Motoquick Concept

Here's a concept I did for motorcycle repair shop "Motoquick" today. Sketch ---> Illustrator

Typographical Emotion

Sometimes the best part of hand lettering is it's imperfection. We live in such a digital world where every stroke is clinical in it precision. The personal touch, the humanity, is left out of much design. Which is great for many things, but sometimes its nice to have an element of personal touch in graphic design. Mary Kate McDevitt's work is a great example of this. You can see the personality of the designer in all of her work. Emotion is evident in each piece. That's what makes great handmade type.

See a few more examples of her work after the jump.

Monday Dribbble Hunting

Dribbble is a great website to look at really fresh work (and post your own work!) that is in process from lots of creative designers. There is always awesome typographic work for inspiration as well. Some of my favorites from today...

Anchor Paper Co. by Drew Melton.

Curiosity by Adam Grason.

Upgrade your Grey Matter by Jason Carne.

National Supply by Reide Iredale.

Vintage Inspiration

Sometimes when I get tired of looking at contemporary design (although, that doesn't happen often) I look through old books from the early 1900's and 1800's. Much of the larger text on book covers and in illustrations of this time period is hand drawn. Just by doing a little hunting around at book sales, garage sales or in the library you can find lots of interesting examples of typography you won't find anywhere else. Check out the broad range of examples from this time period.

More cool stuff after the jump.

Jeni's

What's better than handmade typography? Not much. Maybe ice cream, especially Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Some of my favorite ice cream ever, and its from my home state. But this blog isn't about desserts. One thing that makes the Jeni's brand so amazing is their use of handmade lettering. Everywhere. From their custom logo, to their menus and their packaging. Every part of their brand experience has a warm, personal touch enhanced by the use of unique, yet cohesive custom type. Overall it makes you feel welcome, like you are part of a big family of icecream (and design) lovers.

More after the jump.

LEAUXCAL TYPOGRAPHY

Living in Southern Louisiana means lots of interesting handpainted signs and typography. Alot of it is not so good, but sometime you find some gems. One of the handpainted pieces I love is just around the corner from where I live. I have no idea who painted this sign, but I love the 1920's, East Coast vibe it has.

Have you seen some cool local handmade type around you? Snap a picture or send me a link, I'd love to see it!

Illustration

Chris Piascik, an independent illustrator from  New England,  has a ton of great hand done type on his website. His fun, witty style gives his work a unique, vintage looking edge. He does a daily drawing everyday, Monday-Friday. A great reminder of how much making work daily can really push your personal boundaries and creative mind. Check out some of his images here.

 

Check out some more of his awesome work after the jump.