Anyone like a Hand Job?

An amazing book that I've seen around and finally got my hands onto is Hand Job - A catalogue of type, compiled by Michael Perry. It is an amazing collection of HEAPS of hand crafted lettering. It is hugely inspiring. 

It also includes a lot of hand drawn typography in context, such as posters completely compiled by both hand drawn type and illustrations, CD sleeves, book covers many other layouts that include a plethora of quirks and flaws.   

ACCA is Awesome!

ACCA puts NGV, especially Ian Potter, to shame. If you  haven't been your shit. Not only does it showcase some of the most innovative contemporary art in Melbourne, it is always a beautiful gallery with wonderful, helpful staff (and more often than not, volunteers).

I checked out the NEWO8 exhibition a couple of weeks ago and found it incredibly inspiring. I had that moment, when you look at a piece of artwork or design and think "that's it, that's how i can do it! YES!" 

ACCA runs NEW every year, their major exhibition to boast how brilliant Australian artist are. Two of  the standouts this year were Daniel Argyle and Matt Hinkley.

Daniel filled a room with old 12" record sleeves which he had intricately cut patterns out of. Each cover not only worked beautifully independently, but as a collection they were breathtaking. 

Matt Hinkley's work focused on intricate detail and unbelievable precision. One of the staff had to explain to me, that what appeared to be a room of blank, perhaps grubby, framed paper, was actually fine drawings of lines and dots to create shadow and the appearance of toner residue. I found this idea appropriate in that although using a pen by hand to create patterns and 'colour', these area's appeared to be computer generated (or perhaps computer mistakes) graphics. 

Alas, I can't find any good examples of his work that show this amazing skill...SO JUST GO TO THE EXHIBITION!!     

Inspirational Money - Literally

This stuff is AMAZING, although a little funny. 

From the god of all type sites, Hoefler & Frere-Jones

Baseline

Just a query, does anyone know how I can purchase Baseline - the International Typogrphic Magazine - in Australia? 

When I went to MagNation they had no idea what I was talking about. 

Sex & Typography - Robert Brownjohn

I've gone crazy on research. Once you start I start I just go crazy, and want to learn more and more, especially considering this is an area I'm VERY interested in. 

Firstly, although this isn't a terribly strong connection to my thesis, I've still found this incredibly inspiring and interesting. 

Robert Brownjohn was one of the most influential and innovative designers of the 50s and 60s. He, like all great artists, died from a drug related death, but in his short career he produced some of the most advanced design for his time. 

Sex and Typography, not only 'sounds' like heaven, but also looks like it. This book is a collection of his work, and delves into some of his more influential pieces, in particular his movie credits for several Bond films, as well as his 'Watching Words Move" series 

   

His skills in typography are outstanding  His research into street typography in the book "Street Level" is amazing - where he not only documents his findings, but also relates them back to designed typography.

His contribution to both poster design and book cover design were not only strong typographically, but also involved the relationship between design, illustration and other, more handmade methods of design. 

All images from Sex & Typography, by Emily King

My Abstract, in case you were wondering

A person's creativity is rarely limited to a single field or skill. Many designers are keen musicians, or extend their ideas into areas such as textiles, creative writing or even theoretical design. Collaboration between creative people is also very likely, with illustrators, painters, Mac operators and multimedia designers all having the skills to contribute on a single project. Having influences from various fields creates outcomes that are both visually and conceptually strong.

Many designers favour a certain style or skill which they commonly use throughout their work. Whether it is a preferred colour palette, text alignment or lighting adjustment, there technique is a defining element to their style and sets them apart from other designers, particularly in how they execute it. Individual style is often defined by how a designer weaves different mediums into their artwork.

My favoured aesthetic, in both what I create and in what I observe, is a partnership between design and illustration, particularly of the hand drawn nature. Illustration interests me independently of design, and I am heavily influenced by both designers as well as illustrators. My style has been quite distinctive for many years due to my heavy use of various medium such as ink & nib, pencils, wool and even water.

I often wonder (and fear) how much of my drawing based artwork I can put in my folio before it becomes an illustrators folio, rather than a designer whom dabbles in drawing. I find the line between these two disciplines quite a hazy one. Some design work is purely hand drawn, or consists predominantly of elaborate illustrations teamed with perfectly kerned type - Does this constitute as a drawing with text or simply a well crafted layout? This calls for the question - when can an illustrator call himself, or herself, a designer - and vice-versa?

I will touch on the current renaissance of hand drawn elements appearing more often in artwork, particular in the area of typography. Why it appears people are responding more to lettering as opposed to type, and how that lends originality to design. I am interested in the reasoning behind designers, who are self-proclaimed perfectionists, are now avid followers an art-form which embraces faults and flaws. I think it appropriate to look to the future of this alliance and anticipate their future together, whether it will prosper or simply be another in vogue style that we will some day toss aside.

My thesis will firstly explore the history and reasoning behind the intimate relationship between designers and illustrators, to question why their partnership has not only thrived, but also intermingled quite tightly – when does a designer become an illustrator? I wish to produce a final outcome which will showcase a variety of solutions to this union, influenced by my research into the area. Although I haven't decided what will be the ideal format and execution for this outcome, I'm sure from my findings, and the direction I decide to take this project, it will evolve and eventually become apparent.

Thesis-ing appears to be Blog-ing

| Things I want the thesis to do |

Research amazing designers who are illustrators, and illustrators who are drawers
Consider the history of the relationship between design and illustration
Look closely at the renaissance of lettering as opposed to type.
Question why designers - who are often self-proclaimed perfectionists - are now avid followers of faults and imperfections.
Look towards the future of this intimate relationship between design and illustration
Decipher what my final outcome will be



| Things I want the blog to do |

A place to gather my resources and research
A journal of my thoughts and activities throughout my thesis
An area for Brainstorm
To look nice

This is how we start

Once upon a time there lived a blog and a thesis.

The thesis was interested in hand drawn illustrations and quirks and flaws.

The blog was not.

The blog liked structure and grids and RGB colours.

.....................................

The thesis and the blog we're put into a room to mate.

So they did.