︎ART DIRECTION
︎BOOK BIDING
︎GRAPHIC DESIGN

Project Brief

First-year university project to design, print, and hand-bind a booklet exploring either an aspect of personal identity or someone who inspires us. I chose to create a tribute to Grace Neutral, the tattoo artist and host of Viceland's "Needles & Pins" documentary series, whose work I've followed since her first appearance on the show.

Creative Approach

Rather than relying solely on digital tools, I developed a tactile, process-driven method rooted in tattoo practice itself. Using stencil ink, tattoo needles, grip wrap, and other materials from the craft, I created a series of raw, organic marks by hand. These were then scanned, copied, and layered digitally to produce one-of-a-kind textures and imagery.

The result is a visual language that feels authentic to tattoo culture—imperfect, textural, and visceral. This handmade aesthetic is combined with edited photographs of Grace Neutral and excerpts from her interviews, creating a personal zine that honours both the subject and the craft.

Design Deliverables

• Book Design – Layout, typography, image sequencing
• Art Direction – Visual language blending analogue mark-making with digital composition
• Hand Binding – Physical booklet production from print to finished object
• Graphic Assets – Scanned textures, layered imagery, photo edits

Tools

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, hand-bound printing

Outcome

A raw, personal publication that merges traditional craft with contemporary design—demonstrating experimentation with unconventional materials while paying tribute to an influential figure in tattoo culture.