MACHAS

The Mark of True Greatness: Ricardo Fumanal for Buchanan’s

Fine illustration and premium blended scotch whisky have one thing in common — excellence in both fields can only be achieved without cutting corners.

Ricardo Fumanal was trained in graphic design but believes in the powerful intimacy and directness of traditional hand-drawn illustration. The result is Ricardo’s exquisitely detailed signature style, which he recently lent to whisky brand Buchanan’s for a one-of-a-kind collaboration between artist and distillery in occasion of the launch of the 21-years blend’s newly designed bottle.

Buchanan’s admired Ricardo’s sublime illustrations and felt that his connection to traditional techniques to deliver a modern language was an exact parallel to their own.

In the new global campaign for their Red Seal scotch blend, Buchanan’s asked Ricardo to reinterpret the iconic red wax seal, which contains the Buchanan’s coat of arms. The seal, the emblem of the brand, recalls founder James Buchanan, who hand-sealed each bottle of whisky himself during his lifetime to ensure premium quality for his customers.

Using a coloured pencil in a vibrant, warm shade of red, Ricardo employed a hyper-realistic yet expressive technique of mark-making to reimagine the seal. The campaign design also features Ricardo’s handwriting, spelling the words ‘The Mark of True Greatness.’

Alongside the illustrated campaign, Buchanan’s produced a video interview with Ricardo in which he discusses his story, motivations, inspirations and techniques. Ricardo’s interview is followed by Maureen Robinson, the master blender responsible for perfecting Buchanan’s Red Seal blend of scotch, the juxtaposition drawing an interesting parallel between their respective crafts.

Talent, hard work, and dedication to quality above all made Ricardo at the top of his game and the perfect artist to represent Buchanan’s worldwide.

Credits:
Agency: The Selected NY
Illustrator: Ricardo Fumanal
Film director: John Huba
Photographer: Jarren Vink

See more of Ricardo’s work here.