Canine

Work

Canine

A visual exploration: a portrait collection and identity set in 90s hip hop, with grills, chains and dogs.

Services

Visual exploration

Scope

Portrait collection, wordmark, crest, guidelines

Year

2026

Tools

Figma

The exercise

A self-initiated exercise. We took the painted portrait style from our Tramline collection and applied it to 90s hip hop: bandanas, durags, oversized tees, grills and chains. Canine is the result: twelve portraits, a wordmark, a crest and a set of guidelines.

The idea

Every character is drawn with their dog, and each dog shares its owner’s expression. All twelve portraits sit on the same crimson.

Key decisions

Each person with their dog

Why

A portrait collection needed something that repeats in every image.

Effect

Every portrait pairs a person with their dog, and the dog shares the person’s expression, so the twelve read as one set.

Six colours on crimson

Why

Early versions used purple and near-black grounds, and the set didn’t hold together.

Effect

Every portrait uses the same six colours on the same crimson ground.

A crest with one shape

Why

The first crest had a chain, eyes, teeth and a frame, and lost its detail at app-icon size.

Effect

A single Doberman profile still reads at 20 px, on a sticker, a box lid and a tee.

Each person with their dog

Why

A portrait collection needed something that repeats in every image.

Effect

Every portrait pairs a person with their dog, and the dog shares the person’s expression, so the twelve read as one set.

Six colours on crimson

Why

Early versions used purple and near-black grounds, and the set didn’t hold together.

Effect

Every portrait uses the same six colours on the same crimson ground.

A crest with one shape

Why

The first crest had a chain, eyes, teeth and a frame, and lost its detail at app-icon size.

Effect

A single Doberman profile still reads at 20 px, on a sticker, a box lid and a tee.

Each person with their dog

Why

A portrait collection needed something that repeats in every image.

Effect

Every portrait pairs a person with their dog, and the dog shares the person’s expression, so the twelve read as one set.

Six colours on crimson

Why

Early versions used purple and near-black grounds, and the set didn’t hold together.

Effect

Every portrait uses the same six colours on the same crimson ground.

A crest with one shape

Why

The first crest had a chain, eyes, teeth and a frame, and lost its detail at app-icon size.

Effect

A single Doberman profile still reads at 20 px, on a sticker, a box lid and a tee.

Each person with their dog

Why

A portrait collection needed something that repeats in every image.

Effect

Every portrait pairs a person with their dog, and the dog shares the person’s expression, so the twelve read as one set.

Six colours on crimson

Why

Early versions used purple and near-black grounds, and the set didn’t hold together.

Effect

Every portrait uses the same six colours on the same crimson ground.

A crest with one shape

Why

The first crest had a chain, eyes, teeth and a frame, and lost its detail at app-icon size.

Effect

A single Doberman profile still reads at 20 px, on a sticker, a box lid and a tee.

Each person with their dog

Why

A portrait collection needed something that repeats in every image.

Effect

Every portrait pairs a person with their dog, and the dog shares the person’s expression, so the twelve read as one set.

Six colours on crimson

Why

Early versions used purple and near-black grounds, and the set didn’t hold together.

Effect

Every portrait uses the same six colours on the same crimson ground.

A crest with one shape

Why

The first crest had a chain, eyes, teeth and a frame, and lost its detail at app-icon size.

Effect

A single Doberman profile still reads at 20 px, on a sticker, a box lid and a tee.

Each person with their dog

Why

A portrait collection needed something that repeats in every image.

Effect

Every portrait pairs a person with their dog, and the dog shares the person’s expression, so the twelve read as one set.

Six colours on crimson

Why

Early versions used purple and near-black grounds, and the set didn’t hold together.

Effect

Every portrait uses the same six colours on the same crimson ground.

A crest with one shape

Why

The first crest had a chain, eyes, teeth and a frame, and lost its detail at app-icon size.

Effect

A single Doberman profile still reads at 20 px, on a sticker, a box lid and a tee.

The full collection: twelve portraits, the wordmark, the crest, the fitting and the palette.

Top row: Dre; Tariq and Bruno; Duke on his own; Keisha. Bottom row: Monique and Diamond; Rell and Tank; Ty and Peanut; Nia.

Shay and Pepper: the bubble and the pop.

Marcus and King on a walk. Lou in the front seat, Smoke and Ice in the back.

The fitting: Mr Lewis sets the last stone while Tasha and Roxy watch.

Brand identity

The logo, wordmark, crest, colour and image style, and the brand on a tee, a box, posters and a banner.

02Logo

03Wordmark

04Crest

05Colour

06Image world

07The wall

08Applications

09Wheat-paste

10Banner

02Logo

03Wordmark

04Crest

05Colour

06Image world

07The wall

08Applications

09Wheat-paste

10Banner

02Logo

03Wordmark

04Crest

05Colour

06Image world

07The wall

08Applications

09Wheat-paste

10Banner

02Logo

03Wordmark

04Crest

05Colour

06Image world

07The wall

08Applications

09Wheat-paste

10Banner

02Logo

03Wordmark

04Crest

05Colour

06Image world

07The wall

08Applications

09Wheat-paste

10Banner

02Logo

03Wordmark

04Crest

05Colour

06Image world

07The wall

08Applications

09Wheat-paste

10Banner

The system

Crimson is the background throughout. Ice is used for grills, chains and the wordmark, Ink for type.

Ground

#BB283F

Shadow

#701C2F

Ink

#3F1A2B

Rose

#A66B6C

Blush

#D0AEAE

Ice

#EFE0E0

Inter

Display and text

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