Holidays approaching
Tomorrow I am going to Moscow and will stay there for two weeks. For some reason I'm not in the right mood for Christmas holidays, and my head is occupied with the never-ending digital stuff to do. That's why I should probably turn off my computer right now and start preparing the luggage. It's a perfect thing that helps me realize an upcoming adventure.
Have a great Christmas time!
Learning Calligraphy
A year ago I took a calligraphy class on Skillshare just for fun. The results amazed me. I thought that my writing was increadibly cool. Look at that – what a wonderful tiny swirl! What a graceful swash!
The class was quite relaxed, more like a general introduction to calligraphy. I thought that I was doing really great and should keep on going. The ignorance about my real level of skill saved my passion. I continued practicing calligraphy from time to time. The results improved slowly, but it did not bother me. I enjoyed the process. After 8 months of tranquil play I decided to take my practice to a new level. I bought a book “Mastering Copperplate* Calligraphy: A Step-by-Step Manual” by Eleanor Winters. At that point the sweat and tears began. Two more months later I saw the results of a step-by-step approach. My letters improved and lines became more controlled. But at the same time I realized how far away my writing was from the real copperplate calligraphy. It was a quite disappointing revelation.
The main problem was that I expected quick results, although mastering calligraphy requires time. This idea of long-term practice is not a discovery for me though. I went to a music school when I was a kid and I know that learning to play piano takes time and efforts. It's impossible to start playing in one day. The regular practice is required to see results and a true music comes after long hours of practicing scales. It's the same for calligraphy and many other similar activities. For some reason the comparison with music calmed my mind. My current level became just a step towards a true “music” in calligraphy.
Recommended resources:
- “Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy: A Step-by-Step Manual” by Eleanor Winters
- “Modern Calligraphy” by Molly Suber Thorpe
- Skillshare class “Digitizing Calligraphy: From Sketch to Vector” by Molly Suber Thorpe
Typography in Bruxelles
Bruxelles is a perfect place to get some typography inspiration. I went there last month and was amazed by the beautiful signages in the city center. While trying to identify some typefaces, I found Fonts in Use. The website contains a public collection of typography classified by typeface, format, and industry. Everyone can contribute any kind of design, as long as the typography is visible. This website has a large collection of signages, facilitating the search of the most popular typefaces. Thanks to Fonts in Use, I was able to identify the Broadway typeface represented on the last picture. The rest is more tricky, but I would like to submit few examples from my collection and get the typeface references. Stay tuned!
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Typography in Moscow
Last month I spent two weeks in Moscow and tried to enlarge my collection of signages, but it was not so easy. The downtown Moscow is widely spread and so are the interesting restaurants, cafes and shops. To discover something special you need to move a lot. Walking 10k a day in Moscow is normal. Here are examples of typography that I found while running my daily “marathon”. This collection contains restaurant and shop signages. Only the last image is a well-known Russian ice cream.
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Typography in Europe
My european collection of typography from signages and shop windows was increased recently so that the amount is enough for one blog post. I hope you'll enjoy it!
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Moving to Germany
My blog is in a standby mode right now due to the transcontinental moving from the U.S. to Germany. But I will come back really soon with more inspirational posts to share. By the way I will update my Instagram during the trip, so keep in touch!
I found this quote in my recent fortune cookie. This is incredibly inspiring!
Before starting a new chapter in my life, I would like to say few words about my U.S. experience. To be honest, I was struggling during my first month in the U.S. (new country, new rules, new “art de vivre” or rather “art de travail”?). But even under all these complicated circumstances I noticed at once that the U.S. was full of amazing people: hard working, smart, creative, motivated and open to all opportunities and collaborations. People are really supportive and kind here and this is the most important thing about the U.S. I am especially glad that I met the best team in the world at Design Museum Boston and spent wonderful time with them (my friends, I will miss you so much!!!).
What more can I say? Thank you!
Typography in the United States. Part 2.
The second part of my collection with diverse and inspiring typography examples from signages and shop windows in the United States.
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