Jul 2, 2015 | Uncategorized |
Welcome to Alphabet Roadtrip, the blog of Iskra Design. Alphabet Roadtrip is a hybrid of design and fine art. Here you will find my newest work in design and lettering, process notes, and writing on the subjects of design and visual culture. To see my work please visit the portfolios in the navigation menu above. If you are already a fan of Alphabet Roadtrip you may have saved links from my old website. This is the NEW(!) site. Please do update your bookmarks so we don’t lose touch.
Nov 5, 2018 | Calligraphy, Current Affairs, Editorial Lettering |
This very fine article by Roxane Gay in a recent New York Times inspired the poster above. Truly, not voting, claiming apathy or disillusionment, is a luxury that none of us can afford if we want a functioning democracy. For type geeks, the font is ITC Modern, a favorite in the Bodoniesque family, and the script is hand drawn by yours truly.
Oct 25, 2018 | Book Covers, Calligraphy, Hand Lettered Quotations & Calligraphy |
Designing a quotation in calligraphy for the modern age is not, forgive me, always a piece of cake. Sometimes it is quite vexing, especially when you test your ideas out on a trusted focus group and they say things like “Why does that calligraphy look like frosting?” or “You know, Marie Antoinette never actually said “let them eat cake….” Sigh. . . .
It appears to be true, that my favorite diva of a previous gilded age was not the author of that quote and was in fact a lovely woman who showered the peasants (her peasants) with presents. Regardless, given the current rehash of the gilded ages playing out daily on television, internet and IRL, Marie Antoinette and her current doppelgängers have been on my mind. These classic Words That Marie Did Not Say sound completely contemporary today.
Here are three different approaches I took to creating a modern broadside from a classic text. I knew I wanted the letters to echo the form of both a gown and a cake, and settled very quickly on the style of script. The big question was context: what kind of background should the lettering have? The first version was done in the spirit of the parlor, with an ornamental touch.
Marie Antoinette on a plate, with lace.
Then I started thinking about the French Revolution, which wasn’t really that pretty. Think rioting in the street, guillotines, torches and smoke. This version feels cinematically correct, and evokes the mood of a revolution:
Marie running from the riots.
Lastly I did this version, in which the cake stands in for an urban kiosk, and could be right down the street in my own fair city, with its lush graffiti gardens and cyber-dystopian perfumes. I know, you can’t really read it, but that’s the beauty of urban walls.
Marie, dressing for a riot.
I dearly hope Marie is not offended by my liberties. I grew very fond of her while hand lettering the title for her biography:
The Real Marie.
Let me know what you think. Should I have actually baked a cake and done the words in real frosting? Next time! ‘Til then, follow me on Instagram and theispot to see what’s cooking in the studio.
Oct 9, 2018 | Current Affairs, Editorial Lettering, Hand Lettered Quotations & Calligraphy |
Who can resist the simplicity and strength of a declarative sentence? Powerful words from the newest member of the United States Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. Also . . . . . an excuse to do a style mash-up of Trajan Capitals and custom watercolor lettering with a twist on balloon style.
Sep 18, 2018 | Brush Calligraphy, Experimental Lettering, New Work, Recent Posts |
Late night improvisations with tissue paper and brushes.
Branding. The hot sting of identity. Do you ever wonder about all this??? It’s a conundrum in so many ways. The self is always changing. Nothing is permanent or fixed. But from the overlays of ambiguity and possibility the world requests we choose. Late night improvisations with tissue paper and brushes.
Feb 9, 2018 | Calligraphy, Handwriting Design, Icons and Logos, Recent Posts |
A logo design project for one of the nation’s most innovative and surprising performance artists and cultural entrepreneurs. This case study shows the evolution of the signature design logo for Lucia Neare. Her work is entrancing, magical, and impossible to categorize. We tried many directions, exploring the range of contemporary and classical styles that could best capture the spirit of her work.
Above, the progression towards a more European and traditional style, and below, the logo in final use.
This project was a delight to work on, and an ideal place to use custom letterforms. No font could ever capture the magic of this artist and her work. To see more case studies of logos visit the projects in the typographic section of my portfolio, and subscribe to my blog, where I post various projects in process.
Designer, calligrapher, lettering artist.