Artist Partners are delighted and privileged to announce the first Royal Mail stamps showing the silhouette of His Majesty King Charles III for and celebrating Christmas 2023. the designs have been exclusively illustrated by Tom Duxbury. These five beautiful images were based on the theme of the nativity and the traditional Christmas carols. The five designs feature the carols: O Holy Night; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Silent Night; Away in a Manger; and We Three Kings.
The new HM King Charles III silhouette; a collaboration between illustrator Andrew Davidson, Head of Design and Editorial at Royal Mail, Marcus James, and Ian Chilvers, from design agency, Atelier Works is out now.
The project began with Andrew working on a likeness that would work at stamp size.
The second major stage of development was the digitising and fine-tuning of the detail in the silhouette. This was conducted by both Royal Mail and Atelier Works with visual adjustments that were tested at actual size to ensure the silhouette would work at the diminutive dimensions required.
The final image was adjusted to ensure a likeness to the new Definitive ’everyday’ stamp.
To mark such an incredible project, we spoke to Andrew to gather his thoughts on the commission.
How does it feel to capture such an important moment in British Monarchy History?
I feel a great sense of honour to have been asked to work on such an important job.
It’s a hard act to follow one of my heroes, David Gentleman, whose design of the Queen’s silhouette has been in use since 1968.
What were your initial feelings when the commission came in?
When Marcus James of Royal Mail and Ian Chilvers of Atelier Design asked me to work on this project, I was very excited, but knew it was a great challenge.
You’ve created and worked on many iconic campaigns in your career, how does this compare with what you would consider to be other major projects?
Over the many years I have been working as a designer/illustrator, I have always taken the view that each job no matter how large or important, should be treated with the same amount of consideration and respect as smaller less prestigious commissions. It keeps me grounded.
Katie Ponder has been busy working away with creative agency Baxter & Bailey on a series of designs for Royal Mail’s Christmas 2022 Stamps. Each image illustrates an element of the Nativity story, told in Katie’s beautifully sophisticated graphic style and utilising jewel tones.
Here is @thomas_danthony depiction of Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ in glorious stamp form.
The illustration is one of six original illustrations to celebrate science fiction classics brought to you via @royalmailofficial and is available now!
Andrew Davidson was incredibly honoured to be invited to design a commemorative stamp for the 2018 edition of the Royal Mail’s programme marking the centenary of the Great War.
Digital Progression’s lead artist Malcolm Tween, was thrilled to be asked to illustrate a special set of stamps for the Royal Mail, to mark the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Some jobs are on an illustrator's bucket list from the minute they graduate art school. For many, creating stamps for the Royal Mail is pretty high up that list, and it's one that Helen Musselwhite was delighted to tick off this year. (more…)
