this is such a great video!
Thought this was a really really cool video. It makes me want to finish my letterpress (oh by the way Im making one)
Submitted by Michael Q.
(Source: vimeo.com)
Found some interesting Arabic graffiti.
Submitted by Az C.
Experimental type by Anna Garforth, here she creates a poster using biscuits, spelling out ”Bite off more than you can chew” Experimenting is about jumping in the deep end, exploring a side of things that may or may not work, it is a process of discovering and learning.
Some more inspiration for your project:
Sewing
Thread
This thread type is by designer and Cranbrook MFA graduate Elle Kim.
Found objects
Water
Food
Wire
What other artforms can you name which can be combined to create experimental typography?
For anyone doing stitching/sewing for your typeface, check out this work-in-progress of a stitched typeface.
Tools used: Couple of needles, yellow thread, thick carton, Black & Decker drill, a Mac, hours of designing and sewing!
Came across this fantastic artist doing typography related illustrations, thought it might be good for the Tumblr: http://www.fmagnotta.com/portfolio.html
Submitted by Az C.
What would Helvetica look like if it were a person? Maybe like one of the models on this Spanish design studio’s posters.
Spanish design company Atipo created this series of posters as an homage to four typefaces: Helvetica Bold, Carousel Medium, Caslon Italic, and Clarendon Bold. Inspired by Erwin Orlaf’s Paradise Portraits—a haunting series of clownish painted faces—designers Raul Garcia Del Pomar and Ismael Gonzalez smeared black and white makeup on models’ faces. The models not only wear the font as a mask but also attempt to express the typeface’s sentiment. Check out the rest of the series below.
Doyald Young is recognized as one of the modern masters of the lettering arts. Since the mid-1950s, Young has designed logotypes, corporate alphabets and typefaces all by hand lettering. Young still begins each job in the same manner he learned from his mentor, Joe Gibbey—with an HB pencil on tracing paper. “Depending on how long the logo is, I usually make a rough sketch about 1½- to 2-inches wide, sometimes smaller,” says Young.“I draw the letters in skeleton form to see how the word looks. Often, I’ll explore different character shapes and proportions and try to make the logo a distinctive shape.”
While drawing letters with a pencil first—rather than constructing them on screen—may seem old school to many young designers, the process allows Young to quickly try many solutions to the design problem. “A rough sketch of a logo takes only a minute or so to do,” he says, although he cautions that in-depth knowledge of different type styles is critical to the process.
In 2009 AIGA awarded Young the prestigious AIGA Medal for “for demonstrating the power of a lifelong love of the craft of calligraphy, type and graphic design, for his contributions as an author and for his dedication as an educator.”
To learn more about him, here a some of the best articles I found online:
STEP: Doyald Young, Master of Dangerous Curves
By Allan Haley
The master lettering artist’s path to prominence leads to Dangerous Curves.
AIGA 2009: Medalist Doyald Young
By Marian Bantjes
How do you get to be one of the greats of graphic design? If Doyald Young is the example, start with a well-rounded education in life, study with the masters, pay homage to your mentors, work hard, work long and, practice, man, practice.
Letter Cult Interview with Doyald Young
If Matthew Carter is the greatest living type designer, and Hermann Zapf the greatest living calligrapher, Young completes the trinity as the greatest living designer of logotypes.
Sadly, the New York Times reported last week that Doyald Young has passed away. He is an incredibly inspiring artist who has left a legacy in calligraphy and typography.
The Daily Drop Cap is an ongoing project by typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische. Each day, a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap will be posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere.
I can’t get enough of Marian Bantjes. She is a master typographer and calligrapher. Last year, I covered her talk for the AIGA/NY chapter. You can read the post and see the beautiful work she presented here.
Seb Lester is a London-based type designer, illustrator and artist. He has created typefaces and type illustrations for some of the world’s biggest companies, publications and events, including the likes of Apple, Nike, Intel, The New York Times, The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and J.D. Salinger’s final reissue of The Catcher in the Rye. He is passionate about letterforms.
His work is beautiful, don’t you think?
One current designer we discussed was Louise Fili. Louise is known for her impeccable typography reminiscent of Italian and French poster designs from the Art Deco period. Her work is elegant, beautiful and inspiring.
Visit her website to view more work: www.louisefili.com
What are additional typographers or typography work that references the Art Deco period?
