Magic Course, aligned with the wonderful British Library Exhibition, Harry Potter: A History of Magic. The Course is being led by talented professional illustrator and educator, Sion Ap Tomos with specialist help from myself and creative book binder and printmaker, Shelagh McCarthy. 

I'll be dropping in on one of the sessions to talk to the students about their approach to annotating their hand bound and illustrated books. Needless to say, I'll also be bringing along an interesting collection of pens and inks to demonstrate the possibilities. It may not be Hogwarts but I'm still hoping to help bring a little magic to the students’ hand lettering …

Lettering on the Harry Potter Picturing Magic Course

If you'd like to join us on the course (link at top of page), there are still a few places available but be quick to sign up as these exclusive classes have limited numbers. Hope to see you there!

Hand Lettering for Can I Speak to Someone in Charge by Emily Clarkson

By Ruth Rowland

Publishing: Pretty Normal Me l Simon & Schuster 

I was delighted to be asked by publishers, Simon & Schuster to work on a the hand lettered book title for popular blogger, Emily Clarkson, founder of Pretty Normal Me: 

‘Pretty Normal Me was founded by Em Clarkson to help women be the happiest versions of themselves.’ 

Her new book, Can I Speak to Someone in Charge, is an expansion of the blog. The casual brush lettered title and side copy make for a fresh, dynamic cover and reflect the subjects she discusses in her pertinent posts.

Over the years I've worked on an interesting range of book covers, you can see more of my hand lettered titles and author logos in the publishing folder on my website.

Digital Dalliances

I've been having a lot of fun experimenting with the latest iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. Much as I love my pen and ink, it's been interesting to see just how sensitive pixels can be …

If you're interested in how digital brushes compare to conventional ones, I'll be posting further experiments on my Instagram and FB accounts.

Bespoke Lettering for the Made in Yorkshire Logo

Logos: Made in Yorkshire I Ledgard Jepson I Ruth Rowland

I always enjoy working on logos, so I was happy when asked by Ledgard Jepson to contribute to their designs for the Made in Yorkshire branding for the Cooper Gallery, Barnsley.

Alongside its regular programme of contemporary art exhibitions and events, the Cooper Gallery features unique and individually made items by talented Yorkshire artists and makers.

Bespoke lettering was the perfect choice for a logo that needed to capture the artisanal nature of the range of products on display, evoking 'the personal touch' for these hand-picked regional artists.

Experimental Brush Calligraphy

If you're interested in abstract mark-making then you may enjoy the orientally-inspired brushwork I'm currently posting on my Instagram and Facebook accounts after attending a recent inspirational workshop.

Lettering for Four Four Two Magazine Messi Issue

It was great fun working on the hand lettering for the July issue of FourFourTwo Magazine with guest editor Messi. 

The work extended beyond the double cover to the opening article title lettering and can also be seen throughout the magazine in the form of smaller playful notes and jottings.

Guest edited by celebrated footballer, Messi, the design team at FourFourTwo wanted to give the magazine the personal touch with casual handwritten elements to complement the bold design.

As with all magazine work, the timings were tight so I worked closely with the Deputy Art Editor as the copy evolved and the design was finalised, both to the satisfaction of the design team and Messi’s sponsors, Adidas. It was a fast and furious job but a satisfying one - plus, I know a lot more about Messi than I did at the start of the project!

If you'd like to see more of my lettering and illustration for magazines, head over to the editorial folder on my portfolio site where you'll see an interesting variety of commissions for different publications.