Russell Hood

Hey Si, you're too kind. The border work is just extended doodling. I do it to keep my eye in - parallel lines and smooth curves are good exercise. The fact that they look gaelic or celtic is down to early exposure to the work of Jim Fitzpatrick's Book of Conquests. My schoolbooks were riddled with celtic borders, but very little real homework :)

I'm too lazy to do the basic geometric layout in pencil that a real celtic border would require, so I just make 'em up as I go along. It's surprisingly easy to fool the eye into thinking there's a design or pattern there.

Similarly, the lettering is rough and ready - some basic proportions roughed out in pencil, but when I pick up the biro, I rely on the viewer's eye to fool itself into seeing things as being better than they are.