For Luke Copping—a Buffalo, New York-based photographer—the average portrait won't do. Whether mastering light, smearing cake on a face or burying someone in oyster mushrooms, Luke explores the limits of creativity and, as a result, has some pretty beautiful photos. But something wasn't adding up. Luke's work is so bold that his logo felt just a bit too simple in comparison. While the minimal look was clean and precise, it didn't represent the brand that Luke wanted to convey. So we worked together to create something that would stand out and fit the photographer's personality.
The first step was to jump on a call, meet the photographer, and understand their work and goals for the project. We also passed a few references back and forth to get a gague of what he was looking for.
I’m glad I did include those sketches, because that’s what luke was ultimately drawn to the most. Round 1 did it’s job in giving us a much clearer idea of what Luke was looking for—a hand-written logo in a cool brush-stroke font.
That in mind, I research fonts and created several more options myself. Since we wanted these to be bold brushstrokes, I even tested out what I could do if I physically drew/painted out the name before making it digital.
While Luke wasn’t entirely sure what outcome he wanted, he knew he wanted something bold and eye-catching. And that was enough for me—I decided to show a lot of variety in the first round—all exciting to look at, but no logo quite like the other.
Concept 1 features what I like to call—and I think most professional designers would agree—gritty scrabble blocks. Each letter filled a box, which could stack various ways, allowing Luke to play with his logo as if it were a game.
Concept 2 showed a diagonally aligned/3D logo. This logo played with space while maintaining the bold lettering.
Concept 3 featured a brushstroke as a background. Luke sent a few brushes as a reference, and this option allowed for a hand-painted element while holding onto clean lettering.
Concept 4 was done in Procreate, so I had the opportunity to create a new typeface while playing with details, such as paint splotches and lines.
Finally, while coming up with the four concepts, I experimented with various other designs, which I didn’t want to leave out. I don’t typically include those rough sketches, but since we didn’t have too much direction, I wanted to show every option possible.
I felt a little like I was back in Junior High, writing a name repeatedly in my notebook—but hey, that’s the case for every logo I make and Luke’s excitement for this project was so energizing that I really wanted to get it right. Suppose that means writing his name over and over again. Well, so be it.
I took my favorite hand-drawn logos, and one found font and not only laid them out for Luke but incorporated them into a single photo so he could see how they would work with his work. I also compiled a list of fonts I thought he’d like (mostly provided by Creative Market) so he had every option available.
Hand-Brushed Logo number 1 is what won Luke over—a font from Creative Market called Avallon. We both loved how it worked with his imagery and the variety offered with this font. Avallon offers standard and SVG fonts (SVG shows more texture in the lettering than your average font). So with that significant detail down, the final step was to choose a color palette.
The color might be my favorite part of Luke’s brand. His palette is warm, bright, and fun, and stands out from the other brands you’ll see with his logo style.
I sent various neutral and bright options—all colors I got from sampling his photos. He ultimately picked a warm sunset-like palette with lovely purples, reds, and yellows. I was stoked to see how it all came together.
If Luke were a painter, his work would be big bold strokes, not small tighty marks. Now he has the logo to capture that energy and passion for his work.
It was a pleasure working with Luke and establishing his new brand. Now stay tuned for how we utilize it in some marketing materials.