Thought I might share my new Logo for my Studio: Q-5. "Q-5" is a radio communication term for "Highest Quality". If you received a very loud and very nice signal, you would respond "Q-5, S-9!". I want to carry that same highest quality sensitivity over into my printing, publishing and graphic design endeavours.
The design is adapted from the United States Regular Postal Issue of the early to mid 1920s. I love these classic designs, with the crocus leaf flourishes and the heavy engraved cross hatching. The design is a total redraw, executed on FreeHand MX. I tried to do a vector conversion from the two-cent Harding issue which I have mint, thinking that since the stamp is the only dense black colour of the issue, I may have enough contrast to do a direct vector.
No such luck.
So I did a direct sizing of the basic stamp geometry on a .jpg image of the 1/2c. Nathan Hale issue, also mint, and spent the next 48-odd hours re-drawing the entire stamp, line by line, it was a heavy duty session on the digi-art board. The crocus leaves took as long to re-draw as it would have taken me to engrave (yes, I do engraving, too.) Those crocus flourishes were a separate project unto themselves.
The runner comes courtesy the Derbeney Co. of Paris, 1898. It was originally a woodcut. I thought it would look appropriate for a design based on Philatelic Art. My plan is to run these on both my card, my stationery, and maybe even run them as plate-blocks. They are two colour, the centre will always be black. The frame may vary.
I started collecting stamps when I was five years old, and I attribute my love of history, geography, graphic design and printing entirely to my affection for stamp collecting. I don't have a very large collection, mostly Classical Era US, British and German, plus some of my favourite French Art Deco designs from 1870 - 1930. Also fascinating are the Postzegeln (stamps) of Nederland. What collection wouldn't be complete without Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Juliana gracing the pages?
I'll share more of my Philatelic designs as time permits.
Good Providence in ALL your Letterpress endeavours!
-gary, Q5.
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