Week 2 – The week of January 14th – 18th: Modifying Type with Lettermarks/Wordmarks

In class

Review the in class assignment from last week. Review homework from last week.

BREAK

Modifying/adapting type & creating letterforms for your business card.

Inclass assignment — Modifying type.
We will be modifying letters using sketches. We will also practice a couple of techniques for drafting custom letters. Then a show and share of sample lettermark sketches/ideation.

DUE NEXT WEEK—HOMEWORK: Your personal business card

Part 1: Like last week's assignment choose one typeface family that have many weights and styles. Design your own business card that plays with grouping text, alignments, hierarchy, scale, weight/emphasis, & negative space.

Potential text your business card: your name, address, the main way you would like to be contacted (either phone or email) and your top three interests/skills (e.g. drawing, photography, typography).

Part 2: Create a custom initial mark for your name. You might chose to adapt/modify a chosen typeface or create your own custom letters.

Do a brain dump of 30 sketches exploring letter combinations for 1-2-and/or 3 initials. The first 10 sketches will probably be your normal sketching process. For the second 10 sketches you could use descriptive adjectives about yourself to explore ideas, e.g. edgy, whimsical, childlike, etc. For the last 10 sketches try out the “Forced Connections” technique, where you take your 3 interests (e.g. hiking, baking, fishing) and make a list of visual attributes that can be combined with your initials to make an initial mark. For example, fishing=fish hook + the letter A. Sketch your 30 ideas and select your top 3.

Click here for a sketch checklist pdf if/when you run out of sketches from your brain dump.

Extra Challenge for those who would like to push themselves:
Trademark category #2: Wordmarks

**Click here for a 3 minute video for iterating wordmarks on Lynda.com

Part 3: When you are satisfied with your business card design(s), place one of your chosen inital marks (either final sketch or a digital rough) into your design for placement only. Print out your card, trim it to the correct size, and bring it to class next week for a work-in-progress review. You may use color and imagery, but only after you have solved the typographic layout, grouping/alignments, hierarchy, emphasis (bold & italic), negative space, and scale.

READINGS AND LINKS

Required reading:
Modifying Type Lecture (PDF file)
Helpful Hints for Drawing and Modifying Letters (PDF file)

Click here for a sketch checklist pdf if/when you run out of sketches from your brain dump.

Extra Challenge for those who would like to push themselves:
Trademark category #2: Wordmarks

**Click here for a 3 minute video for iterating wordmarks on Lynda.com

Use this guide to help refine your work:
Homework Review.pdf

Recommended links & books for the summer:
Introduction to typeface design/typeface designers:
Introduction to designing typefaces (Site)
Letter fountain (Site)
Designing Type (Book)

Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles, 1901-1938 (v. 1) (Book)
Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles, 1901-1938 (v. 2) (Book)

List of type designers (site)
Type Designers - Historical (Site)

<< And if you are loving lettering, check out more links in the resources section under letterers, type designers and founderies.