Fall Typography Development by Nathan Clark

ARTIST RESEARCH - COMING SOON

COMING SOON ‘Coming Soon’ Advertising/Branding www.comingsoon.be

www.behance.net/comingsoon

‘IT BEGINS WITH AN IDEA, AND THEN IT BECOMES SOMETHING ELSE*’ *BRANDING BY PABLO PICASSO

Coming Soon is a Belgium based branding and advertising firm specializing in a range of print, film and digital based design. The images above are visual responses for a client named ‘Delta Light’ which specialized in architectural lighting. Within the advertising campaign elements of technology, lighting and architecture are reflected and constructed within a physical type based structure to connote the client’s specialism and brand. This composition was built in a way that reflected the client’s ideologies of a ‘subtle blend of ambiance, functionality and design’ imposed through an exploration of modern lighting methods and their impact on structure and form. The typeface incorporates aspects of illumination formed through its reflective white body to create a natural gradient of light when lit. This is then enhanced through key

elements of shadowing enforced by a physical embezzlement that is combined with angled lighting. This as a result adds further depth to the type to reflect themes of light influence on structure overall embodying the clients business model of lighting development and manufacture. As a whole the physical and photographic manner is successful at enforcing the key ideologies of the client drawing attention through gradients of light and shadow. This creates a unique environment for the type showcasing its natural curved and manufactured structure building character within the text.

ARTIST RESEARCH - COMING SOON

COMING SOON ‘Coming Soon’ Advertising/Branding www.comingsoon.be

www.behance.net/comingsoon

ARTIST RESEARCH - NAIRK1

Niark1 Graphic Designer, Illustrator www.niark1.com/

Seb Niark is a Graphic Designer and illustrator designing his works in advertising, fashion and interactive events around the world. Many of his illustrations incoporate a bold contrast of colour comprised of sharp and shaped textures. Niarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compositions look to be created through both digital and screenprint methods to enhance their vibrance of colours and to emphasise their line weighting. This creates an interesting blend of colour and shape drawing the viewers eye.

ARTIST RESEARCH - PLASTIC BIONIC

Plastic Bionic Graphic Design, 3D Design, App Design, Web Design, Typeface Design www.plasticbionic.com

Plastic Bionic is a Contemporary Creative Director and Freelance designer operating within a range of digital and print platforms. He is the key Creative Director behind “Fragil Mistique’s” branding designs and has since created both film and print based materials for the music group. Some of the his most successful pieces are created within 3D

Many of his designs reflect design style such as Modernism and The Bauhaus Movement. Unlike common typographic work ‘Plastic Bionic’ enhances his crafted types by adding further depth and character through 3D features. A key element of texture is imposed to these typefaces to signify materials and traits adding to he composition

the design. Textures of pottery and metal add depth to these designs enhancing their overall visualisationw.

ARTIST RESEARCH - LETMAN

LETMAN ‘Letman’ Typographer www.letman.com

A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKS OF LETMAN “He is cuckoo about letters, he loves them, so far is certain. He is also one of those fellows who can read a chunky novel in a couple of hours, but that’s a different story. His designs are transparent, leaving you room to breathe. Them letters got things to say, they are so clear it tickles your eye and make you blink. What is this colourful craft? Letmans’s letters are curious. His handmade style fits the boundaries of typography like a universe on itself by lashing out to illustration, graffiti and graphic design. Letters are free entities to him, They are clear and cunning. Together they are strong.” -

Letman remains to be one of my favourite contemporary typographers in practice. I stumbled across his workings from the handbook “Flashback” which exhibited a collection of his posters and type printed materials. This offered a starting point for my research. As a designer Letman’s unique ethos and obsession with type was often portrayed through his fascination with type offering a refreshing outlook on his designs. ‘MODEFABRIEK’ (oppositeto this page) combined a handcrafted typeface with the body’s natural form. This created a typeface which followed the natural curvature of the naked body. This style of font design inspired me to later explore other artists who used the body such as Shirin Nesat. From

my perspective the incorporation of human form exposed a sense of life and nature providing deeper meaning within a design. Further research led me to discover Letman’s Handcrafted typefaces such as ‘Class of 2005’ (as seen above). The sharp edges in this design connoted themes of modernism and cubism which suggested the inspiration behind the design. As a whole Letman uses a range of strong contrasting colours, sharp and curved shapes with complex patterns to enhance his typefaces. Many of his workings are hand crafted providing extra attention to detail which can be seen from his professional results.

TYPE DEVELOPMENT - LETMAN INFLUENCED

Taking influence from the natural body and anatomical features I used characteristics from Letman’s original ‘Tradeshow’ designs to create a typeface based around curves and facial shape. Originally this task was difficult to envision as each letter when

placed in a word sequence would be designed around a different element of the facial structure. Instead I decided to use elements of curvature and skin shape to create a rugged and rounded text theme with typographic features inspired from

Letman and Neshat’s original workings. The results are seen above with the type reflecting themes of a warped and cartoon nature.

TYPE DEVELOPMENT- LETMAN INFLUENCED

After pursuing the design style of my ‘Made Monsters’ typeface I decided to maintain the minimalistic cartoon features to create a wide selection of accompanying illustrations to add further depth, context and colour to the typeface. The image to the right is the first stage development of this process accomidating both my type and illustrated image. However I later disregarded this design direction as I felt it didn’t signify or relate to the issued brief at hand.

ARTIST RESEARCH - PAUL ELLIMAN

Paul Elliman

Artist/Designer/Typographer www.art.yale.edu/PaulElliman www.peterbilak.com/graphic_design_in_ the_white_cube/elliman.html

Paul Elliman is an icon in modern design due to his contributions to communication design and international journals. With his creative work ranges from typography on a digital and physical scale. Throughout Ellimanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career his collections have been exhibited in a range of museums internationally exploring his catagorisation of objects and shapes which inspire his work. His success has recently allowed him to take placement as a senior critic in Graphic Design at Yale University The collected workings on both pages show Ellimans exploration of type found in everyday objects due to their shape and structure. This explores the extent of human communication through symbolism and interpretation

ARTIST RESEARCH - PAUL ELLIMAN

TYPE DEVELOPMENT - ELLIMAN INSPIRED

Following the design style of Paul Elliman, I began to look for everyday objects that shared similar structures to letters to provide inspiration. During my experimentation I found a range of kitchenware which shared similar characteristics with character lettering. This allowed me to assemble an alphabet based on these items. Like Elliman I recorded my findings digitally and recreated the shapes into vectors to outline key structural features of the cutlery. Through this experimentation I got a deeper insight into the natural and manufactured edges and curves that provide both form and functional features to aid in human activity. This new awareness allowed me to explore how the human eye remembers and associates shape with connotation furthering my potential and inspiration when creating later typefaces. I later used elements of shape and recognition within my type development overall enhancing my work.

TYPEw DEVELOPMENT - ELLIMAN INSPIRED

ARTIST RESEARCH - SHIRIN NESHAT

Shirin Neshat Artist, Filmmaker, Photographer www.ted.com/speakers/shirin_neshat.html www.gladstonegallery.com/neshat.asp

Shirin Neshat had a unique upbringing being raised as one of five children in Iran to a wealthy family. This history combined with her adapted recognition to westernised ideologies allowed Neshat to explore a range of platforms from photography to her most notable filmmaking projects. Many of her works follow a recurring subject matter inspired by the Iranian Revolution and her views on native society and culture. As a result many of her workings communicate universal subjects of loss, and memory with a focus on the position of women in Iranian society. Neshats recent work has explored projected images on opposing walls where the viewer experiences the story of a Muslim woman communicating with east and west ideologies. The concept enforces the contrast of traditional and modern pressures of society overall communicating the struggles and

differences of opposing viewpoints. Among these Neshatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many photographic designs reflect character and emotion through a combination of portrait and handwritten Arabic type. The combination of foreign type and the background photography in Neshatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work captivates emotion through symbolism and typeface. Resulting in a harmony between type and image. This style of communication is very powerful as it physically captures human emotion within the typeface. I later use this feature to inspire my later workings linking both Neshat and Letman due to their type work designed around the body.

ARTIST RESEARCH - ALEKSANDR RODCHENKO

Aleksandr Rodchenko www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_ id=4975

Aleksandr Rodchenko was a founder of Russian constructivism in the early 1900’s. His workings emerged following the Russian Revolution and explored many aspects of Graphic Design and photomontage. The inspiration behind many of his designs engaged themes of socialism presented design through a depiction of lines, shapes or photographs. This created innovative perspectives for many of Rodchenko’s visual designs. Many of his designs contrasted structural formation of line and curve to portray symbolic meaning. A combination of which can signify a range of messages and patterns, which may prove affective when creating a typeface. The strength and tone of line is a key element within many of Rodchenko’s designs enforcing themes of power and structure.

ARTIST RESEARCH - EL LISSITZKY

El Lissitzky www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/el-lissitzky-1519 www.designishistory.com/1920/el-lissitzky/

El Lissitzky was another iconic contributer to Russian constructivist movments in the 1900â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. He often experimented with a range of design plattforms switching between photography and typography. Among this he also contributed a range of architectural designs which implimented shape and line. Many of his iconic workings were forms of Propeganda for the former Soviet Union. Many of these were influenced by Bauhaus and constuctivism design movments. Since his death his works have been exhibited in a range of museums due to their key influence on modern design and architecture. Like other contributers to Constructivism, Lissitzky maintained key elements of shape, structure and line intersection to enhance his compositions. He also experiments with deeper colours and stronger lines to further depth and interpretation.

ARTIST RESEARCH - KONSTANTIN MELNIKOV

Konstantin Melnikov Architect, Painter. www.melnikovhouse.org/about-melnikov. php

Konstantin Melnikov was an iconic architect who strongly influenced the avant-garde movement in Russia. It wasn’t until a meeting with engineer and scientist Vladimir M. Chaplin that his career changed where he took a placement in Moscow’s school of painting. As his studies came to a close his close relationship with Chaplin led him to design architecture for the Soviet Pavilion at the Paris Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Art. Konstantin later designed and created a range of architectural buildings that were associated with Constructivist movements.This was due to their three dimensional cubist design style combined with elements of kinetic movement. This was represented through sharp shapes and curves combined with bright and bold contrasts of colour for em-

phasis. Melnikov used a range of shapes and angled lines to produce his architectural designs. It was this unique style that later left Melnikov’s buildings as architectural icons keeping them stood tall to this day.

TYPE DEVELOPMENT - MELNIKOV INSPIRED

Melnikov’s architectural designs later became another inspiration for my design development. The self-titled ‘Melnikov House’ was built in a style that incorporated curvature and sharp shapes with the iconic windows in a diamond formation. This unique styled window became an icon for Melnikov’s designs and provided a starting point for a range of structural and anatomical formations. From this I decided to experiment with the shape adding and subtracting edges and angles to rec-

reate letter formations. Over time I developed both a solid shaped type and sharp edged type in rough offering potential typeface design. With the thicker typeface (seen above) I realised that a gradient themed formation may add further anatomical detail referencing the architectural connotations of the original inspired piece.

TYPE DEVELOPMENT - MELNIKOV INSPIRED

TYPE DEVELOPMENT - RODCHENKO INSPIRED

As I experimented further with line weight and angle I created an alternate typeface that evoked Broadway theatrical connotations. Unfortunately this shared little relation from its inspired Russian Constructivist development however I still maintained its development as its own individual piece inspired from both constructivism and Broadway culture.

TYPE DEVELOPMENT - RODCHENKO INSPIRED

As I began to experiment with these Broadway and Constructivist styles, I was inspired to design this alternate typeface around a couple of words. Over time a small sentence acted as the starting point for the typeface and then later became the basis for the symmetrical shapes and lines throughout the typeface. Variations of the design serifs also changed alongside the line weighting. This

resulted in multiple versions of the typeface each with small differences to portray character and theme. The most challenging aspect of this typeface was the formation of curved characters within an italic orientation. This often led to a range of designs being disregarded as they failed to maintain the theme and flow. This design is still underconstruction

at present due to elements needing further development to maintain style consistency. In time I hope to finish the design at a later date.

ARTIST RESEARCH - BAUHAUS

Bauhaus Design School/Movement www.bauhaus.de/ www.art.highlandschools.org.uk/links/ movements/bauhaus/bauhaus.html

The Bauhaus school of design was one of the most influential design movements in the early 1900’s. The school operated on the ideals of the quote ‘Form Follows Function” inspired by American architect Louis Sullivan. This encouraged design to be made around human activities rather than appearance. As a result this revolutionary design model caught attention on a global scale inspiring many designers and artists internationally. Elements of Geometric shapes acted as the foundation of Bauhaus design. This resulted in a range of abstract structures with mass production in mind. The Bauhaus also incorporated a range of new materials such as Concrete and Tubular Steel to reflect characteristics of construction and industry.

As the school developed it employed iconic designers and architects to teach students a range of conceptual design and manufacturing design techniques. However in 1933 the Nazis closed the school due to the ‘non-German views’ and modernist themes associated with the school. One of the strongest contributions from the Bauhaus was its modern furniture design. The ‘Wassily chair’ captivated the attention of many designers due to its minimal space and became an icon from the school.

ARTIST RESEARCH - DAMIEN HIRST

Damien Hirst Artist, Designer www.damienhirst.com *www.damienhirst.com/daptomycin *www.damienhirst.com/tulips

Damien Hirst made his name in design following his curated exhibition ‘Freeze’ which showcased workings of his friends and classmates at Goldsmith College. Since this introduction he has become and maintained a title as one of the most influential and experimental designers of his generation. One of his notable series of artworks featured dead animals such as sheep and a shark preserved or dissected to represent death. His spot paintings were formed through a method that resembled mechanic design. This style of work was later

recognised as a reliance of “already organised element”*. Other workings such as ‘Tulips’ were inspired from a recollection of dead flies stuck to canvas in his Brixton studio. In result Hirst used this idea and his previous work with butterflies to replicate the same effect but to communicate an “accident of paint with butterflies stuck on it”*

ARTIST RESEARCH - JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

Jean-Michel Basquiat Graffit Artist www.basquiat.com/

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an iconic American artist who was known for his developed ‘Neo-expressionist’ Designs; which often combined elements of Abstract and Pop painting within the mid 1900’s. Basquiat explored this style of design using contextual subjects of wealth, poverty and Racism. Over his creative career Basquiat explored a variety of expressive

formats producing his first music band and featuring on TV with Glenn O’Brien. With time his artistic workings became better known and he later collaborated with Andy Warhol furthering his success. The key elements of bold colour and brush stroke textures initially attracted my attention to his designs. These features allowed shapes and colours to stand out

from their background. Deeper shades and colours are also present in this style of painting creating an informal and indirect representation. After exploring the context behind Basquait’s designs I found the rough styling of the lines and shape communicated deeper emotions of struggle and opinion. This persuaded me to explore this style further.

TYPE DEVELOPMENT - JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

As I began to develop the textures and line styles of Basquiat’s paintings I began creating a small collection of of alphabet characters. The design styles of Basquait’s works allowed me to replicate themes of decay and anger. The final products (as seen above) looked to share these key characteristics of Basquait’s designs.

FALL TYPEFACE - NATHAN CLARK