Artist Typographic by Amy Kilner

Amy Kilner Design.

Amy Kilner DesignArtist Typographic

www.amykilner.co.uk

Amy Kilner Design.

ContentsDesign Process Section Page no.Design Brief / Design Goals 1Research 2 - 12Development Step One 13 - 27Development Step Two 28 - 35Development Step Three 36 - 41Testing Design Solution 42 - 43Implementation - Use in Adverts etc 44 - 50Evaluation 51References 52

Design Brief / Design Goals Brief:Font Bureau is a digital type studio and a leading foundry for typeface design. Over the past 22 years, Font Bureau has designed custom typefaces for almost every major American publication, and its retail library includes some of the most cele-brated fonts on the market. Font Bureau intend to release a new series based on; art & design movements, designers and artists.

You are required to design a pictorial typeface to be included in their Font Bureau Art range. The finished design will be reproduced in black and white but for promo-tion, Font Bureau have asked to see designs in full colour. If accepted the designs will be used in a number of point sizes, to include 60pt,, 72pt and 84pt. You will probably need to design on a larger scale than this but please bear in mind that the reduction to the given sizes will bring attendant problems of legibility. You will also be required to design an advertisement for your new typeface which will be avail-able as a downloadable pdf available from the site and a type specimen page to be included in the Font Bureau One - Line Type Specimens book.

You should document all stages of the research and design process, which should demonstrate a critical understanding of the design process. You should be inven-tive and demonstrate your ingenuity in solving this design challenge. It is important you generate several design solutions, taking your selected justified idea forward to a final refined solution.

Essential Requirements:Broad visual investigation into a range of Artist & Designers.

From your investigations, sample at least three Artists & Designers and demonstrate there suitability for transcription into a typeface.

Design the whole alphabet based on your chosen artist/designer and demonstrate the font working at different sizes.

Evidence the process of contrast and design refinement. Produce both a full colour and black & white version of the typeface.

Produce an advert for the typeface which should include copy which explains the origin and potential use of the font.

Produce a downloadable pdf sample sheet of the font.

Design a front cover for the Font Bureau Specimen book.

Design a web page to promote the font which follow the existing rules of the Font Bureau site.

Approach:Communication is top of the agenda and you should be able to justify and critically reflect on your research.

Care should be taken in the preparation and presentation of your research and final solutions, as this is a major part of the brief.

You should demonstrate skills in critical refinement and production. Evidence through layout process. The research should be presented in logical format and should be annotated. Any photo’s used in research and design work which are not your own must be credited. You should document all stages of the development process.Ensure you have completed all aspects of the brief.

Design Goals:

• Improve Illustrator Skills• Improve InDesign Skills• Learn more about Typography• Manage time better than previous projects• Learn about different art movements

Amy Kilner Design.

Research - Javier Mariscal

“I love walking along the coast, I love moving through this borderland in which the land and the water

respect each other. In a real map, the coastline should move.”

- Javier Mariscal (Viewed 18/01/2013, Internet Source)

• Born in Valencia in 1950• Career grew in Barcelona.• Both cities evident in his work• Bright Colours

“His professional activity was already highlighted by moving from one discipline to another without complexes, thanks to his untiring curiosity

and his passion to innovate to contribute to make everyday life more interesting, easier and friendlier.”

(Viewed 18/01/2013, Internet Source)

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)This is from the project Mariscal En La Pedrera. The use of colour arrangment & typefaces on this wall makes it look really interesting. It also works well how it is on different levels, this adds a good sense of depth.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source) This is the font used to represent the project. The descender and ascender heights are all over the place, this lack of a formal layout makes the typeface connote a mind that is arty and wanting to try out lots of ideas. It looks fun.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)These big 3d letter sculptures are also part of this project. The amount of colour used and texture really makes the art look more interesting. Again, this piece connotes a lack of formality.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)This is a way Mariscal has presented his work. It is very modern and it gets the viewer involved as they have to move around to see both sides of what is on the art.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)This shows that his work can work in B&W which is very important in Typography as when digital fonts are typed out they need to be able to change colour and they have to be flat.

Summary

Mariscals work has a unique style. I love the amount of colour that can be used in his work but especially with the typefaces as they also work in black and white which means they are very transferable for other things and can work well in things like adverts when it comes to catching the target audiences attention. The style is also a bit clumsy but in a good way.

Good style to create a typeface with?

The above just shows that this style is a really good one to base a typeface on because it works well in black and white which is probably the biggest limitation the project brief has.

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Research - Jean Dubuffet

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Monsieur Plume with Creases in his Trousers (Portrait of Henri Michaux) 1947, The outline of this has been scratched in to the thick paint. This could be a good test for making a typeface.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Typist [from ‘Matter and Memory’] 1944, published 1945. To me, this piece seems to be made up of shapes to make up the whole image. It connotes that the typist is writing something that is odd and a bit “out there”.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)The Busy Life 1953. This piece reminds me of caveman paintings. It is like the artist has took things back to basics. The top bit looks like buildings which makes me wonder if the people drawn are underground.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Spinning Round 1961. “Dubuffet wrote: ‘The presence in them of the painter now is constant, even exaggerated. They are full of personages, and this time their role is played with spirit’.” (Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)

Summary

Personally, I would say Dubuffets work isn’t my favourite. However, the techniques that are used are really creative and I’d like to try this style when I am designing my own typeface.


This style would create a rough looking typeface. I’d like to try the technique of scratching a font in to a colour as the outcome could look really good.

Amy Kilner Design.

Research - Max Miedinger / Helvetica

Max Miedinger - Best known for designing Helvetica.

“Max was born December 24, 1910 in Zurich Switzerland. His career as a typeface designer spanned some 54 years. He began studying at the

Kuntsgewerbeschule after training as a typesetter from 1926 until 1930. He worked at several positions until 1956 when he became a freelance graphic

designer. About a year later, he developed Helveticain collaboration with Edouard Hoffman.”



As seen here, Helvetica can be used in many ways within design. The simplicity makes it popular to use for many things.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Here are different examples of Helvetica Styles.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)The NYC Subway system’s signs and map were changed to Helvetica in the 1970s by Massimo Vignelli.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)This is Helvetica Light being used in a shopping store. It looks clean and crisp which gives the store a good fresh look.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Helvetica has been used here in a design for a pillow and American Apparel. It gives off a modern impression.

Summary

• Born in Naples, 1935• Popular Contemporary French Artist• Integrated daily life in to artistic expressions• Began painting years before Warhol


Obviously, Helvetica is already a typeface but the same ideas and aims could be used to create a typeface that connotes simplicity and can be used in nearly any situation. This would not be an easy option though.

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Research - Ben Vautier

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Nov 3, 2011 - Jan 29, 2012, Vicky David Gallery. Lots of white space is used which makes the canvas’ stand out more, especially the texts. More emphasis is put on the words.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Nov 3, 2011 - Feb 29, 2012 | MoMA New York, USA The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Fluxus Collection. These posters use a lot of negative space to put more emphasis on the text.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)“Big is Beautyfull”, 2012. The typeface style makes this piece show a lot of emotion. Mainly because of all the curves and swirls involved. The handwritten style does this mainly.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)“This Painting Is Turning Around The Sun At The Speed Of 360,000km An Hour”, 1970-1975 | Acrylic on canvas, 39 x 39 inches (100 x 100 cm), The font style makes it look like the painting has actually been moving.

Summary

• Born in Naples, 1935• Popular Contemporary French Artist• Integrated daily life in to artistic expressions• Began painting years before Warhol


It is hard to create a typeface that is so good for just “artistic expressions” but it is an idea that can be tested.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)“Reading”, 1985. The way the text flows on this shows movement and motion.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)“What a mess”, 2010 , Acrylic on canvas. The typeface style expresses the emotion that the canvas is trying to portray. It grabs the viewer and makes them consider their surroundings.

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Research - Miro

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)A Star Caresses the Breast of a Negress (Painting Poem) 1938. I love the idea of a font that can be used within a piece of art like this.

“The two touching triangles represent a woman in Miró’s language of signs, and the bulbous outline with hairs relates to his usual sign for the female sex. The star ap-

pears only as a word, although the ladder alludes to the desire to reach for the stars. This exemplifies Miró’s ability to combine simple imagery with ancient symbolism

and make contact with deeply held”


(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Painting, 1927. Miro clearly has his own visual language within his paintings. Online it says that the white space on this painting signifies a horse. Nobody would realise this straight off. It is open for interpretation.

Summary

I find Miros work inspirational and I love how he has his own visual language throughout his work. The bold unique colours at first denote his creative outlook but once we look further we realise his pieces connote a lot more than a pretty painting. They involve a lot of emotion and thought.


I’d love to have a go making a typeface with this style. The use of shape and form make it a little easier but when used in a piece of art, a little like Ben Vautiers work then it can be very adaptable.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Woman and Bird in the moonlight 1949. “This imagery suggests a harmonious and elemental relationship between man and nature, which the artist felt was threat-ened by modern civilisation.” (Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)The metador 1969. This to me, looks like a character. The colours make it look un-happy or maybe even angry because of the amount of black used.

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Research - Kandinsky

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Cossacks 1910-11.

“Kandinsky believed that abstract paintings could convey spiritual and emotional values simply through the arrangement of colours and lines. Cossacks was made during a transitional period, when he retained some representational elements, such as the two Russian cavalrymen in tall orange hats in the foreground of the painting. Kandinsky considered these as points at which the images could be

registered, rather than the true content of the painting.”(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)

Again, I love the amount of colour used in Kandinskys work. The sort of rainbow looking curve on this piece makes the piece seem much happier and lighter hearted. Without the colourfil bits this piece would look a lot darker and connote darker unhappier feelings.

Summary

Like Miros work, I love Kandinskys work. They are very similar in style but i’d say Kandinsky is more bold and stuck in his ways. The work is abstract and portrays emotion and thougths well.


I could create a Typeface based on this style that tries to give off as much feeling and emotion as the art itself. Abstract art does this better than other art styles... if done correctly.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Composition VIII. Out of all of Kandinskys pieces this is in my opinion, the best. It is also the first piece by him that I ever saw and it is what made me want to find out more. The black curves make it look like music a lot more (which some of his work is based on anyway) and the overlapping shapes with contrasting bold colours make the work stand out as though it is trying to make a statement.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Swinging, 1925.

Left (Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Lake Starnberg 1908, This piece is a bit different to what I usually expect and see in Kandinskys work. It is a lot more like a normal painting of a city. He has made it his own well by the amount of colour used and the bold shapes.

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Research - Bauhaus

(Viewed 21/1/2013, Internet Source)Swinging, Kandinsky. From my point of view, Kandinskys work represents the Bauhaus era to me more than any other artists work because of how bold and memorable it is.

Summary

Bauhaus tends to use shapes to create an over all image. It is abstract work with a statement hidden beneath the art. Colour, shape and form are used to create the overall feel of the image.


Yes, with the amount of shape and form used in this sort of style I think it would be the best idea for me to create a typeface in this style as I also really like it and find it inspirational.

(Viewed 21/1/2013, Internet Source)Paul KleeA Young Lady’s Adventure 1922, Red is used in this piece to make certain parts stand out a lot more.

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)Josef Albers - Study for Homage to the Square: Beaming 1963“He produced hundreds of variations on the basic compositional scheme of three or four squares set inside each other, with the squares slightly gravitating towards the

bottom edge.”(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)

(Viewed 21/1/2013, Internet Source)László Moholy-NagyK VII 1922“The ‘K’ in the title of K VII stands for the German word Konstruktion (‘construction’), and the painting’s ordered, geometrical forms are typical of Moholy-Nagy’s techno-cratic Utopianism. The year after it was painted, he was appointed to teach the one

year-preliminary course at the recently founded Bauhaus in Weimar.”(Viewed 21/1/2013, Internet Source)

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Research - Other

(Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source) (Viewed 18/1/2013, Internet Source)



Amy Kilner Design.

Research - Other


I saw this project on Behance a while ago and when we got the brief to this project I instantly thought of it. Unfortunatley our project is to create a typeface that also works in black and white which will limit what I can do with the final designs and also the use of shape as it will be hard to define different parts of certain letters. It is something to look in to though and try when I begin sketching.

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Research - Other

Thou Art is a Tattoo studio in Sheffield. These flyers for it caught my eye because of its logo that uses type really well. They have also stuck to black and white which connotes modern simplicity which can give a look of higher class which is hard to create with tattoo places.

Both the flyers and business card match to make sure the brand image is consistent. The typeface used inspired me to look at making my own typeface that works well in black and white.

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Development Step One

I tried writing Miro in the style I’ve looked at in my Research. I think it represents that style of art quite well and it transcribes pretty well.

I tried this sort of style in charcoal. I quite like the shapes I finished up with. I’d like to go on to see what this looks like on adobe illustrator.

I tried the same style in fine felt tips and also tried different levels of line weights for the outline.

To get more inspiration I took out parts of Miro’s work and played with shapes and line.

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I looked at the shapes Kandinsky uses in more detail. I love how when shapes overlap each other or a line divides them the colour changes. It adds contrast to the piece.

I then tried some Kandinsky shapes using felt tips and charcoal, the outcome looks quite arty but I don’t think it represents Kandinskys work very well.

More sketches keeping my research in mind. This page mainly focuses on Bahaus / Kandinsky / Miro

Testing Colour when shapes overlap within text. Kandinskys style transcribes really well in to a typeface.


Testing what text looks like when split in to two horizontally. This wouldn’t work as each letter will be seperate and they would only flow properly if it was “ABCDE”

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Inspired by Kandinsky I decided to play around with this style with thin coloured pens. I really like the sketchy outcomes. I chose these colours to represent an angry feel-ing. Like Kandinskys work it is meant to connote different feelings and emotions through images.

This is more in my own style but inspired by the shapes and bright colours used by Miro and Kandinsky.

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Again, playing with shapes but in my own style. Inspired by Bauhaus. This could work well as a typeface but I’d like to come up with something more interesting.


As Kandinsky uses a lot of watercolours I decided to have a go myself and see what textures were created with them.

This is my favourite style so far inspired by Kandinsky. The use of shape and colour makes it work really well and it defines the font.

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I got a little carried away with this style and playing with watercolours. Here I have done the letter A. I love how it has turned out, it is just a shame I have to simplify my typeface down to black and white for the vector versions.

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With the thin pens I decided to play around with edgy looking circles. This was inspired by Jean Dubuffet. As a font though you wouldn’t instantly associate the two so it wouldn’t work.

More tests inspired by Kandinsky but in my own style, I personally think it has a modern twist with the amount of colour used.

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This is inspired by Javier Mariscal. In a lot of his type work he does sketchy mosaic sort of lines within the shapes. The style transcribes pretty well.

Again, this is inspired by Javier Mariscal but instead of pencil & felt tip I have tried using charcoal but this style reminds me more of Jean Dubuffet.

These are some letters taken from some of Javier Mariscals work. Again, inspired by a Javier Mariscal, type that isn’t neat and tidy.


Inspired by Javier Mariscal.

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Trying different line weights using lighter and heavier pencils. This style is inspired by Ben Vautier and my Other research. It seems quite weird and out of the ordinary but I want to take my work further than this simplicity.

This is inspired by Jean Dubuffet, her work is quite messy and out there, so is this text, it isn’t neat and formal.

I tried looking at Bauhaus / Kandinsky & Miro styles again and came up with the above.


Again testing geometric shapes, I think it works well how they transcribe in to font as they shape things up well.

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More tests with the Bauhaus / Kandinsky style to see if it could go further.

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I thought of the idea of using squares to create letters in the Bauhaus style, didn’t work as well as I thought it might of.

Using Charcoal again to create different styles inspired by Jean Dubuffet.

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This is also inspired by Jean Dubuffet, I had the idea to scratch out type... I ended up using white charcoal on black and the result is quite interesting. I also used some glow in the dark paint for below which is like Ben Vautiers work.

Messy type inspired by Jean Dubuffet, everything looks sketchy like her work. A bit abstract.

Charcoal gives the right effect for this style A closer look at the L.


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With felt tips I tried creating a font inspired by Ben Vautier which is in my research.

Development Step Two

More tests. It works nicely but if you haven’t seen Vautiers work before you wouldn’t recognise this.

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Development Step TwoWhilst looking at Kandinsky and Miros work I created an illustration as a side project called “Colours and Thoughts”. This got featured in the Creative Bloq design app. See this link for more: http://amykilner.co.uk/100231/983259/portfolio/colours-thoughts

I have took the final file for this to pull out some shapes for my typeface design in the style of Kandinsky/Miro as it is heavily influenced by those artists but still has a taste of my own style.

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Amy Kilner Design.


I really like this typeface. I used the font “Bebas” to create the outlines. The black and white threshold version works but I am going to carry on and make something that uses shape form more to create the letters rather than relying on another fonts outline.

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With felt tips I tried creating a font inspired by Ben Vautier which is in my research.


More tests. It works nicely but if you haven’t seen Vautiers work before you wouldn’t recognise this.

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Above and below are my tests for taking the Kandinsky style font further. I did more watercolour tests and then added more bold colours with felt tip to increase the contrast.

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Again, above and below are more tests with watercolour and the contrasts created by felt tips.

The sketchy felt tip gives the type more of an artistic feel rather than block shapes.

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More watercolour and felt tip tests before taking this style further and creating a whole font inspired by Kandinsky.

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I tried the Letter A neater than the sketches in the Kandinsky style and I think it works really well. The final would have to be black and white but that doesn’t mean colour can’t be added afterwards!

Testing the B in the Kandinsky style.

Development Step Three

Testing the C in the Kandinsky style.

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I really liked how this Kandinsky style font was turning out so I continued with it.

Testing the N in the Kandinsky style.


Testing the O in the Kandinsky style.

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I am happy with this style and I am going to go on to make it on adobe illustrator.


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The creation of the font on illustrator continues.


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This is a screenshot of making the font the right size on illustrator. I used the guidlines.

Below is the font at the exact sizes.

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Testing Design Solution

This is the typeface being tested in the name of the artist that has inspired it. Below are tests of it using colour with the use of photoshop and also tests as though it was typed just in one colour.

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Testing Design Solution

This is the final typeface in a style that would require a program like photo shop but it is great for designers to play about with colour. It represents kandinsky well.

This is the final typeface as though it has been typed out in red.

This is the final typeface in a bold style.

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Implementation: Sample Sheet

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Implementation: AdvertBelow are my ideas for the advert.

I think the use of black and white alone works best for this font. The top two aren’t eye catching enough but the bottom right still works even though it is only in two colours. Adding extra with photo shop filled colours would work the best for the final advert.

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Implementation: AdvertBelow is my final advert.

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Implementation: Font Bureau CoverFirstly, I looked at previous covers. They are all quite consistent.

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Implementation: Font Bureau CoverBelow are my own ideas for the Kandinsky version.

As the font I’ve designed uses space a lot and contrasting colours over lines I decided to keep things simple and only use lines and shape to create the cover. The bottom right one works the best.

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Implementation: Font Bureau CoverBelow is my final Font Bureau cover.

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Implementation: Font Bureau WebHere is the Kandinsky typeface fitted in to the Font Bureau website. The first image is the original so you can see a before and after.

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EvaluationFrom the beginning of this project I wanted to base my artist on Kandinsky as I am already heavily inspired by his work. This caused me problems when it came to doing research as I am stubborn but I did carry out other research and came across some really good artists and inspiring stuff. From my research the artists that stuck out to me most were Kandinsky and Miro as they have more abstract work that has a lot more meaning behind it and the amount of bold contrasting colours are really interesting and eye catching. I also found the Bauhaus movement good to look at as that was all about the creation of art that wasn’t the same as the other things going off in the time of the 1920s.

I began my design process playing with different ideas inspired from my research. Throughout it all Kandinsky, again, stuck out the most so I worked on this style the most and tried to add a hint of my own style too. This continued through both step one and two of my design process, there wasn’t a di-rect path and I was juggling my ideas a lot but in the end it did turn out for the best. If I could do it again though I would focus on one idea more before turning to the other idea instead of playing with too many ideas all at once.

After a lot of shape drawing and colour testing I started to draw up my final typeface inspired by Kandinsky. I kept the lines thin and simple as I felt that the best of Kandinsky’s work was the music inspired ones where it is mainly black lines used that contrast with bright colours. I also love how the colours change when another shape or form overlaps another.

When it came to changing the font to the correct size I did have to move things around a little. This was mainly the circle I used on the lines as they dis-torted as I moved everything else. This wasn’t too much of a problem, as I hadn’t flattened any of the shapes on illustrator at this point. I then created words with my final type and it worked really well and I am happy with the outcome!Research

If I had to do this project again I would give myself more time to create the final outcomes such as the advert and web page. I would also take more time to learn about more art movements as I did focus mainly on artists within this project.

As far as my Design Goals are concerned I believe I have achieved them all. I don’t think my illustrator skills have changed much as I can already use that program quite well. My InDesign skills have improved loads though as I couldn’t use that before this project so I am proud of that! I have also man-aged my time better than previous projects although I would of given myself more time for the last bit.

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Links to online sources:

Research: Estudio Mariscal

http://www.mariscal.com/en/about-us/javier-mariscal-en.html

http://www.mariscal.com/en/projects/mariscal-en-la-pedrera/

Research Jean Dubuffethttp://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jean-dubuffet-1035

Research Max Miedinger

http://killaaaron.deviantart.com/art/Helvetica-206192038

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2010/01/the-simplicity-of-helvetica/

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2010/01/the-simplicity-of-helvetica/

Research Ben Vautier http://www.vickydavid.com/exhibitions-8_ben-vautier.htm

Research Joan Miro

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/joan-miro-1646

Research Kandinsky

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/kandinsky-swinging-t02344http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/kandinsky/

Bauhaushttp://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks?gm=294

Typography Otherhttp://visualsundae.com/tagged/Typography/page/2http://visualsundae.com/tagged/Typography/page/7http://www.behance.net/gallery/KANDINSKY-TYPE/4039379

Font Bureauhttp://www.fontbureau.com/books/1/

Research References

Artist Typographic by Amy Kilner

Documents

Transcript of Artist Typographic by Amy Kilner