Custom Letters
June 18, 2009 2:01 AM Subscribe
Custom Letters is an evolving category that includes calligraphy, sign painting, graffiti, stone carving, digital lettering, hand lettering, paper sculpture, and type design.
This is awesome, thanks. I think my hands are literally itching to make stuff now. I really like (new-to-me) Jessica Hische's pieces in there.
posted by carbide at 4:27 AM on June 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by carbide at 4:27 AM on June 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
There's so few hand letterers left out there in the real world. They were a mainstay of commercial art for 100 years, and then the computer & postscript type pretty well shut them down. Danny Garrett is the bet I've ever met, or had the pleasure to work with, though all his cohorts from the 709 studio days are all amazing. Sam Yeates, Michael Priest, Jim Franklin & Guy Juke are all top-of-the heap.
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:37 AM on June 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:37 AM on June 18, 2009 [1 favorite]
My first commercial art instructor in HS was a superb hand-letterer.
One morning, he came into class armed with a 6-foot scroll of paper, a ruler, a pencil, a one-inch flat brush, and a pot of tempera paint.
He rolled the paper out, laid-out some guide lines with the pencil and ruler, and proceeded to hand letter some pithy quote across the roll of paper in beautiful italic text. Perfectly formed and spaced. No "oh crap, I'm running out of room" squished letters at the end.
It was wildly impressive to these, then 16-year-old, eyes.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:23 AM on June 18, 2009
One morning, he came into class armed with a 6-foot scroll of paper, a ruler, a pencil, a one-inch flat brush, and a pot of tempera paint.
He rolled the paper out, laid-out some guide lines with the pencil and ruler, and proceeded to hand letter some pithy quote across the roll of paper in beautiful italic text. Perfectly formed and spaced. No "oh crap, I'm running out of room" squished letters at the end.
It was wildly impressive to these, then 16-year-old, eyes.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:23 AM on June 18, 2009
These are fanatic, thanks for sharing! Lots of beautiful type, incredibly hard to narrow down to particular favorites.
Hand lettering is impressive, but that doesn't make it any better or worst than digital typography.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:19 AM on June 18, 2009
Hand lettering is impressive, but that doesn't make it any better or worst than digital typography.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:19 AM on June 18, 2009
Yes, lots of great items here. Really fun to look through them. Thanks!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:24 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:24 AM on June 18, 2009
Andy Smith's flat colors and hand drawn look are quite nice.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:32 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:32 AM on June 18, 2009
Luca Barcellona has a delicious Flickr stream of calligraphy and type design.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:42 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:42 AM on June 18, 2009
I have recently learned that a lack of fine motor control in the hands is a diagnostible condition and could be one reason I have very poor handwriting. SO THERE Mrs. third grade teacher, you judgemental bitch.
posted by longsleeves at 6:54 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by longsleeves at 6:54 AM on June 18, 2009
Fantastic link!
If you're a fan of hand lettering, I highly recommend Hand Job by Michael Perry. Great collection of hand drawn lettering.
posted by elfgirl at 7:00 AM on June 18, 2009
If you're a fan of hand lettering, I highly recommend Hand Job by Michael Perry. Great collection of hand drawn lettering.
posted by elfgirl at 7:00 AM on June 18, 2009
Charles Borges de Oliveira is featured in the link; he makes some beautiful script typefaces.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 7:16 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by Optimus Chyme at 7:16 AM on June 18, 2009
Wow. Some of those are really beautiful. (all though this one irritates me)
posted by delmoi at 7:26 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by delmoi at 7:26 AM on June 18, 2009
I'm a fan of the big "Holy Shit".
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 7:45 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 7:45 AM on June 18, 2009
Check out these wild milk splash letters by Jonas Valtysson (via today's NOTCOT.org)
posted by Kabanos at 8:06 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by Kabanos at 8:06 AM on June 18, 2009
I'm having a hard time deciphering a few of these, but it's all part of the fun.
posted by echo target at 8:47 AM on June 18, 2009
posted by echo target at 8:47 AM on June 18, 2009
"I'm having a hard time deciphering a few of these, but it's all part of the fun."
Is it? In my mind the text isn't nearly as pretty if it can't easily be read. I shouldn't have to work at it to get the meaning.
Obscuring the meaning to make a pretty design can be interesting but more often than not it just makes me want to give up trying to read it.
posted by caution live frogs at 9:58 AM on June 18, 2009
Is it? In my mind the text isn't nearly as pretty if it can't easily be read. I shouldn't have to work at it to get the meaning.
Obscuring the meaning to make a pretty design can be interesting but more often than not it just makes me want to give up trying to read it.
posted by caution live frogs at 9:58 AM on June 18, 2009
Seconding the call for legibility. The illegibles are failures.
The ones with lots of innovation AND perfect legibility, OTOH, are revelations! Several of those here – nice!!
posted by gorgor_balabala at 1:21 PM on June 18, 2009
The ones with lots of innovation AND perfect legibility, OTOH, are revelations! Several of those here – nice!!
posted by gorgor_balabala at 1:21 PM on June 18, 2009
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Or so I've heard.
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:14 AM on June 18, 2009