Process: Nib & Zed Facelift

If you aren’t reading this through an RSS feed, you may have noticed that my blog recently got a facelift. Nothing major – I just made a new banner and updated the navigation bar. I am frequently asked about my process for polishing and digitizing my calligraphy, so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to share some photos of the process. Whenever I design a logo or title treatment, I always start with a pencil sketch and refine it until the layout is just what I want. You’ll notice that this design required a couple different nibs to make the thin and thick lines, and that I start with thin first. Once I get it on the computer, I’m able to manipulate it further until the design fits in the space it’s intended for, and I also change the colors to match the branding.

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a painted dogwood wedding

{ calligraphy by me, paper design and photography by monumental designs }

I always get really hungry when I’m designing menus (but who wouldn’t when you’re writing out something like “sweet corn & mascarpone polenta”?), but when this menu project came across my plate (pun intended) I was really drooling. My calligraphy design was printed on luxuriously-thick white paper then each menu was meticulously painted by hand (!) by stationery artist Kristy Rice of Monumental Designs.

This project led me to check out Kristy’s other work, all of which is absolutely stunning. Below is her wonderful jewel-toned “painted peacock” theme.

{ “painted peacock” design and photography by monumental designs }

“Off Book: Typography”

PBS Arts has just come out with this really nice, brief look at the significance of typefaces. It includes great insights by some of today’s best type designers like Hoefler & Frere-Jones and Paula Scher.

“Words have meaning and type has spirit, and the combination is spectacular.”
—Paula Scher

doyald young

it’s a sad day for typographers. the famed lettering artist doyald young has died. i would write a long post about him but idsgn has already done a very good job here.

calling cards

as a stationery buff, i am very happy about the resurgence of social calling cards. i’ve seen a lot of really creative ones recently. you don’t need to be a business person to carry a pretty little card around with you and give it to people who want your contact information. you just share your vcard, you say? i say, you can do better than that….

here is a design i made recently for my friend christina:

{ my original design; black gouache on cardstock }

{ the finished cards }

a fine collaboration

I always like doing projects with other designers because I get a fresh perspective on my own work. It’s like being back in design school and getting critiques. Last month I collaborated on a logo with South Carolina graphic designer Marco Suarez. I did the calligraphy, he did the rest. I’m so happy with the result but am even happier to hear that the client loves it!

{ Image via the portfolio of Marco Suarez }

Admirable Web Design Series: Mets de la crème

all images via metsdelacreme.com

jaime coffey bateman

{ “Perito Moreno II” by Jaime Coffey Bateman }

Fonts in the News

Eduardo Recife

{ images by eduardo recife via misprintedtype.com }