Brand identity
A drawn mark and the system that keeps it steady, from a signboard down to a postage stamp.
- Wordmark and drawn monogram
- Type and colour system
- Usage notes your team can follow
Freelance illustrator & brand designer
Marks drawn by hand, then made to work everywhere.
I’m Wren Calloway. From a small studio full of paper and ink, I build identities, illustration and packaging for publishers, growers and independent shops — work that still looks handmade at 12 millimetres or 12 metres.
What I do
Three ways to work together
Most projects start with one of these and grow sideways. If yours sits between two of them, say so in your note — that is usually the interesting part.
Editorial illustration
Spot drawings, chapter openers and covers, inked on paper and finished clean for print or screen.
- Covers and jacket art
- Spot and section illustration
- Repeatable house style
Packaging & print
Labels, wraps and pattern families drawn to survive small format, cheap stock and real shelves.
- Label and carton artwork
- Botanical pattern sets
- Print-ready files and proofing
Selected work
A few things drawn recently
Three projects that show the range: an imprint, an illustrated series and a stationery system built from one drawn alphabet.
Marrow & Moss Press
A drawn imprint mark and a spine system for a publisher of small regional histories, built so each new title sets itself.
Delivered: mark, spine grid, three cover templates.
The Quiet Almanac
Twelve inked chapter openers and forty spot drawings for a seasonal almanac, kept consistent by a shared hatching rule.
Delivered: 52 drawings, house-style sheet.
Hedgerow Field Notes
A hand-lettered alphabet turned into letterheads, labels and a pocket guide for a small ecology practice.
Delivered: lettering set, stationery, label artwork.
How it runs
Four steps, no surprises
You always know what is happening, what it costs and what comes next. Nothing moves forward until the step before it is signed off.
Letter
You send a note. I reply with scope, a fixed price, a timeline and the questions I still need answered.
Sketch
Pencil routes on paper — usually three directions, photographed and sent with reasoning, not mood boards.
Ink
The chosen route is inked, then digitised and tested at the smallest and largest sizes it will ever be used at.
Hand-off
Files, usage notes and a short walkthrough recording, so whoever picks it up next can keep it right.
The studio
One person, one desk, a lot of paper
Ink Garden has been a studio of one since 2016. I take two projects at a time, which means you speak to the person drawing your work rather than a queue of handovers.
Everything begins on paper. Digital tools come in later, once the line already has a character worth keeping.
- Fixed pricesQuoted before work starts, per stage, so the budget never drifts.
- Drawn firstEvery mark starts as a real line before it becomes a vector.
- Yours to keepFull rights, source files and working notes hand over at the end.
Before you write
Questions I’m usually asked
How long does a project take?
An identity usually runs six to eight weeks from sign-off; an illustration series depends on count, but I draw roughly eight finished pieces a week. Packaging sits in between. You get the actual dates in the quote, not a range.
Do you work with clients remotely?
Almost always. Sketches are photographed and sent as they happen, and each stage ends with a short call or a written walkthrough, whichever suits you. Time zones have not been a problem so far.
How many revisions are included?
Two rounds per stage, which is enough in practice because the thinking happens at the sketch stage. If the brief genuinely changes, I re-quote the affected stage rather than quietly absorbing it.
What files do I receive at the end?
Vector masters, print-ready exports in the formats your printer asks for, web-optimised versions, and a short usage document covering spacing, colour and the things not to do.
Start a project
Tell me what you’re making
Every enquiry gets a written reply, including the ones I can’t take. If the timing doesn’t work, I’ll tell you when it would.
Helpful to include
- What the thing is and who it’s for
- Where it will be seen: shelf, screen, page
- Any date you’re working towards
- A budget range, even a rough one