VOLUME 1
APRIL 10
FREE
V VISUAL INTELLIGENCE
A N
I N V E S T I G AT I O N
I N
TO
TYPE
W ITH
A N D
AS
I MAG E.
FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2010 BY LAURENCE KING PUBLISHING LTD 71 GREAT RUSSEL STREET LONDON WC1B 3BP TEL: +44 020 45748 584847 FAX:+44 0697 6784856 474 EMAIL:GDKAHSGDJAHSGDASHJDG ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS BOOK MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT WRITTEN PREMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWENERS. ALL IMAGES IN THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN REPRODUCED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARTISTS CONCERNED. MUCH EFFORT HAS GONE TO ENSURE THAT CREDITS ACCURATELY COMPLY WITH INFORNMATION SUPPLIED. SBN 1 72386534 345654 PRINTED IN THE UK FIRST PRINTING 2010
DESIGNED BY HAYLEY KAVANAGH WWW.HKFRESHDESIGN.COM
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V o
1
2
3
INTRO DUCTION
THE FRESH CREATIVES
TALK THE TALK
THE WORLD OF TYPE & IMAGE
introduction
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CHAPTER
t h e f r e s h c r e at i v e s
a alex trochut
a lex tro ch ut is a fr eela n ce g ra ph i c d esi g n er fro m ba rcelo n a. M A NY WO U LD AG R EE THAT H E HAS B ECO M E a v ery r espected A N D TA LENTED d esi g n er i n th e 21st centu ry. h is wo r k is a d o r ed a n d IS i nspi rati o n ia l to h u n d r eds o f d esi g n ers. h is two a rtisti c lov es a r e type a n d i mag e a n d h e co m b i n es th em i n th e m ost b eauti fu lly u n i qu e way. sO M E WO U LD R ECO G N ISE H I M BY H IS FA M O US QU OTE:
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"M O R E IS M O R E"
IMAGE RIGHT T I T L E : B E A U T I F U L / D E C AY TYPE OF WORK: MAGAZINE COVER C LI ENT: LO S A N G ELES BAS ED A RT A N D D ES I G N M AGAZ I N E
Q&A I NTERV I EW W ITH A LEX TRO CH UT BY D ESI G N TAXI: Design Taxi quoted Alex Trochuts work as being:
I NTERVI EW W ITH A LEX TRO CH UT BY A R M I N VIT: Quote from the legendary designer Alex Trochut:
'A STYLE D EFI N ED BY G EO M ETRY A N D FLU I D ITY'.
'th i n k a b o ut type as a puzzle'.
DT: Besides
AV: Your
the graphic designer-illustrator you are a huge fan of typography. How do you find a balance between the aesthetic aspect of letters and leibility?
AT: Yes,
I care more about the aestetic over legibility and I find it difficult to get rid of a nice abstract for m in exchange of a more legible letter but I try to find a balance.
AT:
I guess it’s because I love type, and I also love illustration so the work is just a reflection of this double and equal love. I like to feel close to Graphic Design but in an expressive way of seeing it- so doing expressive typography is where I find my place, and can still feel like a Graphi Designer.
AV: One
dt: Your
love of both type and illustration has come together amazingly in a lot of your work. but how would you handle the critics that say type is to read, which effectively dismisses a design like your cover lettering for beautiful decay?
at: Everything
work thrives in it’s intense merging of typography, lettering and illustration. How did you arrive at this approach?
defines it's the level of functionally by its context and use, i wouldn't impose a "hard to read" lettering if it has to be read in a few seconds, many times i have the chance to use the text as a pretext to let the shapes free and seek for a strong image with a hidden message.
of the things that struck me about your work was your ability to use existing typefaces and manipulate them to feel fresh, unique, fresh and spontaneous. What do you look for in typefaces that you want to customize?
AT:
When I look for a display type I like to see it in some kind of density and a solid and connected structure from letter to letter. I really love all kind of 70's display fonts, i think that period was very free and complex in the creation of type.
av: How
has your technique and ability to cdompose these typeillustrations evolved over the years?
at:
It's just been a question of practice and challenging myself, trying to improve, complex every time and thinking about type as a puzzle of abstract and geometric shapes.
"I think everything changes fa start feeling too
M m e e t i n g
a l e x
I had the great pleasure of visiting Alex Trochut on a visit that I took to Barcelona. I contacted him previous to the visit, got to know him and he then invited me to come and visit his studio. He taught me a lot in the short time that I spent with him and he really inspired and encouraged me to push my work to the limits. As I was leaving he presented me with one of typographic experiement prints which was amazing.
t r o c h u t
Personal one on one interview with Alex Trochut in his studio in Barcelona:
h k: Where
does your inspiration for your typographic ideas come
from?
AT: A
lot of my inspiration actually comes from signs that I come across, ranging from restuarants and coffee shops to road signs.
H K: When did your interest in typography begin? AT: I began to look into typography further when
I discovered the work of my grandpa Joan Trochut and the invention of Superveloz.
ast, and expires faster if you o attached to it".
j
jessica hische J ESSI CA H ISCH E IS A TYPO G RA PH ER A N D I LLUSTRATO R WH O CO M B I N ES B OTH ELEM ENTS B EAUTI FU LLY TO G ETH ER I N TH E M OST ELEGA NT A N D N ATU RA L FO R M. A LOT O F H ER WO R K FO CUS'S O N HA N D LETTER I N G A N D WH I CH LEN DS ITSELF TO A V ERY PERSO NA L A N D U N I QU E STYLE.
>>
"I PAY TH E B I LLS BY M A KI N G PR ETTY TH I N GS."
IMAGE top RIGHT TITLE : buttermilk font TYPE OF WORK: typographic experiment C LI EN T: pers o n a l b r i ef YEAR: 2009 IMAGE bottom RIGHT T I T L E : r i b b o n t y p e pat t e r n s T Y P E O F W O R K : c r e at e d f o r w r a p p i n g pa p e r / c a r d s C LI EN T: pers o n a l/ fo r li c en s i n g YEAR: -
Q &A I NTERVI EW QU ESTI O N S CO M M O N LY ASKED TO J ESSI CA H ISCH E:
Q: WHAT A R E SO M E O F YO U R I N SPI RATI O N S? A:
I work for Louise Fili for two and a half years, she has definitely had the biggest impact on my work. Her collect i o n o f r a n d o m v i n t a g e t y p e e p h e m e r a i s a s t o u n d i n g. I r e a d design blogs and look at images online a lot.
Q: D ESCR I B E YO U R D ESI G N I N O N E SENTEN CE? A: " J e s s i c a
H i s ch e ’s wo rk c o m b i n e s e q u a l p a r t s : d e s i g n , t y p o g r a p h y, i l l u s t r a t i o n , b r o w n s u g a r a n d a h e a v y c r e a m ” .
Q: WHAT A DV I CE D O YO U H AV E FO R A YO U N G I LLUSTRATO R O R G RA PH I C D ESI G N ER? A: W h e n
you’re not doing client work, do a lot of personal work. It takes a lot of practice and exploration to be a great d e s i g n e r, s o d o i t i n a n y w a y p o s s i b l e . P l a n a h e a d , t h i n k o f the kind of work that you want to be doing and try and find the most direct path to that.
Q: A R E YO U A SER I F O R A SA N S-SER I F KI N DA G I R L? A: H a r d
A: I
have a theor y that my process for drawing type has aff e c t e d m y m e m o r y n e g a t i v e l y. I w o r k i n a s o r t o f s t r e a m o f conscious way when it comes to type, only making general decisions up front and letting type kind of evolve as I go, and I think not having to consciously queue up “inspirations” as I go along is slowly destroying my short time m e m o r y.
Q: WHAT A DVI CE D O YO U HAVE FO R PEO PLE THAT WA NT TO D RAW TYPE? A:
I f y o u w a n t t o b e a g o o d t y p e d e s i g n e r, y o u h a v e t o m a k e as much of it as possible and look at as much of it as possible. Buy old type books, histor y books and anything about vintage type. Practise, practise, practise!
Q: W H AT D ESI G N ERS/I LLUSTRATO RS I NSPI R E YO U? A:
I have a major design crush on Marion Bantjes and a brain/conce pt crush on Christopher Niemann, I have a really talented group of friends so they keep my motivation high.
"ENVY CA N B E A B I G M OTIVATO R" .
}
t o s a y, i t h i n k g e n e r a l l y s a n s - s e r i f . E v e r t h i n g I d r a w starts as sans-serif and then I decide later if I want to make it have serifs.
Q: H OW D O ES TYPE EFFECT YO U R EVERYDAY EXPER IEN CE?
"Illustrated type is a very
y accessible kind of art".
D
DAREN NEWMAN
DA R EN N EW M A N, A typo g ra ph er, i llustrato r & d esi g ner. H E W ITTYLY D ESCR I B ES H I MSELF AS A Ma le, sma ller tha n av erag e, g o o d/ba d SO H, b ea r d wea r i n g, r i g ht-ha n d ed, Rotr i n g lov i n g M a n cu n ia n. dA R EN N EW M A N S WO R K H AS A STRO N G FO CUS O N HA N D D RAW N TYPO G RA PH I C A N D I LLUSTRATIVE WO R KS. H E IS A LSO TH E FO U N D ER O F FU N N EL CR EATIVE, A N U P A N D G ROW I N G D ESI G N AG N ECY I N MA N CH ESTER.
>>
"ME&MY PEN"
IMAGE RIGHT T I T L E : O R N AT E U N D V E R B R E C H E N T Y P E O F W O R K : D E C O R AT I V E T Y P O G R A P H Y C L I E N T : P E T E R & pA U L / M I M A IMAGE LEFT TITLE: MAGPIES T Y P E O F W O R K : I L L U S T R AT I O N CLIENT: OIPOLLOI
A
ALISON CARMICHAEL
A liso n Ca r m i ch a el h as practi ca lly co r n er ed th e ma r ket fo r h a n d-letter i n g i n U K a dvertisi n g. A LTH O U G H V ERY EX PLI CIT H ER WO R K IS R ECO G N ISED EVERY W H ER E A N D M A NY D ESI G N ERS A R E I NSPI R ED BY H ER I N D IVUA LITY A N D A B I LITY TO PUSH B O U N DA R I ES.
>>
"I LOVE A PUTTY RUBBER".
Q &A I NTERV I EW QU ESTI O N S CO M M O N LY ASKED TO a liso n ca r m i ch a el:
Q : H av e y o u d o n e e v e ry t h i n g y o u wa n t t o d o ?
Q : W h i c h d e s i g n e r s / i l l u s t r at o r s d o y o u l i k e ?
A: Definitely not - there is so much more to be done! I want to do more per sonal projects and more environmental/ photographic stuff. The best way to get complete job satisfaction if you are a commercial artist is to do your own projects in addition to commissions as otherwise you are always going to be a slave to your clients. I would also eventually love to do an exhibition. I feel a bit like the possibilities are limitless but there are only so many hours in the day!
A: All the obvious ones for type and lettering! Stephen S a g m e i s t e r, M a r i a n B a n t j e s , A l e x Tr o c h u t , H e r b e r t L u b a l i n , A c c e p t & P r o c e e d , R o b Ry a n , H o u s e I n d u s t r i e s , G e o r g e B i c k h a m , Pa u l R a n d , M a rk D e n t o n , Je s s i c a H i s c h e, Je a n L a r c h e r. . . . O t h e r d e s i g n e r s w h o s e w o r k I l o v e a r e L e C o u r b u s i e r, C h a rl e s a n d R ay E a m e s, S a a r i n e n , Vi t r a , M i s s o n i , D o ro t h e e B e c k e r, A l e x a n d e r G i r a r d , S m y t h s o n , V i v i e n n e We s t w o o d , M a r c J a c o b s , S o n i a Ry k i e l , C h a n e l . . . . . i c o u l d g o o n .
Q : H o w d i d y o u b e c o m e a h a n d l e t t e r i n g a r t i s t ? w h at i s yo u r b a c kg r o u n d ?
I tend to favour designer s who have an element of humour in their work but i also really love simple classic design. I like design which is really minimal, clean and simple. I don't really like fussy stuff.
A: I studied Graphic Design at Ravensbour ne where at the time, they still taught a bit of hand lettering as part of the cour se. I specialised in hand lettering and callig raphy for my deg ree. After leaving college, I worked in various creative fields as a directors a s s i s t a n t , a s s i s t a n t a r t d i r e c t o r, m o d e l m a k e r, s t o r y b o a r d artist (a very bad one!) and then got a portfolio of hand lettering together and started going around to all the design consultants and ad agencies trying to get freelance work. Gradually I built up my client list and my range of styles and I have been doing this now for around about ten year s. Q : W h at i n s p i r e s / i n f l u e n c e s y o u ? A : I t s o u n d s c h e e s y b u t t o b e a g o o d d e s i g n e r, i t i s important to be open minded and allow yourself to be i n s p i r e d b y e v e r y t h i n g. I a m v e r y i n t e r e s t e d b y a n y t h i n g hand created or crafted, historical documents, fashion designed, interior design, signage, illustration, printing methods, anything vintage where computer fonts were not a v a i l a b l e , p h o t o g r a p h y, f i l m t i t l e s , d o o d l e s , t y p o g r a p h y, o l d l e t t e r s . . . . N a t u r a l l y, I a m v e r y inf luenced by what other designer s and illustrator s are d o i n g. W h e n I s e e w o r k t h a t a t a l e n t e d i l l u s t r a t o r o r typog rapher has done, it sort of frustrates me into wanting to be more creative which is definitely a good thing! Looking at other peoples work makes me want to be better at what I do .
Q : H o w d o y o u w o r k ? W h at p e n s a n d m at e r i a l s d o y o u use? A: I mainly work on marker pad and there are certain pens that i use for drawn lettering - they are Pilot signpens, Fa b e r - C a s t e l l p i t t a r t i s t b r u s h p e n s , T R I A b l a c k m a r k e r s and pilot fine liners. Chinagraph pencil is good for creating something that looks as if it is drawn with chalk but without the smudge! I love a putty rubber and I actually still like using a tippex pen...or artists w h i t e - o u t . . . . b u t t i p p e x i s q u i c k e r. Most of my written stuff tends to be done with a mont blanc pen and I also have a really beautiful old ang led copperplate nib pen which i use for finer writing and italics. I often use a chinese brush for brush lettering as it gives a greater contrast in line weight than a nor mal water colour one, I love good old black Quink ink. I tend to sketch stuff in pencil and then trace it a few times u n t i l i t i s h ow I w a n t i t t o b e, t h e n d r aw i t u p, f i l l i t i n a n d scan it and then clean it up in photoshop a bit.
"to be a good designer or art inspired by ev
tist, allow yourself to be verything".
H
HERBET LUBALIN
Q&A
CHAPTER
TWO
INTERVIEW
<< >> 1. How would you describe yourself in three words?
7. In what context is your work mainly used for?
Overly-excitable, Spastic, Analytical.
Event, architecture, interaction, etc. Either way - my work spreads over almost all arenas within the g raphic design world. I have also been doing a lot of installation that falls into the art realm.
2. How would you describe your work in three words? Social, Irreverent, Bright. 3. As a designer what do you specialise in? Experience. 4. Where does your inspiration come from? Who/what are you inspired by? T h e e v e r y d a y m a r r i e d w i t h t h e a m a z i n g. E v e r y t h i n g i n s p i r e s m e ( n o t k i d d i n g, I a m s h o c k e d by h ow t i c k l e d I g e t by t h e random & mundane) 5. What agencies have you worked for in the past? F u t u r e Fa r m e r s , C a r m i c h a e l L y n c h , Wo l f M o t e l , B r a n d N e w S c h o o l , Ro c k w e l l G ro u p.
8. Finally are there any quotes that you live by? - I have a whole list! - M a k e t h e w o r k I w i s h I w h e r e m a k i n g. - Be courageous & vulnerable. - K e e p l e a r n i n g. - Never settle. - Fa i l o f t e n & I w i l l p r o g r e s s . - Invite disruptive change. - Choose to believe my own opinion as much as I believe in others.. - Re c o g n i z e my s t r e n g t h & b e h o n e s t a b o u t my w e a k n e s s. - Invest in the fantastic - it can someday be real. - Fa i l o f t e n & I w i l l p r o g r e s s . - Invite disruptive change.
6. Is there anything you would suggest I do to really get my foot in the doorwaY to becoming a Graphic Designer? M a k e A M A Z I N G W O R K ( I k n o w, t o o o b v i o u s ) E x p e r i m e n t a lot and take risks.
Hope that is what you where looking for. HAPPY MAKING! many wishes kdd
k
keetra dean dixon
"make the work i w
QU OT E: K eet r a D ea n D i xo n
wish i was making"
INTERVIEW
<< >> in brief:
I'd describe myself as industrious, optimistic and tired, my work as harder working typography. You know exactly what I specialise in, my inspiration comes from anywhere you see type doing something it wasn't meant to: peeling painted signs, torn posters, badly printed newspapers, street markings, environmental typography etc etc. I worked at, in order, CMW, Elvis, MCBD, CHI & Partners and now Grey in New York. In terms of advice, do one thing well and eventually someone will take notice and you can never do too much self promotion - as long as the work is worth it. I made a lot of work straight out of uni but my work sucked so no-one paid any attention. I didn't send out another email or mailer for 3 years. I My work is used primarily in publishing and advertising and the only quote I live by is -Moderation is great in moderation. eventually someone will take notice and you can never do too much self promotion - as long as the work is worth it. I made a lot of work straight out of uni but my work sucked so no-one paid any attention. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t send out another email or mailer for 3 years. My work is used primarily in publishing and advertising and the only quote live by is -Moderation is great in moderation.
c c r a i g wa r d
" m o d e r at i o n i s g r e at i n m o d e r at i o n "
"Do one thing well and will take
Q U O T E : C r a i g Wa r d
d eventually someone e notice".
CHAPTER
Three
} " H AV E T H E F R E E D O M T O LET YO U R M I N D S P I LL
} QUOTE: DAREN NEWMAN
CHAPTER
WORK IN RESPONSE
Over time I have developed a really intense love for image and typogrpahy combined together, it fascinates me how different designers interpret and combine the two together in their own unique and individual ways to produce visually stimulating design. In response to my devotion to this area my work has transformed and developed and I feel I have my specialist interest and style that I keep consistent within my work. A lot of the work that I have chosen to display within my publication has a strong focus on a commercial context and in reflection that is where my work lies.