On 31 May 2025, the Now25 conference will take place in Paris. Join us, to listen a mix of inspiring speakers evoking topics as broad as graphic design, web design, motion design, publishing, visual identity, communication and type design. If not already done, register now to take advantage of the best rates.
It seemed interesting to us to make you discover the profiles of our guests. Discover Rachel Joy Price.
Biography Rachel Joy Price is a lettering artist based between Paris and London. Routed in the traditional craft of sign painting (inspired by her Great Grandfather), she has developed her own style with 3D letters. Rachel has crafted letters for brands worldwide, working on smaller canvases of packaging and print through to adding colour and joy to big public walls.
Interview
What is your favorite way to start a day?
Rachel Joy Price Cliche English response — the first sip of tea each day is perfection! I have a favourite mug also, so if it’s in that it is really my favourite start to the day!
Do you listen music?
Rachel Joy Price I can’t stand to be in silence! If I am in a flow of painting I’ll listen to a podcast or an audiobook. If I’m answering emails or doing a stage of a job that requires more solid thinking time then music, either my Spotify discover weekly or I have come to love a bit of radio fip/radio meuh!
Do you read news?
Rachel Joy Price I have a funny relationship with the news, as I find it all very depressing and some days it makes my work of joyful positive words feel useless in adding anything against the backdrop of whats going on in the world... but then other days it makes me feel it’s important to keep producing my work to do my part to add some positivity and colour.
“Things that sound interesting that inspire me — these can be phrases I hear, whether in music or something overheard, an observation on today’s culture in some way...”
– Rachel Joy Price
What do you do to evade yourself from work?
Rachel Joy Price I love walking, since moving to Paris I find myself walking a lot more. I try to do one walk every day amongst work, usually in the afternoon. I find Paris streets incredibly inspiring, and so find it a good refresh on my eyes! I used to run a lot... but having a child has changed that!
You prefer work in a team or alone?
Rachel Joy Price I think there are times for each! Having worked in a studio before, there are days that I really miss being around a team and the exciting things that come out from having many brains approaching the same brief. I still work with design studios on projects for brands so I still get to enjoy seeing the concept stages and then having the opportunity to work out how to craft the lettering to fit with their thinking. But then there are also days that I love being on my own, working in my own style with just myself to make decisions and try things out. Having the time to stand back or come back to a piece a few days later and change the format or adjust colours after seeing them combined in real life.
I also love collaborating with other artists, great to combine styles and to spend time working directly beside someone else. Two that come to mind — “RISE” with Sophie Mess Hackney London. And “Stronger Together” with Ben Eine in Leyton, London.
What drives you to create new letterings?
Rachel Joy Price Things that sound interesting that inspire me — these can be phrases I hear, whether in music or something overheard, an observation on today’s culture in some way... Early on when I started working with letters I used to find interesting words and try to draw them up with the feeling they evoke, so for soporific (tending to induce drowsiness or sleep) I drew in a smooth flowing style. Or a hairy piece of type for “pogonotrophy” (The cultivation or growing of a beard.)
Then there is the obvious answer, briefs from clients!
What is your ratio of self-initiated letterings vs. letterings for clients?
Rachel Joy Price Might be a bit of an easy answer but I really like the mix of both. Some months its quite 50/50 but sometimes I get a run of 2 or 3 months where it is much more weighed to time for my own self initiated projects. I find working on lettering for clients less stressful as there is someone else to resolve it/give parameters/chose options! When I am working on my own lettering its a bit more endless in making decisions, or even starting points sometimes. A lot more self doubt!
The aesthetics of your work is very identifiable by its colourful vocabulary and by the dimension of you give to the letters. How its started?
Rachel Joy Price It all started from learning that my Great Grandfather was a sign writer and being given his old portfolio by my Grandfather. It was in this that I really discovered 3D painted lettering. I think the connection to my past + also the love for using my hands to create something led me to spending a lot of my evenings and weekends starting to explore lettering and painting, a nice contrast to my day-job at the time as a graphic design behind a screen. I found so much satisfaction in the process and it just grew from there...
What aspect do you like the most?
Rachel Joy Price I think it would have to be the chunks of time with a paint brush in my hand in the flow of bringing the letters to life!
Do you remember when you decided to pursue your career in design?
Rachel Joy Price Design seemed to always be on the table for me. All through my childhood I was really encouraged with being creative, drawing and making things. It was an amazing teacher at my sixth form who nudged me towards graphic design... and helped me to get into Norwich Art School which was the most amazing 3 years and set me up for working in the design industry in London. As mentioned above, discovering my great grandfather’s history and old paintings then changed the direction for me towards lettering... I took a sign painting course with a man called Nick Garret in south London, and I have never looked back!
“The sign painters have the most amazing knowledge of letter forms.”
– Rachel Joy Price
During your creative process, do you sketch on paper or on tablet?
Rachel Joy Price It can depend on the job, my personal work I try to start with pencil to paper, and then move onto my Ipad/laptop then back to brush + paint! I love the mix of analogue and digital in my work, I love embracing both (but not AI...!!) Often with client work I will go straight to my Ipad as there are often time restraints and budget, the Ipad allows me to share sketches with them at the start of projects very easily.
Do you have words of wisdom for young practitioners?
Rachel Joy Price Go and do a sign painting course! The sign painters have the most amazing knowledge of letter forms. Learning to see letters as shapes in how to build them for me was the most amazing foundation to then explore my own style on top of. Also working in design agencies for the first years of my career I think also set me up well in learning how to work on briefs and learning from experienced designers on the basics of spacing, layouts, colours etc. Don’t learn from scrolling on instragram or from AI... !!
The best source of inspiration I believe is keeping your eyes always open at the world around you, shapes in nature, unusual juxtapositions of objects and colours in the street, I don’t think you can beat these things you discover on your own path.
Thank you very much Rachel!
– Interview by Lia Porquet
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