CREATURE FEATURE: THE CALLIGRAPHER
Carl Chua on working with Mr. Bones and The Boneyard Circus’ new logo.
Tell us who you are and what you do
Hi! My name is Carl Chua and I do calligraphy and lettering.
What inspires you to create?
The joy of creating something new and the fulfillment that comes with a finished piece I'm happy with. Creative friends who have their own personal passion projects also inspire me to do better.
How would you define your art style?
Freestyle. I try to be diverse and do different styles as much as I can. I love letters and find it fascinating that you can write a single letter in so many different ways. I'm able to appreciate all kinds of writing styles as long as the final piece is written well and has good composition. But the ones that stand out are the ones that has the individual's unique flavor to it.
What tools do you use?
Different tools can achieve different results. I've tried a lot of pens during my time practicing calligraphy but I often find myself going back to the Pilot Parallel Pen, Pentel Brush Pen and Kuretake Zig Cocoiro Letter Pen.
Where did you get training?
I'm self-taught when it comes to calligraphy and lettering. I follow a lot of really good calligraphers and letterers on instagram and I study how they write different styles and try to infuse my own flavor when it's time to create my own. I also get helpful tips from friends in the type community.
As an artist, did the artistry of the circus influence your work in any way?
Yes, as you can see, the whole look of the logo stems from the visual style you normally see in the circus.
Tell us about the process on designing/creating the new boneyard logo.
I knew from the start that I was going after a certain kind of aesthetic when it came to designing the new Mr. Bones and the Boneyard Circus logo. I was looking at a lot of vintage type treatments during the course of the project. It was my first attempt at hand lettering and it took quite a while before I finalized the sketch before moving on to the digitizing stage. Once I got the custom type locked in, I started to put in all these ornamental types that make up the rest of the logo.
Whats the best piece of advice youve been given?
I'm better at giving advice than following one. Even my own. Hahaha! Freestyle lang!
Who’s your dream client?
My dream client is someone who'll allow me to do whatever projects I'm interested in and trusting me to do my thing during the whole process.
"IF you were given the opportunity to REBRAND or REDO any BIG (internationally famous) logo like Coca Cola, Shell, Marlboro - which would it be?"
Big brands don't entice me when it comes to projects. My preferred projects are those that give me creative freedom and working with people who treat you as a partner in collaboration instead of a graphic operator.
View more of Carl’s work on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK
