Clandestino Coffee x Alex Perry
Meet Alex Perry, Brisbane-based artist behind our most recent summer merch collection and Miir range.
Hello Alex! How would you describe your journey as an illustrator?
I've always enjoyed sketching little characters and scenes since I was young. I have pretty much kept at it in some capacity my life so it feels like a natural choice to have a crack at illustration professionally. I studied a dual degree in Fine Arts and Business at QUT and have been trying my hand at various areas within design and illustration. I'm really happy with the spot I'm in now and I feel very lucky to be able to express myself through my work.
Great to hear! Best thing about illustration?
I enjoy creating fictional backstories and personalities for the characters and scenes I bring to life. It feels that the best way for me to communicate these ideas is through illustration. My girlfriend is really great at writing and has a love for storytelling, so I'm hoping one day to combine our skills and create a little book together. Even if it's just for us.
We fell in love with your quirky characters in an instant. How would you describe your style? I tend to keep it simple with a primary point of interest, often leaning into light-hearted and fun concepts then adding layers graphically and conceptually from there.
I use a bold and high-contrast colour palette to communicate feelings of pleasure generally. I look forward to evolving and developing my style over time.
Can you give us a peek into the process of bringing these coffee-loving characters to life?
For the initial sketches, I like to use scrappy paper and connector pens. I feel that starting with cheerful materials helps me get into the right creative mood. After narrowing down the main concepts I created more polished mockups using my drawing tablet.
It was a really fun process end-to-end. I started by researching the brand history. From there I jotted out thoughts on what should be included for the characters.
For the initial sketches, I like to use scrappy paper and connector pens. I feel that starting with cheerful materials helps me get into the right creative mood. After narrowing down the main concepts I created more polished mockups using my drawing tablet.
They all make us think of a moment when we enjoy a cup of joe!
The illustrations are based upon each of the brand themes of Clandestino - aviation, surfing, and adventure. For each character I wanted to bring in that energetic “spark” and joy that coffee brings.
Coffee of choice?
I do enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the morning using a french press. I have a routine where I only use one specific mug. I bought it in Portland back in September 2018. I just really love that mug. Coffee of choice right now is the Clandestino Aricha Yirgacheffe. It tastes so good!
Cheers Alex!
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