An Origin Story

What goes into the creation of a business logo? Research, brainstorming, and in my case, drawing!

I knew back in December of 2023 that I wanted to create an art business centered around art prints and publications but I wasn’t sure what the name of the business would be. I had been working with black and white media for a long while, practicing with portraiture and sketching.

One of my favorite subjects to draw to this day is statues. I consider them excellent models – sure, they don’t move (which helps!) but I can also gain a better understanding of the subject’s anatomy, clothing style, and other details. My drawing of El Cid in California is a good example of this.

Sculptures from the Frist Art Museum’s Monuments and Myths collection

Inspiration Strikes

The Frist Art Museum is one of my favorite places to be here in the Nashville area and I was elated to visit the Monuments and Myths exhibit featuring the amazing sculpture works of Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French during the spring of 2024. There I saw a wide array of figural work alongside some busts as well. I enjoyed learning about Greek and Roman mythology so this was right up my alley.

After drawing some sketches of what I saw, I knew that this felt like the right basis for my own brand logo – a classical subject that is aligned with my interests. However, I didn’t want an overly simple logo design since that isn’t what my work is about. Here at Monochrome Mythology, detail is embraced!

Sketch of the Monochrome Mythology logo

Apollo

Taking the inspiration gained from the show, I did some further research and found a great photo of an Apollo bust I could use as a reference for my logo drawing. He is the Greek god of many aspects, including poetry, music, and more. It’s a fitting creative force to showcase the Monochrome Mythology brand.

I began with a pencil drawing (pictured above), followed up with an ink version, and then pieced it together in Photoshop. I am pleased with the results and excited to showcase more prints and stories in the future.

Keep telling stories,
Jeremy


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