Brief
Commemorative Stamp Collection
Illustrate a set of at least 4 stamps which commemorate or celebrate our given historical subject.
- Devise some sort of container / presentation pack for your set. These often come in the form of booklets, backing cards or folders
- Should function/communicate at their intended print size, which is 38x20mm (plus 1mm surround of non printed surface area = 40x22mm)
- Should include the monarch's profile & their monetary value in accordance with regulations.
Illustrate a set of at least 4 stamps which commemorate or celebrate our given historical subject.
- Devise some sort of container / presentation pack for your set. These often come in the form of booklets, backing cards or folders
- Should function/communicate at their intended print size, which is 38x20mm (plus 1mm surround of non printed surface area = 40x22mm)
- Should include the monarch's profile & their monetary value in accordance with regulations.
Chosen subject
Thomas Telford (1757–1834) - Stamp set
"Britain's Greatest Civil Engineer"
Key Themes - Engineering innovation, infrastructure, travel, transformation of landscapes
"Britain's Greatest Civil Engineer"
Key Themes - Engineering innovation, infrastructure, travel, transformation of landscapes
Known as the "Colossus of Roads," Scottish civil engineer Thomas Telford carved out a lasting place in engineering history, his unique way of combining practical innovation with elegant design. Throughout Britain, Telford designed and built more than 1,000 miles of roads, as well as a large number of canals, aqueducts, and bridges. He solidified his reputation as a pivotal figure in the development of contemporary infrastructure by serving as the first president of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Below are four of his most renowned architectural creations/projects, along with notable info and highlighted are what I believe are the main points to focus on for each.
The Mentai Suspension Bridge in North Wales
|
The Menai Suspension Bridge's distinguishing characteristics are:
It opened in 1826 and was the world's first large-scale suspension bridge. Breaking span: At the time, its 176-meter centre span was the longest in the world. Bold design: Telford adopted wrought iron chains, which were unusual for its scale, in place of conventional stone arches. It had a transformative effect by linking Anglesey to mainland Wales, accelerating transit to Ireland and facilitating communication, trade, and travel. Enduring symbol: praised for fusing style and functionality, it continues to be a benchmark in civil engineering. |
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wales (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
|
World first – tallest navigable aqueduct in the world (38m high, 307m long).
Record-breaking scale – 18 stone arches supporting a cast-iron trough. Bold design – pioneering use of iron in large-scale construction. Transformative impact – carried the Llangollen Canal high over the River Dee, boosting transport and trade. Enduring symbol – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated as a masterpiece of the Industrial Revolution. |
Caledonian Canal (Scotland, completed 1822)
|
World first – one of the longest man-made waterways of its era (60 miles across Scotland).
Record-breaking scale – 29 locks, 4 aqueducts, and 10 bridges. Bold design – cut through the Great Glen, linking east and west coasts. Transformative impact – opened safer trade routes, avoiding treacherous seas around northern Scotland. Enduring symbol – a lasting example of Telford’s vision for connecting communities. |
Scottish Highlands Roads & Bridges
|
World first – part of the largest road-building programme in the Highlands.
Record-breaking scale – over 1,000 miles of new or improved roads. Bold design – elegant stone arch bridges blended engineering with landscape. Transformative impact – opened remote regions, improving travel, trade, and communication. Enduring symbol – remembered for bringing the Highlands into the modern age. |
Craigellachie Bridge (cast-iron arch, elegant span over the River Spey)
|
Old Invermoriston Bridge in the Scottish Highlands. (1813, stone arch bridge, Highland gorge setting)
|
For a stamp set to look convincing enough as if they could be issued by Royal Mail there are specifications to follow.
|
Monarchs Head (King) Every UK stamp must feature the monarch’s profile (currently King Charles III). It’s usually placed in the top-right corner, small but clear. Royal Mail provides a standard silhouette for designers; you can use a simplified placeholder (a flat, single-colour head). Traditionally it’s printed in white, gold, or silver to stand out from the background. Typography Include the value (e.g., “1st”, “2nd”, or a price like £1.00). Positioned clearly but without distracting from the artwork (usually bottom-left or bottom-right). Font is typically clean and sans-serif, matching Royal Mail’s house style. Backing/Packaging sheet
Background artwork or a larger illustration (could be one large illustration as part of the stamps) A short explanatory text about the theme (ex "A celebration of Thomas Telford") Royal mail often designs this like a mini collectible booklet. |
|
David Gentlemen
British artist, illustrator, and designer David Gentleman was born in 1930 and is well-known for his unique stamp designs. He has designed more than 100 stamp issues for the Royal Mail since the 1960s, ranging from British architecture and natural history to Shakespeare and the Battle of Britain. The trademark of a gentleman is his ability to combine visual storytelling, clarity, and detail in the small space of a stamp. By employing the full surface as a canvas for cultural ideas, history, and environment, he pushed stamp design away from just including the monarch's head.
Gentleman is also amazing for how he weaves the spirit of a time period into his stamp designs with subtlety and restraint. Rather than relying on overt symbolism, he often incorporates period-appropriate typography, colour palettes, and illustrative details that quietly anchor the design in its historical context. For example, the textures of his line work or the decorative motifs he chooses echo the aesthetics of the era being represented without overwhelming the clarity required for a stamp. This sensitivity allows his designs to feel both timeless and historically grounded, a balance I aim to emulate by embedding subtle period references into my own work.
Gentleman is also amazing for how he weaves the spirit of a time period into his stamp designs with subtlety and restraint. Rather than relying on overt symbolism, he often incorporates period-appropriate typography, colour palettes, and illustrative details that quietly anchor the design in its historical context. For example, the textures of his line work or the decorative motifs he chooses echo the aesthetics of the era being represented without overwhelming the clarity required for a stamp. This sensitivity allows his designs to feel both timeless and historically grounded, a balance I aim to emulate by embedding subtle period references into my own work.
|
|
|
Ronald Searle and Paul Heaston
Paul Heaston uses varied line weight to create depth and focus, while Ronald Searle’s expressive lines shift from delicate to bold, giving energy and character. In my stamp designs, I want to combine these approaches, using weight for clarity and structure like Heaston, and expressive, lively marks like Searle to capture a more human, spirited feel.
Searle
|
|
|
Heaston
|
|
I don't want to forget what I have done over the summer to improve my ink work and observation, Heaston has been a big inspiration in improving my technique over time and so I wish to continue to use his influence with the furthering of this project whilst also including some of Searles more wild pen strokes to add a flare.
|
|
|
The detailing of blueprints
For my collection, my immediate thought was to utilise the innovation + elegant design by creating a design of a blueprint backing illustration that includes details from each of the chosen creations of Telfords.
As such I figured I need to figure out how blueprints are laid out and 'designed'.
As such I figured I need to figure out how blueprints are laid out and 'designed'.
Handwritten notes by the head designer and their assistants.
Architectural flourishes: stone balustrades, inscriptions, or ornamental detailing. Sometimes perspective sketches to show how the bridge would look in its landscape. |
General plan and Elevation
Hand-drawn plan views of the bridge deck showing roadway width and approach alignments. Side elevation to show the span proportions, arch rise, pier height, or suspension chain profile. Scale drawings with precise measurements, usually in feet and inches. Structural Geometry For stone arch bridges (e.g. Craigellachie Bridge): Arch curvature (often semicircular or segmental). Thickness of arch rings and voussoirs (wedge-shaped stones). Abutments and piers with cutwater details (to deflect river flow). For iron bridges (e.g., Menai Suspension Bridge): Chain/cable profiles and anchorage points. Cast iron or wrought iron members with joinery methods. Deck details, including how it ties to the suspension system. Material Specifications Stone types (often local sandstone, limestone, or granite). Masonry details: bonding patterns, mortar types. Iron elements: cast iron vs. wrought iron, dimensions of plates, chains, or trusses. Timber notes (for centering and scaffolding). 
|
|
Main Parts to take away
Hand-drawn plan views Scale drawings of specific sections with precise measurements (ft or inches) Arch curvature Iron chains (profile and anchorage) Incorporation into nature Handwritten notes |
|
Initial thumbnails
|
|
|
|
|
|
After some thought I decided I wanted to focus on the map idea for my backing board, it give me the most to play with in terms of style and using the idea of coffee to make it look like old withered parchment to not only fit closer into the era (1700s) but to create a contrast with the stamps being monochrome. Perhaps with a contrast of messy v clean, this I will experiment with.
Parchment style maps.
I plan to create the backing of my stamps in the style of old parchment UK maps to reflect the historical context of Thomas Telford’s era. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, detailed hand-drawn maps on parchment or vellum were central to engineering, navigation, and planning, fields in which Telford himself was deeply involved. The warm, textured aesthetic of parchment not only grounds the stamps visually in the 18th-century setting but also echoes the tools of Telford’s trade, when maps and technical drawings were the blueprint for progress. By incorporating this style, the stamps carry a subtle historical resonance, situating Telford’s achievements within the visual language of his own time.
|
|
Creating the sections for my map to experiment with messy v clean
|
|
With the Coffee backgrounds and different combinations
These are not any of the final backings, these are just for me to have a basic idea of how the relationship between the stamps and backing work together. From then I will compile it together with both kept in mind.
|
Clean but with different coffee backgrounds - minimal change
|
|
|
|
Messy hatching with a version charcoaled in - maybe make the charcoal darker?
|
|
Messy charcoal but might go well with cleanly designed stamps?
|
|
|
Chosen backing
|
|
After some feedback with Tony it was suggested that for the actual stamps I should experiment with adding colour to make it stand out from the backing which is a very basic colour palette.
In order to get an inventive idea of possible colour palettes or interesting texturing in my stamps I decided to look into oil pastel artists.
In order to get an inventive idea of possible colour palettes or interesting texturing in my stamps I decided to look into oil pastel artists.
Betty Anglin Smith
Even though smith uses oil paint instead of pastel, I still wanted to take away her use of colour to help me capture the bright atmosphere needed for my stamps. She uses bold, vibrant colours and expressive strokes in her oil pastel landscapes to create atmosphere and light. In the attached piece, her contrasts of yellow and purple (layered or otherwise) makes the scene feel alive and dynamic.
|
|
Thumbnails
|
|
|
|
|
Oil Pastel practice - Messing with colours
|
|
|
|
|
|
First rendition of the bridges (and others)
|
|
|
|
Digital combinations of the bridges (and others) and previous oil pastels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chosen combinations
|
|
|
|
|
Mockup of potential design
|
Potential ideas? - One picture as a set itself
|
|
|
|
My next plan of action is to recreate these with much more care into how the 'light' communicates with the bridge I've paired it with.
Recreations of the bridges (and others)
|
|
|
|
I decided to create the bridges and backgrounds serrate as to not 'muddy' the colours and I also wanted the bridges to 'Pop!' out against the colour with their monochrome tones.
Recreation of the oil pastel backgrounds
|
|
|
|
Combining the new bridges and backgrounds
|
|
|
|
Adding the potential 'symbols' of the stamps
|
|
|
|
Recreation of the previous mockup
Stamps on their own
Other possible outcomes
In order to get the best possible outcome I can achieve I took advice from Tony and tried to 'suit' the bridges into the background more without having the contrast of greyscale to colour, in order to do this I 'colour casted' the bridges with some colours from the background of the accompanying background and when that didn't work I took colours from the others in order to get a wide range of combinations
I did find a few combinations I did like and added the Kings head and 1st, while 2 of them are more subtle
|
|
|
|
|
|
Another possible version could be without the oil pastel background but still textured.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Colour edited
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adding the text and finishing the backing
|
|
Minor changed include handwritten text to digital and added Telford signature
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Front of the backing card
To complete the backing I felt it would be odd to only have the side which display the stamps, I thought of different ways to portray this but decided a portrait of man himself is in need, accompanied with a short bio.
I wanted to keep the backing style itself the same with the coffee stain to mock aged parchment, elegant border and calligraphy.
I wanted to keep the backing style itself the same with the coffee stain to mock aged parchment, elegant border and calligraphy.
|
|
After some consideration I decided to focus on when he was older for the portrait, perhaps holding a roll of parchment.
|
|
Potential text to go alongside the portrait
Thomas Telford: The Colossus of Roads
Thomas Telford (1757–1834): Born in Eskdale, Scotland, Thomas Telford rose from a stonemason's apprentice to become the most renowned civil engineer of his age. Nicknamed 'The Colossus of Roads,' his visionary designs transformed Britain's infrastructure, connecting disparate regions with essential arteries of commerce and travel. This commemorative set celebrates four of the pivotal projects that cemented his lasting legacy and redefined the Industrial Age.
Thomas Telford (1757–1834): Born in Eskdale, Scotland, Thomas Telford rose from a stonemason's apprentice to become the most renowned civil engineer of his age. Nicknamed 'The Colossus of Roads,' his visionary designs transformed Britain's infrastructure, connecting disparate regions with essential arteries of commerce and travel. This commemorative set celebrates four of the pivotal projects that cemented his lasting legacy and redefined the Industrial Age.
|
There are a few details I changed from the portrait itself;
- I tried to make him look younger and sharper, and the expression less world-weary and more alert and resolute. I did this to make him feel more like a man in his prime, ready to tackle a major project. - The parchment I drew is tied with a ribbon, I wanted to make it feel like an important document (or blueprints). - I originally felt that his outfit was too crisp and wanted to add something to make his attire more sharp so I took the idea of the ribbon on the documents representing importance and decided to one to his attire around his neck. (Also keeping with the formal, high-status fashion of an early 19th-century gentleman and professional.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My main points on improvement were;
-Either simplify the text of the stamps to a serif or change the stamps to square,
-Abandon the fancy T and don't add any calligraphy typography.
-Either simplify the text of the stamps to a serif or change the stamps to square,
-Abandon the fancy T and don't add any calligraphy typography.
|
|
|
|