Inspired by fountain-based architecture, I've created my first fontstruction for the start of my UWE Graphic Design course. For this, I poured water onto different surfaces/objects with varying shapes to capture the cascading effect as reference images. Originally, I was first inspired by watercolour strokes to make a gradient effect, which developed into the idea of water fountains used in contemporary architecture.
Working under the theme of 'Rebirth', I have focused my first font on the idea of post-war architecture, or otherwise commonly known as modernist/brutalist architecture. Buildings constructed following the Second World War were built using new technologies of construction. These types of designs were known for their use of modern materials such as concrete and steel as well as their interesting geometrical forms. I was heavily influenced by the architecture featured in Owen Hopkins' book 'Lost Futures' which looks at the disappearing architecture of post-war Britain and how changing external contexts played a role in the subsequent destruction of these buildings.
This typeface was created on the main theme of 'Protection' that i later explored in the idea of fences and how they can protect us from the outside world. I wanted my letters to connect with one another creating the illusion of a fence and potraying unity.
Kowloon Condensed is based of of the word Lurid. After breaking down the word and it's different possible meanings, I decided to try to create something that is not only exaggeratory, but also creepy in appearence. After looking into the idea of a creepy font, I came across an article on the Kolwoon Walled City, in China. This city was a very condenced hgih rise place which was abundant with crime, and was the stomping ground for the Triads in China for many years. The concept of this grimy and clostrafobic place teeming with crime is what led to the creation of Kowloon Condenced. The hgh rise appearence and cluttered detailed little houses is quite uncomfortable to look at, or even possibly put the viewer on edge, which i think easily relates back to my theme word of 'lurid.'
THEME: PROTECT
A display font inspired by one of the UK's first and most influential free-party sound systems- Spiral Tribe. They helped create a culture of freedom and expression through art and music which was heavily (and still continues to be) suppressed by the Police. They used tribal patterns frequently in their artwork, which is the reasoning behind the spiral shapes within the letters.
The weights are varied throughout the letters to make it more playful and psycholdelic, as the rave culture is against agression and force used frequently against them by the police. New age travellers embrace harmony- which is why the letters are sized so that they work together in words to create a wider pattern.
With the given theme of Protection, I looked into the human immune system and the biological human features. Researching further into antibodies, I created a type face of the antibody structure which resembles the shape of a capital Y. Following symmetrical shapes and doubled lines, I created an alphabet that mimics the original structure of antibodies, with similar joints and angles.
The font was inspired by runic lettering and was taken from the theme unstable. sticks were used as the main shapes to create the typeface, to give this typeface a weak breakable feeling. I wanted to show a balancing act in the type to display the theme and give it a sense of unease.
(IT LOOKS MUCH BETTER WHEN YOU USE THE ZOOM BAR)
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Instagram: Mabry_Graphical
This is a cloneMy font is based on the Ministry of Transportation building in Georgia. The building itself is inspired by Japanese Metabolism architecture. Which is a moventment inspired by growth and adapabilty. I wanted my font to feel as though you could stack and change it just like Metabolism architecture.
"SEAWEED' is a decorative font inspired through my research into the protection of the oceans. Through this research I was intrigued by the way that a simple thing like planting seaweed could possibly hold the key to reversing ocean acidification.
A display typeface (probably best viewed small, I'm aware!) based upon some physical type I made from dark food colouring etched into sugar syrup. This was to represent the brief theme I picked of 'unstable', hence why all the characters are completely induvidual in size and shape. I have also published a second version which displays what happens when the food colouring bled into the sugar syrup.
This font relates to the theme "Sharp" and is inspired by Cubist architecture. Cubist architecture is very rare and can be found only in The Czech Republic, especially in Prague. I took a core element of Cubist architecture, the triangle, and implemented it into a font. I divided each letter into sections and used different shades to make it look like decorative elements of a Cubist facade.
This is a cloneConstriction is a type inspired by the idea of tension. I initially was looking at the idea of danger, how two objects may not be dangerous until they are put together. I questioned what the suspense is between those two objects. In my current design I have focused on the physical look of tension, looking at twisted metal as inspiration. I decided not to create the whole of each letter in a twisted form as I wanted to only empathies it in certain areas.
This font was created around the theme of unstable. It was developed from shapes and structures of scaffolding. I began looking at how each part of scaffolding is pivotal in creating a solid structure and if a part was to be removed it would become unstable and collapse. Each letter form is molded from different parts of a scaffolding frame, such as c-clips etc. The outcome was very engineered/mechanical and is probably best used as a display font for businesses.
This font was created around the theme of systematic. My main source of inspiration was from symbols used on weather maps and glyphs used for the shipping forcast. Using five main symbols, I created my own set of rules in order to place each symbol at the correct place on my fontstruction.
The industrial revolution gave rise to mass manufacturing; whereby machinery replaced humans, and production snowballed. Textiles were being produced at a rapid speed and in vast quantity, and it was also a pivotal time for print - with the fist linotype machine being invented at around 1883. Mechanised printing meant that newspapers' expansion paralleled the rising population. 'Strength' is a typeface inspired by the widespread industrialisation. The sans serif and square letterforms are a reference to the vast number of red brick factories being erected - the square shape of the font mirroring the literal building blocks.
A typeface inspired by the theme 'systematic', developed through finding hidden shapes within geometric architecture and using them as building blocks for the letterforms. Sister font to - STACKED BLACKOUT
My first digitally rendered typeface that focused around the theme of energy and its synonyms. I wanted to explore a typeface that would create the illusion of movement without using decorative elements such as gradients, serifs or superfluous details.
The minimalistic approach was inspired by typefaces designed by Paul Rand and the concept was inspired by 'sans forgetica'
This is a cloneThis font is produced based off of the buzzword "filthy" which led me to explore the Japanese Yakuza Gang. Inspired by their illustrative tattoos, and jewellery, I produced a typeface which replicates links. Not only do the links visually represent those found in chain necklaces, but they are also metaphorical representations of the fundamentals of gang behaviour, and the brotherhood that is formed
This font was based upon the theme of starvation, deriving from the topic of malnourishment. I looked at waste and used/ empty rubbish, in particular food packaging, that I felt represented the fragility of starved beings. Looking at stretched and warped plastic, such as that of empty crisp packets, gave eerie imagery that looked unnatural and like bare skin stretched across bone. I looked creased and stretched materials to extract each letter and manipulate it through fontstruct.
Font inspired by industrial structures under the theme ‘Strong’. I looked specifically at pipework and the shapes they create, occasionally mimicking the letterforms unintentionally. Additionally, I was inspired by the shading the metal created and how it exaggerated the bends in the structures. My aim was to ensure the user could read the letters yet still relate it to the theme.
My first fontstruction was inspired by Eastern Art at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. I loved the dragon decoration on the old ceramic pots in this section and have tried to portray a similar theme in my letters. (work in progress)
Naples WIP
UPPER CASE ONLY
My typeface has been created in line with the theme ‘dangerous’. From my chosen theme I explored the idea of sharp edges (blades/swords/razor) and decided to create a serifed typeface in which the serifs are extended or curved into a point to mimic the shape of a blade/sword/knife. I chose ‘Naples’ (“Italy’s capital of crime”) as the name due to its historical reputation as a dangerous city and it's links to the Camorra.
Any feedback and criticism would be appreciated as the font is a work in progress (WIP).
A typeface first inspired by the theme word destruction which lead me to think of climate change and desforestation. After looking at small pieces of bark that had been broken off in the process of tree clearing I focused more on the textures created by the wood. I contstructed a 3D word from this idea by building plaster casts of bark. The shapes and patterns here created the base for the structure of these letters. I wanted each letter to be made up of small pieces, representing the broken bark; a side product of deforestation. Along with all the smaller patterns inside to show the many different textures that are on the wood.
A second typeface inspired by the theme 'systematic', developed through finding hidden shapes within geometric architecture and using them as building blocks for the letterforms, this time blacked out to create a bolder more imposing style. Sister font to - STACKED
This is a clone of STACKED