The Anchor

Woodcut Illustration

Illustration · Fictional seafood restaurant

Editorial & Print

The Anchor sign with woodcut sea creature illustrations, hanging on a brick wall covered in vines

Overview

An illustration for The Anchor, a fictional seafood restaurant. The woodcut style gives the brand its personality: it feels handmade, a little rustic and close to the sea.

Process

01 · The illustration

Sea creatures frame the centre of the square: an octopus, a starfish, a shrimp, clams and oysters, a crab, a fish and a scallop. Each one is drawn with angular, carved shapes and heavy dark outlines, the way a woodcut print would cut them, which gives them a bold, graphic feel.

02 · The logo

I also designed the logo in the middle: an anchor under the restaurant's name, set in an arch.

03 · Colour variations

The illustration comes in two colourways. The multicolour version, in orange, sand and light blue on cream, is my favourite, and it's the one on the sign. The second is all blues, for a cooler, more nautical look.

The Anchor illustration in orange, sand and light blue on cream — Multicolour

The Anchor illustration in shades of blue on pale blue — Blue

Deliverables

Woodcut illustration in two colourways
Logo
Sign mockup