CASE STUDY
Beyond Vectors: A Watercolour Approach to Forvest Bank's Website Rebrand
Client Brief
Nuclear Agency partnered with me to create a series of custom branding illustrations for Forvest Bank's rebranding initiative in Switzerland. The goal was to rejuvenate their brand identity design with visuals that captured the essence of their locations—Switzerland, Canada, and the Caribbean—while standing out from conventional corporate imagery.
Client Goals
Forvest Bank aimed to differentiate itself by moving beyond typical vector graphics. They sought financial services visuals that would evoke trust and sophistication. The challenge? Creating banners that showcased iconic landscapes while reinforcing their brand identity design.
AT A GLANCE
Challenge: Rejuvenate Forvest Bank's visual identity for their Swiss rebranding.
Solution: Developed a series of website banner illustrations showcasing iconic landscapes and landmarks from Switzerland, Canada, and the Caribbean.
Switzerland landscape
Behind the Scenes | Creating Campaign-Specific Illustrations
My Solution | Trust-Building Watercolour Illustrations
To achieve a distinct look, I opted for vibrant watercolour illustrations—a rarity in the corporate world. These hand-painted visuals conveyed warmth and authenticity, perfect for enhancing trust-building illustrations within the financial sector.
Sketching for Success
The initial sketches focused on content marketing visuals that would guide the viewer’s eye through cohesive compositions. I curated iconic elements for each region, ensuring the landscapes resonated with Forvest’s global clientele. Some details were strategically omitted to balance brand art and negative space.
From Sketch to Splash
Once the mock-ups were approved, I brought the scenes to life on high-quality watercolour paper. Layering techniques and precise brushwork highlighted architectural details, maintaining the fluidity that defines great campaign-specific illustrations.
Unique Approach: Utilized a vibrant watercolour style to differentiate Forvest Bank from typical corporate vector illustrations.
Key Considerations:
- Curating a cohesive list of iconic elements for each location.
- Creating visually compelling compositions with balanced negative space and colour palettes.
- Mastering watercolour techniques for precise rendering of architectural details.
Outcome: Distinctive and captivating website banners that effectively capture the essence of each Forvest Bank location.
Canadian landscape
Final Touches | Digital Banking Icons and Enhancements
Each illustration was scanned and digitally refined. Clean lines and subtle enhancements were added using a drawing tablet, ensuring visual consistency across platforms. This blend of traditional and digital techniques created digital banking icons and banners that were both unique and engaging.
Challenges & Triumphs | Balancing Brand Art with Realism
Integrating diverse landscapes into cohesive compositions was a challenge. The key? Balancing architecture and nature while preserving the vibrancy of watercolour washes. The result: a collection of stunning custom branding illustrations that reinforced Forvest Bank’s identity and set a new standard for financial services visuals.
Testimonial
"Ainsley is an extremely talented artist. She was able to produce exactly what we were looking for, and did so very quickly. Communication was effortless and enjoyable. I can only hope I get to work with Ainsley again."
"Ainsley has once again delivered outstanding work. Her ability to interpret the needs of the client, and turn it around into a stunning piece of art, is just incredible. I only hope to have more projects that will allow me to work with Ainsley again."
- Ian Morrison, CEO & Lead Developer
Barbados landscape