London based hand lettering artist Alison Carmichael has been working commercially for about 12 years winning many industry accolades including a Design Week award for her notorious ‘C**t’ pink poster, for which she is well known. Alison works mainly within the advertising industry but is also commissioned by design groups, branding agencies, publishers, film-makers, fashion labels and has also been called on to do exhibition signage, window displays, pop promo work, body painting etc. She is known for her huge range of diversity in lettering styles.

What have you got planned this week?

Mainly juggling ridiculous work deadlines!  Also, I am going to try and fit in seeing my friends a bit if possible. We will definitely be getting a huge Christmas tree at the weekend! Feeling very festive at the moment – I am worried that I might peak a bit early this year!

What do your parents think you do?

Luckily they understand exactly what I do and are very proud. My dad “Googles” me a lot! My family often lay claim to ads that they see which I have had nothing to do with! They seem to think that anything with hand lettering on it is mine.

Who do you look like?

An otter… apparently.

What’s your favourite sense?

I would have to say sight. I once lost the sight in my right eye for about a month and it threw off my sense of balance and I kept walking into doorframes! I really took peripheral vision for granted!

Tell us something people don’t know about you…

I have a photographic memory of events from about the age of five and can always remember exactly what I was wearing and what we ate on any occasion!

Did your education count?

I’m not entirely sure about that. At Ravensbourne where I did my Graphic Design degree, they taught Bauhaus design and I was encouraged not to pursue a career in hand lettering as it was considered to be a dying art. We studied a tiny bit of hand lettering part of the course, taught by Miriam Stribley. She was eccentric and brilliant and she told me to ignore the advice of the other tutors… and thankfully I did. 

What word can’t you spell? 

Abstinence – can’t spell it, can’t do it.

Tell us a good fact

The dot over the letter ‘i’ is called a tittle.

What’s Next?

Christmasssssss!! I hope to have a little break with my family who get awfully neglected. And then it’s back to more of the same. I am currently working on a huge environmental brief for a television ad which is really exciting. I am hoping to start producing  more personal work next year which will help to scratch my creative itch. I just wish that there were more hours in the day to fit it all in!

What’s your ‘Plan B’?

This was a tricky one as it highlights the fact that I am not really very skilled or trained in any area other than hand lettering… although I recently discovered that I am quite good at face painting so I suppose I could always join the circus?

www.alisoncarmichael.com