The Art of Label Design: A Conversation with Pen and Ink Artist Jen Borror

Mar 8

Honored to be interviewed by Journalist and Author Danielle Nadler from Artistic Fuel. Click here to read the full article.

Artistic Fuel is the celebration of those who create and appreciate art. They welcome, encourage and protect artistic expression for the benefit of all. They believe art is the expression of a person’s soul. Each of us has a purpose and that purpose should be promoted and celebrated. That’s why they are here. At the heart of each story they tell is a chance to foster connections and creative expression — while uncovering the artist in all of us.

“Borror’s label design work combines traditional pen and ink with trendy craft brews” - read my article here.

A|F: How do you describe your style?

Borror: I do a lot of pen and ink. It’s a hand-crafted look, almost like a tattoo design. My first label design was for a moonshine bottle, so it really fits the branding that a lot of these breweries are looking for — that vintage and organic look.

Mother may say that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. But we beg to differ. More and more businesses — and consumers — are considering package and label design just as important as the product inside.

Jen Borror, who combines her knack for pen and ink illustration with her background as a graphic designer, seems to think so. She worked design and agency jobs for 15 years. It was a space where she could hone her skills, but she also felt creatively restricted. She started looking for opportunities to create the type of art she loved most: pen and ink illustrations.

The work started out as side gigs and, just last year, turned into a full-time job. “I took the leap of faith,” she says. She opened her own design company, Hoot Design Studio.

Her father, who died last year after a battle with dementia, nudged her to pursue her true passion. She says, “During my father’s journey with dementia, I would catch glimpses of the man I once knew and he often reminded me ‘Life is short, Jenny do what you love now while you have time.’ Words that will forever guide me in my entrepreneurship.”

Borror has designed for greeting card company Papyrus and craft brew heavyweights like Tröegs Independent Brewing and Monument City Brewing. She’s found a niche in label design, particularly for craft beer cans and bottles.

She lives with her husband in York, Pennsylvania, where they lovingly tend to their cat and koi pond. That’s where we caught up with her to talk about art, design, greeting cards and, well, beer.