DRAWING LETTERS DESIGNING WORDS
Letters and typefaces not only tranports information but also create a feeling and have a personality. Lettering takes this a step further— with its movement, artistic strokes, and variety, it has the potential to radiate a whole range of energies and tell stories of harmony and distortion, about positive and negative space. Words become drawings and pictures themselves.
Born out of the success of the concept of the Yearbook of Type, we have created a new book series: the Yearbook of Lettering. It presents a selection of lettering artwork created all over the world—from traditional calligraphy and hand
lettering, street art and graffiti, to 3D digital lettering, showcasing the vibrant and wide range of different styles and techniques. The book offers an overview of high-quality handcrafted typographic art and can help clients source the right artist for a project. It serves as a source of inspiration not only for people in the design world but also displays the contemporary world of lettering and the many different styles available— giving lettering, calligraphy, brush lettering, blackletter, hand lettering, graffiti artists, and more the platform, appreciation, and recognition they deserve.
CO NTE NT
How does using a new tool change / improve your creative output?
For me, it’s always great when I try something new, mainly when I don’t have a purpose and do it only for the fun of experimenting. This constant experimentation allows me to have new perspectives and results that I can apply to my work on a daily basis. I always try to get the most out of each technique and tool, to unlock ideas when I’m stuck or with some kind of creative block.
Does coincidence matter in your work / process?
Of course it does! Several times that has happened. Every time I create something, I learn something! Mainly because I experiment with a lot of different tools and approaches, just to try to understand their capabilities and what I can create with them. So most of the time, I get unexpected results. Sometimes I end up leaving that “mistake” or working on top of it because it gave me an input or idea that, otherwise, I would have never had or made. I like to call it happy coincidences.
What influence does your environment have on you (and your work)?
Everything really. Every part of it made me the person that I am today, personally and also professionally. What I am and where I am today is part of my environment and my influences growing up.
Art and music were and still are present in my life, so unconsciously that shaped the way I see and approach things. Also, support from friends and family is one of the most important aspects. In fact, I have an awesome story about my grandfather. He had a brief passage through design when he was younger, and used to do mainly lettering and illustration, but the funny thing is that I didn’t have access to his work until several years ago, and when I did, it blew my mind!!! It’s really cool to see the similarities between our work. So, I think that everything we experience is meaningful for our growth as a person, and that’s reflected in your actions, way of being, and perceiving the world.
From 2013 to 2018 you were a resident member and researcher
at “We Came From Space,” a research and knowledge exchange platform. Can you please tell us about it?
In 2013, I had an invitation from one of my design teachers, João Martino, to be a part of a project that was later called We Came From Space. There, we had the possibility to be in the same physical space with other creatives from different fields of expertise, with different years of experience in the design industry. It was almost like a big studio / school with very cool and talented people.
The only premise, to be part of the project, was that each and any one of us had to teach / share our knowledge and skills with everybody else. In fact, that was the main reason that pushed me to start with my calligraphy and lettering workshops. It was undoubtedly one of my best experiences so far! I’ve learned a lot only by being there, watching, and absorbing all the info that I could.
What is something you learned for yourself through giving workshops?
Fundamentally, I learned to detach myself from any kind of vices that a person normally creates over time. I realized that most of the results produced during the workshops would not be something that I produced myself, perhaps because I already have too many references and / or vices in my creative process.
I learned above all that it is good not to think too much, it is good to get out of the comfort zone, and not be afraid to take risks, embrace mistakes, and most importantly, to share.
For me, more than teaching something, I see the workshops as a constant sharing of ideas. I always feel that what I share, most of the time I get back double.
In 2011 you started your own studio and have been very successful ever since. What are your plans for the future?
If possible, I just want to keep doing what I love the most, being able to make a living out of it, and grow as a creative person! I want to collaborate with as many people as I can and reach a wider audience. But most importantly, inspiring people the way that my references inspired me!
HUGO MOURA
Experi mentation isthingevery
Petra Dočekalová (1991) is a type designer, calligrapher, and lettering artist working on new digital scripts, letterings, and typefaces.
Petra received the TDC Award of Excellence for her Master’s diploma project dealing with Czechoslovak calligraphy and new handlettering forms. She continued exploring this topic and finished her doctoral studies on Fostering Increased Appreciation for Handwriting, Penmanship, and a Personal Handwriting Style at the Type Design and Typography studio at UMPRUM in Prague in 2020.
Since 2013, Petra has been a member of the Briefcase Type Foundry, working on new fonts—the most recent one being a type collection from the project The Heritage Of Oldrich Menhart. She also focuses on editorial work such as the TYPO9010 book, which won several global awards, or the Jaroslav Benda 1882–1970 book.
Petra is based in Prague, but she often organizes international lettering workshops. petra-d.com @petra.typo
If you could only write one last word for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?
I would write a random non-existing word—basic sketching and finding unusual combinations lead to unexpected ligatures and shape variations. However, it has a solid potential for freeing fantasy and finding new letter shapes.
PETRA DOČEKALOVÁ
design caninemerge art
Gemma O’Brien is an internationally renowned designer and artist known for her bold graphics, illustrative lettering, and murals.
Her work has been commissioned by Apple, Nike, and Google, and is held in the permanent collection of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
Outside her commercial design work, she explores language, nature, and the human experience through her art practice.
gemmaobrien.com @mrseaves101
If you could only write one last word for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why? It would be: Love!
What do you like most about painting murals?
The physicality, painting with a team, and the unexpected challenges that arise from working on a large scale. I like the feeling of making something bigger than myself, and often if the mural is painted over at the end, I like the memory of its creation.
Which influence does social media have on your work?
It had a huge impact on my work between 2012–2017. I never intended to use it to build a career or showcase my work, but as I experimented and shared work in progress, this led to a growing audience. This helped me gain momentum and confidence, leading to many amazing commissions around the world. It was also a place to connect with artists whom I eventually met in real life. This started to change in 2018, and since then I have refocused my practice to find ways to grow, learn, and work in a way that relies less on social media.
You were pretty young when you were already very successful— luck or a burden?
I feel lucky and grateful. I feel as though I achieved many of the dreams I had as a young design student. Now I am refocusing to start a new chapter: as an ultra artist!
Has your confidence grown over the years, or do you feel more pressure to create something “perfect”?
Pressure does seem to grow with success, but ultimately you have to find ways to master that from within. Learning how to manage it and to continue creating becomes a skill that I’m still honing. I like learning and the freedom of being a beginner, so I have been actively seeking out new skills, mostly in drawing and painting from life.
How do you see the future of AI and what influence could it have on your work?
I like how AI forces us to reflect on what makes us human. I like the idea of AI as a creative collaborator and a prompt to philosophical questions about how we should spend our time on this earth. Ask yourself: if AI can do everything for you, what would you still choose to do anyway?
Does design emerge in art or the other way around?
For me, art is a chance to create without being told what to do. The inner stuff comes out! But I think design can emerge in art, and art in design, and both can occur in how you live any aspect of life.
Experi mentation isthingevery
Snooze One is a lettering artist from Berlin. His interest in letterforms started with discovering graffiti at age 13. Shortly after that, he got into Calligraphy. During school, he started publishing his work on Instagram. Inspired by a trip to the US, he set up his own screen-printing shop in his attic to print his lettering on T-shirts, which also pushed him to pursue this passion.
He currently studies visual communication with a focus on advertising. His style is versatile and features several different tools and techniques. He loves to experiment, find new ways to write, and build letters. He created lettering out of Micro Algae for the New-York skincare brand When Life Gives You Lemons, formed letters out of cookie dough, and wrote on pressed cellulose sponges.
Snooze One worked with various brands like STABILO, Dettol, COMBO BREAKER, and Serif. He not only works with traditional media but also explores the possibilities in the digital world. He plays with augmented reality and creates diverse digital brushes for other creatives.
If you could only write one last word for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?
In case I have to limit myself to just one word, I would want to make the most out of it: Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunternehmenbeamtengesellschaft.
