Design Context: OUGD601 - Hand Drawn Type

Typography Sketchbooks
Heller, S. and Talarico, L. (2011) ‘Typography Sketchbooks’, London: Thames & Hudson

'When playing or caressing type, it is not so much what it says, or in what specific tongue a message is communicated that matters most. An understanding of content and context is essential, but, typographically speaking - that is, in terms of the letterforms - beauty, however defined is key. The beauty of precision; the beauty of expressionism; the beauty of how one letter conjoins with others on either side of it and above and below; the beauty of how it looks on page or screen.'

Hand Job: A Catalog of Type

Perry, M. (2007) ‘Hand Job: A Catalog of Type’, New York: Princeton Architectural Press

‘Hand drawn type may not always be the right answer or the most time-effective solution, but it is definitely the most fun.’

‘It is the answer that keeps the artist from taking himself or herself too seriously and infuses some fun into an industry that sometimes takes itself too seriously.’

‘It reveals the hand of the maker and its viewer finds comfort in that.’

Letterforms Bawdy Bad & Beautiful

Heller, S. and Thompson, C. (2000) ‘Letterforms Bawdy Bad & Beautiful’, US: Watson-Guptill Publications

‘Handlettering - the original kind of typographic expression - is naturally more informal and artistic, offering human dimension and individual personality. The computer ensures tidiness and orderliness, resulting in blandness on the desktop.’

‘Handlettering was a means to break conventional reading patterns, as well as to offer color and texture that a neutral typeface could not. The hand also allowed for greater fluidity and spontaneity.’

‘The real keys to success are the unforeseen mistakes, misplaced marks, and careless juxtapositions that appeal to us not only because they are visually pleasing, but also, and perhaps more importantly, because they are evidence of human touch.’

Examples of a variety of different Hand drawn typography styles in commercial work

Maki-San