Rachel E Millar is a lettering artist and signwriter based in Glasgow, Scotland. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and Massachusetts College of Art and Design, graduating in 2016. After which she completed an apprenticeship with Ciaran Globel of Globel Bros Signs before starting her own business in June 2017. Now based in the South Side of Glasgow, Rachel describes her work as sitting somewhere between "art, design and craft – which I find very exciting. I love what I do because every brief is completely different and I continually learn with every project.
I used to be a competitive fencer and was once second in Scotland. I stopped when I went to art school but I hope to get back to it one day!
Innes & Gunn, TRNSMT Festival and the SNP – they were all completely different projects but all gave me direction but also creative freedom.
I wouldn't call myself an illustrator as such, but I got into lettering from doing a course called Hand Lettering for Design when I studied in Boston and it really changed my life!
I usually do a lot of sketching of layout and lettering styles, so a good old fashioned pencil, rubber and fine liners. Set squares and French curves are also really helpful for consistency. If its for a painting I do it full scale, transfer it to my surface then get painting. If its digital then I scan in my final piece, vectorise in Illustrator and play around with colours as I go!
I love design books – especially ancient typography books and specimens. I find instagram really inspiring too for what others are up to. I also love traveling – Italy is the best when it comes to going on type safari and I love Lisbon for its vibrancy and colours.
I spend huge amounts of time on Instagram. It really is the place to connect to other signwriters and lettering artists, and its all so fresh. I love it!
The absolute dream is to be given a phrase and a huge wall in a nice warm country to paint – I'd love to be let loose with colour and style!
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