Week 6

Further development:

From speaking with Sarah for further feedback, I have decided to explore how I can further develop these stamp mock-ups. We discussed there needs to be more contrast in these mock-ups, i.e. definition of text against the image. I have noticed that the Victorian stamps often used oval framing for the Queen’s portrait. The more I think about it, the stamps are essentially cameos. This is a very resourceful reference as cameos traditionally possess a rich history.

If I explore cameos further:

“Cameo is a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewellery or vessel. It nearly always features a raised (positive) image; contrast with intaglio, which has a negative image. Originally, and still in discussing historical work, cameo only referred to works where the relief image was of a contrasting colour to the background; this was achieved by carefully carving a piece of material with a flat plane where two contrasting colours met, removing all the first colour except for the image to leave a contrasting background.“

Images: cameo examples from the 19th century.

Cameos were a symbol of wealth and luxury, and women began collecting cameos to prove cultural status during the Elizabethan period. At the same time, tourist travels to the ruins of Pompeii were on the rise and women began collecting shell and lava cameos as souvenirs to remember their travel. The most popular cameos today are carved in sea shells, a tradition that began in the fifteenth or sixteenth century and was popularised by Queen Victoria of England. 

Taking the blue stamp mockup using the post office as a distorted image on the stamp, I have further developed this by framing the image.

  • Using cameo inspired frame
  • Arranging arched text inside frame
  • Inserting Victorian inspired pattern
  • Figuring out which elements work with pattern
  • Subtracting upper and lower lines of rectangle border
  • Addition of “one penny”
Six images: my process further developing the blue stamp.

This was my final mock up – but I wasn’t happy with how it looked. I thought the post office image I had originally taken and distorted in the stamp, looked too lost. I knew I had to make the post office image larger, and re-arrange the text elements.

I went back to Photoshop to re-arrange the lettering and remove the frame.
This is now my final development of the Woburn stamp, inspired by the history of Woburn’s first post office.

How could I improve?

Looking at modern day first class and second class stamps, including the books. The image is contrasting against the background and very minimal compared to the Victorian era when stamps were first released.

Image: I have purchased a first day book cover to show an example, and scanned in. This is one dating from 19th Jan 1988 and is from The Linnean Society. I love the stamps on this cover which is why I purchased it, and the snowdrop stamp logos are really delicate.
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