Brian Nutt’s Stunning Sketches

Brian Nutt, who designed this issue’s cover illustration (he’s seen here with hs studio mate, Bruno), has drawing in his blood—both his mother and his grandmother were artists before him. “The first thing I remember drawing is Clifford the Big Red Dog,” says Nutt, laughing. “I got a bit of attention out of it, and just kept drawing after that.”

Being on the doorstep to the theme parks, Nutt decided to see if he could make a go of it in the art world, and was soon drawing caricatures at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. But, realizing that it wasn’t a sustainable career, Nutt enrolled at Valencia College.

“I realized if I went back to school, I had a chance to do lots of different types of things. It opened my eyes to the world of design and typography.”

At the time, Valencia’s program was run by Barbara Peterson (who has since retired from the college) and Kristy Pennino (currently on the Valencia faculty).

“They were really making a big difference in transforming the program in great ways,” says Nutt. “They really encouraged their students to submit to design competitions and awards.”

Out of college, Nutt started working on large-scale design projects, among them a brand activation center for the City of Houston and NASA, which included the graphics on interactive kiosks.

Today, Nutt owns his own studio and is passionate about lettering, taking about 50 passes to perfect the word “romance” you see in his gorgeous cover work. bdnutt.com