Alternative Typography

Typography doesn’t have to be black ink on white paper- gorgeous letter forms can be constructed from lots of different materials in a creative way. For this project you will choose a letter of the alphabet and illustrate it in a specific typeface using a material that starts with that letter.  We will photograph the results and decide as a class if we will turn it into a poster, a book or a video.

The Alphabet 2 from n9ve on Vimeo.

Video directed by Alessandro Novelli, cinematography by Giulia Arantxa Novelli, animated by Andrea Gendusa and Alessandro Novelli, and set design by Mario Arcadu.

“The Alphabet 2″…is a horn book video experiment—is a developmental spelling—video where each character visually represents the meaning of the word itself. Playing with different techniques and materials into little and big spaces, but always focusing on Helvetica font’s proportions. A collection of words in a delightful spelling-video.” (Excerpt taken from Vimeo)

This music video is directed by Kris Moyes and features typography made from various materials. The song is called “Heart Made of Sounds” by The Soft Lightes.

Check out this cool typography formed from the negative space between skyscrapers….an interesting idea by illustrator and photographer Lisa Rienermann. More info at GOOD Magazine

Vocabulary:
Typography- The art of selecting and arranging type
Letterform- The shape of an individual letter
Font- The complete character set of a particular typeface in a particular size or style
Typeface- A set of one or more fonts of related design in one or more sizes, consisting of a complete alphabet, numerals, and puncuation marks
Serif- A small decorative stroke at the end of a letterform
Sans serif- A typeface without serifs

Web Resources:
wwww.dafont.com
www.handmadefont.com
Hand drawn type group on flickr
www.fontshop.com

Designer Doaly made an illustrated alphabet based on famous movies

Designer Nina Harcus designed a typedelight recipe book with typography made out of food that tells a love story. See how the finished bound looks here.

Here is an alphabet made from the light of an iphone

Here is an alphabet made out of some very unusual picture frames

Here is a mini golf course made out of the alphabet