Down East Coffee. Character concept

There she blows!

Illustrative brand logo concept by Chris Mitchell, commissioned by KHJ Brand Activation for Down East Coffee. A brave Sea Captain in a hero pose is depicted at the wheel of his ship, battling with the elements to import premium ingredients across oceans. All elements contribute in projecting the nautical heritage of the company. The vintage travel poster style of the illustration is also in keeping with the historic theme.

Initial pose ideas for the Sea Captain character were visually explored in the form of loose line sketches. At this early stage the sketches help to focus minds on the composition, stance and importantly the projected personality of the character that best answers the brief. A chosen sketch idea is then developed further in the form of a hand crafted digital colour line illustration. Whilst developing the illustrative style, consideration for clarity of line and readability at the required featured print size was foremost in Chris's mind.

2380 Down East Coffee 1200x 2400 pix Freeze
A few early exploration sketches.
2380 Sea Captain 1200 X2400 pix
Left to right; showing vector development stage to final artwork