Published on November 21, 2008
in General.
Fleet Street Lino Print by Stanley Donwood
The festive season is fast upon us, and as always, I feel it is my duty to call attention to typographic goodies that make good gifts for lovers of letters and all things related to the printing arts. If you are feeling very generous and want to really treat your loved one to something nice, may I suggest this beautiful linocut artwork from Stanley Donwood, famous for creating much of the iconic imagery associated with the band Radiohead. Of course the £750 price tag for this artwork is just a bit hefty, but as one who as actually seen this print in person, the quality is exceptional and is a beautiful piece for any art collector. However, if this number is out of your budget due to the credit crunch, there are other options if you would like to own a piece of this incredible imagery.
Continue reading ‘Early Holiday Gift Ideas’
Published on November 2, 2008
in General.
Letter forms from the typeface Cassius by Mathieu Réguer
I really should have gone to Paris this weekend. I didn’t have anything terribly exciting to do here in London, two of my elder sisters were there for the weekend. I don’t know why I didn’t realize all of this before Sunday evening. Had I been there, I’m sure I would have tried to drag them to La Durée, try to talk them into taking a boat ride on the Seine, or maybe I could finally make it to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I blame them, in part, for not getting me their itinerary sooner, let this be a lesson to all you Hunts!
However, had I been in Paris this weekend, I can tell you that I would most likely have been taking pictures of lettering more than of architecture. On my previous two trips to the center of the cultural universe, I was struck by the occurrence of what seemed to me to be a very French treatment of the majuscule R. Continue reading ‘The French R’
Published on October 21, 2008
in General.
Cover from Portfolio of Ornamental Penmanship by A.N. Palmer Co.
Yesterday’s blog post from The Ministry of Type focuses on a singular specimen of lettering ephemera from the last century: a digitized version of W.E. Dennis’ Studies in Pen Art is truly a gem, but once you get hooked on this stuff you will want more and more (at least that is what happens to me). These materials are wonderful ephemera and excellent fodder for inspiration for those who love letters. The publication linked to by the Ministry is just one of several publications from the same period during the last century when business schools taught penmanship as a main staple of their curriculums.
Continue reading ‘A Trove of Lettering Ephemera’
Published on October 9, 2008
in General.
Grandia in fine print.
This post marks the first anniversary of my blog and the end of my year at the University of Reading, where I furthered my education in typeface design via their Masters degree program. It has been a good year and I learned much more than I could have anticipated. To view the results of my work and my classmates’, you can visit typefacedesign.org and view PDF specimens of each of the typefaces, including a group specimen that we had printed up. If 1) you are interested in a copy, and 2) I know who you are, I just might see that you get a copy if you ask very nicely.
Have a look at Grandia and Gandhara and please leave any comments you have on the typefaces here. Thanks for having a look!
Continue reading ‘Grandia and Gandhara online in PDF’
Published on September 17, 2008
in General.
It seems that the type conference destinations this year all happen to be in some of my favorite cities where I have lived. This week ATypI is in full swing in St. Petersburg, Russia. I spent one summer in St. Pete in 1999 trying to get a grasp on the language and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I’m hoping I’ll have some time to slip away to see just a few of my favorite sites in this jewel of the north.
First on my list is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. This beautiful little cathedral has the most beautiful mosaics and some excellent examples of vyaz’ lettering. Located at (nab kanala Griboedova 2a), Open daily from 11am to 7pm, except Weds.
A must-stop destination for typo- and bibliophiles is Дом Книги (Dom Knigi), The House of Books. I believe this is in walking distance of the conference center. Located at 28 Nevsky Prospekt.
And last, but definitely not least, if you manage to squeeze in a visit to the Hermitage, make sure to check out the works of Ilya Repin as well as the collection of impressionist works and the Michelangelo room.
If you need more recommendations of sites to see, feel free to find me and ask. I’ll be there from tomorrow evening.
Published on August 19, 2008
in General.
What’s up with the type foundry/music connection? Recent years have brought us P22’s release of the William Caslon Experience compilation and the Amerikanische Badneß album, which accompanies the Blaktur typeface, from the House Industries guys themselves.
Now let’s add another of my own personal favorites to the lineup. František Štorm has quietly added a link to his own musical project, Airbrusher, to his website where he describes the musical output as “cheap, unpretentious, kitsch melodies [and] a heap of malicious lyrics, with no purpose whatsoever.” Continue reading ‘Storm Type Foundry presents Airbrusher’
Published on July 7, 2008
in General.
Okay, so my brain needed a few minute’s rest, so I thought I would post this before type types start descending upon buffalo for Typecon 2008 in Buffalo, NY. Of course there is an Official Typecon Restaurant Guide, but here are some specifics that you won’t find on that list. Unfortunately, many of these places are not immediately accessible from the conference hotel, but If you find yourself with a couple free hours, be sure to check out at least one of these spots.
Published on May 8, 2008
in General.
Hooray! I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I checked my email and noticed an email from FontStruct team member, Stewf. You may also know him as Stephen Coles, one of the brains behind the ever-popular Typographica. Getting the message was not the surprising thing, I’ve been starting to enjoy having the comments posted to my FontStruct creations pop up in my inbox. The surprising thing was *cue drumroll* that FontShop had chosen one of my FontStructions in their official public announcement of the FontStruct site. The font is SlabStruct Too, and besides being highlighted in the body of the article, it is used to spell out the “Font” in the FontShop logo at the head of the newsletter. You can’t ask for more love than that!
Continue reading ‘FontStruct ❤ Me!’
Published on April 7, 2008
in General.
Paul´s Crit Session, originally uploaded by ysch.
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