Sylvan Hillebrand
Designer, Graphic Designer
In their own words
The brief was not to reinvent Rembrandt, but to sharpen its identity.
I needed some distance from the Netherlands to look at Rembrandt and its Dutch origins from both an inside and an outside perspective.
Together, they broadened the palette without making it feel too bright or trend-led and it allowed us to dial the identity up or down depending on the application.
It still feels recognisably Rembrandt, but has much more range than before.
The rebrand to Tones was introduced to carry that legacy into a wider, multi-genre platform, literally ‘tones’ across afro, reggae, R&B, (neo)soul.
I wanted to create something that felt like it was literally in a rotating motion that could stand for how Tones blends genres.
I wanted to create something that felt fresh and exciting, but not ‘new.’ Something that feels like it’s been here longer than it is.
I believe in creating a great setup for my clients.
Articles & interviews4
- Sylvan Hillebrand Refreshes Rembrandt’s 125-Year-Old Paint Brand
Dutch designer Sylvan Hillebrand refreshed the visual identity of Rembrandt, a 125-year-old oil-paint company, to appeal to younger serious artists while retaining its heritage and recognisability. The update preserves and subtly refines the logotype, pairing Suisse International and Suisse Neu with an expanded restrained palette, a reworked heritage badge and pigment-stamped product imagery photographed by Corey Martin.
- Sylvan Hillebrand captures genre-blending motion in his Tones work
The Brand Identity features Amsterdam-based designer Sylvan Hillebrand’s rebrand of Paradiso’s long-running hip-hop night Bassline into Tones, a multi-genre music platform. The new identity uses a morphing logo, modular sticker system, and textured digital aesthetic to reflect genre fluidity and tactile familiarity. Hillebrand’s design balances flexibility and consistency, enabling Paradiso’s team to maintain the brand’s visual integrity across digital and physical touchpoints.
- The Edit: five projects including Page Break’s brand by Sasyk Mihal featuring a visual feast of type