Steven Noble

World-renowned illustrator Steven Noble

Visit stevennoble.com and see thousands of illustrations in a variety of mediums: Scratchboard, Line Art, Woodcut and Engraving.

www.scratchboardstock.net serves up over 1,000 original stock illustrations...

Since graduating from the University of California, Davis in 1990, Steven Noble has mastered a wide range of detail and style within the scratch-board medium and has become internationally recognized for his work from clients as far way as Japan to Europe.

Over the years, he has become equally adept in the woodcut, pen and ink, traditional engraving and steel engraving styles, as well as a variety of stylized scratchboard techniques. His highly disciplined and complex line work is based on over 19 years of experience using X-Acto precision knives carved into pre-inked clay boards which generate very fine line strokes which allow a versatility in the detail from bold woodcuts to very fine traditional 19 century steel engravings.

Over the course of his career, he has created many nationally recognized logos and ad campaigns for a large list of prestigious and high caliber clients such as Coors (corporate/packaging logo), Exxon-Mobil (stock certificate), JP Morgan (annual report) and Mercedes-Benz (ad campaigns). A lot of his expertise encompasses a large volume of subject matter that include food, portraits, animals, maps, architecture, and corporate conceptual images.

In 2001, he won the "Meade Show Award for Excellence" for creating the best corporate conceptual illustration for an annual report for the Wet Seal's 2001 Annual Report. In addition, in 1996 his work was recognized in the Communication Art Magazine for the best advertising spot for "Beaulieu Vineyards."

Steven continues to strive for excellence in his work and is always up for the next challenge. One of his last projects was a series of illustrations for the acclaimed Children's book "Zathura" which came out (Fall 2005) at the same time as the release of the movie "Zathura".

Latest awards, achievements, milestones include:

-2010: SKYY SPIRITS & STEVEN NOBLE BRINGS AWARD-WINNING ESPOLON™ TEQUILA BACK TO U.S. FANS

- 2010: Cracker Barrel National Addy Award 2010

-2009: OLD SPICE FRESH COLLECTION / PROCTER & GAMBLE / LANDOR ASSOCIATES Cincinnati, USA

- 2009: AdPulp: Sell! Sell! in London is helping Fentimans, the independent Hexham-based soft drinks company, tug Coca-Cola’s long white beard this Christmas.

- 2009: Brand New: Lobtster.com logo

"LIMESHOT DESIGN"

Logo Inspiration: Steven Noble (Of Amex Centurion And White House Fame)

If you haven’t heard of Steven Noble before, you most certainly have heard of some of his work: he illustrated the back of the one dollar bill; he is the illustrator who was hired to redraw the White House for its most recent logo refresh; he is the artist behind American Express’ centurion/gladiator illustration, famously used on the company’s initial cards and nowadays on the mythical Centurion Card (unlimited balance, invitation only it seems).

His highly disciplined and complex line work is using X-Acto precision knives carved into pre-inked clay boards which generate very fine line strokes which allow a versatility in the detail from bold woodcuts to very fine traditional 19 century steel engravings. The resulting logos are complex and stunningly detailed, works of art in a world that more and more bows to convenience.
His work spans way more than logo design – annual reports, illustrations, engravings, etc. Some of them can be bought off his website. But for now, here are some beautiful logos for your inspiration (go buy those X-Actos!)
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Contact Information
Phone 1 707.789.0166
Website
http://www.stevennoble.com
http://www.scratchboardstock.net
http://www.stockillustrations.us
Email
steve@stevennoble.com


Portfolio:

Wild Turkey Bourbon Illustrated by Steven Noble

Pearlfisher, strategic creative and brand design agency based in London and New York, commissioned Steven Noble to render the new updated illustration for Wild Turkey Bourbon in a scratchboard woodcut style that includes two versions. The illustration
versions are to be used at larger and smaller sizes for labels, shipping cartons, etc... The illustrations were created by hand on
a scratchboard / clayboard surface and scanned in digitally as an eps file.

Napa County Seal “Napa County Seal”

Rick Atwood, of Atwood Design, along with the County of Napa commissioned Steven Noble to illustrate the new official seal for Napa County, the heart of California Wine Country. The rebranding effort was a significant update to both the official county seal, as well as a full design style guideline used by all county departments.The challenge was to make the seal reflective of the broader community cities of Napa County, well beyond the stereotypical “wine country” associations most people have of the area. Master templates for all commonly used materials were produced for County offices, Sherifs Department, Roads and Highways, County Health Department and a host of others. The artwork was created by hand in a pen and ink style with color layered digitally.

Boston Architectural College Logo “Boston Architectural College Logo”

The Boston Architectural College commissioned Steven Noble to create an illustration for their new logo identity that includes symbolic elements such as worker bees constructing a beehive. Thise message connects direclty to the college which is that humanity has always had a close relationship with bees, whose honey has have been a food staple since before the dawn of civilization. As a symbol, the bees’ lifestyle mimics that of the human social order- a cooperative, productive social hierarchy.

The illustration was hand-drawn on scratchboard with three separate versions created to be able to be scalable in different applications such as signage (large), stationery (medium), and very small applications.

American Express Logo Illustrated by Steven Noble “American Express Logo Illustrated by Steven Noble”


CPB Group commissioned Steven Noble to help re-brand the American Express logo by creating an updated version of the American Express Centurion. Specific features were completely re-composed that included the eyes, nose, helmet, and scroll to reflect a more polished engraved classic look. The artwork was illustrated entirely by hand on scratchboard from preliminary pencil sketch compositions and transfered digitally with color added on a separate layer.

Jeremiah Weed Whiskey Illustrations by Steven Noble “Jeremiah Weed Whiskey Illustrations by Steven Noble”

Brand Content, an advertising agency in Boston, commissioned Steven Noble to create a series of "off the wall"
characters that compliment the Jeremiah Weed Whiskey brand packaging. The illustrations include side-by-side faces, flipped faces, border embelishments and twisted arms all to add an original "quirky" twist to the brand. The illustrations were all rendered with a knife tool and carved from clayboard.

More illustrations can be seen at: http://www.jeremiahweed.com

Legal Sea Foods Posters Illustrated by Steven Noble “Legal Sea Foods Posters Illustrated by Steven Noble”

DeVito Verdi commissioned Steven Noble, along with art direction by Zoe Fedeles, to create a series of poster illustrations for Legal Sea Foods that includes both LSF's Thanksgiving Parade and Wine Posters. The illustrations were rendered by hand with color added on separate layers that include a mermaid holding a glass of wine, Thanksgiving parade scene, and grape cluster and conch shell.

Rodney Strong Winery Labels Illustrated by Steven Noble “Rodney Strong Winery Labels Illustrated by Steven Noble”

Voicebox called upon the talents of Steven Noble to create a series of intricate ilustrations for Rodney Strong Winery that represent the specific appellations for each of their labels known throughout the world for their unique estate-bottled and vineyard- designated wines. Those include the famous "Alexander Crown Vineyards" along with Jane's Vineyard, Alden, Ranch 128, Bud's Ranch, Knights Valley, and Chalk Hill. The landscapes were rendered to be very close to the actual vineyards themselves including mountains, roads, and trees. The illustrations were created by hand and cut directly on scratchboard.

Distroya Spirit Label Illustration by Steven Noble “Distroya Spirit Label Illustration by Steven Noble”

Scott Raynor contacted Steven Noble, along with the collaboration of Chad Michael Studio, to create an original illustration that would help bring to life the legend behind the "Distroya Spirit" for his new label. The story represents something that is born from legends out of the Great North Sea. Fathered by a once mighty Viking king, comes an age-old and isle born spirit of mythic proportions.

The illustration was created by hand in a scratchboard engraving style and screened into desaturated sepia tones along with a slight color parchment wash behind to give it that "aged-old" sophisticated and rich feel.

Creatures & Figures illustrated by Steven Noble

This selection of illustrations includes a series of scratchboard woodcuts and engravings that includes different
conceptuallized creatures and figures generated from the inventive imagination of Steven Noble. All artwork was
created traditionally using a knife tool carved into scratchboard by hand.

Maps Illustrated by Steven Noble “Maps Illustrated by Steven Noble”

The series of maps illustrated below includes a wide collection of various styles of maps hand rendered in scratchboard engraving, woodcut, and line art commissioned by several different clients over the years. This includes use on packaging, book publishing, editorial magazines, and posters and brochures. Some of the illustrations are hand colored in watercolor and/or others applied digitally.

Maps Illustrated by Steven Noble

The series of maps illustrated below includes a wide collection of various styles of maps hand rendered in scratchboard engraving, woodcut, and line art commissioned by several different clients over the years. This includes use on packaging, book publishing, editorial magazines, and posters and brochures. Some of the illustrations are hand colored in watercolor and/or others applied digitally.