MESSIAH: A contemporary love letter to the Baroque

Typography
Illustration
Handlettering
Event Branding

Collaborators: Mark Fuller (CD), Nathan Hutcheon (AD)

This project was created in-house at Bob Jones University for the 2019 Concert, Opera, & Drama Series featuring Handel’s landmark oratorio, Messiah. The university’s marketing group creates artwork, brand campaigns, and press kits for many such events every year. Messiah is a Baroque-era work from a period which derives its name from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning “irregular pearl.” I have never had an assignment that was so perfectly suited to my preferred style of intricate gilded ornamentation.

The lettering process was a mix of old and new methods. I sketched the title in ink, then re-lettered it in ProCreate many times before striking the right feel. Illustrator’s live trace tool was remarkably useful for simulating the destructive process of ink spillage and edge breaks. The final image including the metallic patina was lit and shaded in Blender Cycles and composited in Photoshop.