album cover art: lenka by james gulliver hancock

I came across this cd the other day, Lenka (an Australian - think voice like Lykke Li vein), and fell in love with the cover art. Illustrated by James Gulliver Hancock (also an Australian, living in L.A.), I'm loving the hand-lettering mixed in with doodles and watercolors, it's just such a great mix. Nicely designed website too. Lenka's "Winter Song" is the free download this week (until December 23rd) at iTunes.

lenkamusic.com
jamesgulliverhancock.com
epicrecords.com

studio sale: obsessive consumption

I'm probably crazy posting this before I actually choose things for myself first, but I had to share. As I was passing by Kate Bingaman-Burt's today (online of course), I noticed this sign. She's having a studio sale! And what's cool is, us people who don't live in Mississippi will get first dibs as she's going to have an online sale at her etsy shop (should be starting tonight) before the tangible sale on saturday. Link to the sale here! Or stand by her etsy door here (just keep hitting refresh to see it all loading up). For those of you who don't know Kate, she's that awesome hand-lettering graphic design teacher and artist who did that beautiful sign for the upcoming documentary, Handmade Nation. She'll be doing a "special guest" stint here too come the fall! Here's her beautiful sign (art in itself).

we got us some mail!

we're loving this little hand drawn poster that just arrived in the mail from mississipi state university graphic design student, will bryant. along with it, a very cool mixed tape and some rad buttons! thanks will, for the awesome package! we think ur neat!

penmanship inspiration

janine of uppercase in calgary posted about a penmanship site last week on her tuesday type post. the iampeth organization has scans of rare books on penmanship and calligraphy as well as sketchbooks. posted (at high quality) for inspiration! i'm liking the one called, 95 lessons in ornamental penmanship. (see you in about six months)!

kate moross

eek! at only 21, katemoross.com is grabbing the the music industry by designing up a storm working for such companies as dazed and confused, don't panic, sony and vice magazine. this don't panic poster is a beautiful example of her work where she uses copic and pantone markers. (via computer arts).

Book Review: Hand Job - A Catalog of Type

Being a hand-lettering fan, Hand Job, A Catalog of Type, By Michael Perry, Princeton Architectural Press, was a no brainer when it came to sitting down and doing a review. Just for aesthetics alone, I knew I would be inspired, and as I turned each page and was introduced to each artist featured (some of them even previously featured on this blog before); I was even more inspired to see a collection of so many people, all interested in the same form of art.

Hand Job is essentially a "curatorial celebration" of the hand typography of the peers of author, Michael Perry. As he writes, "It's a book for everyone who has the ability to transform words into art" and I'll add, and for those who appreciate that ability. He wanted to show what hand type is today and what it means to him and to leave a mark of it's impact on art. He writes, "I use my hands because I want mistakes, quirks and imperfections - those qualites that give my work warmth. Keeping in mind that, at different times in history, that warmth could've gotten you fired. Now we view these results as the elemental quality of working by hand".

A must-have if you are a hand lettering fan, not only for inspiration, but for reference and appreciation of an art form that is making strides amidst the digital age and to see a small subset of typographers who still believe in working by hand.

paula scher handlettering

some nice handlettering (in a moleskine) by paula scher @ detour exhibition. it gets really good about halfway through. (via blackwhitebliss).

nancy howell

grace did a post on handlettering yesterday and of course being a fan of that art in a BIG way, i had to snitch this one photo from the work of nancy howell. and while at dsponge don't forget to take her biz ladies night survey where you can vote on what city you'd like her to visit across the u.s.

Book Review: Mingering Mike by Dori Hadar

Book Review: Mingering Mike, The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Soul Superstar by Dori Hadar
Published by Princeton Architectural Press

Digging through crates of old records at a Washington, D.C. flea market back in December of 2003, Dori Hadar (DJ by night, criminal investigator by day) came across a box of old vinyl records, or what looked like records. But what he found was over fifty albums and even more singles of handmade "faux" albums of a career of imaginary soul superstar, Mingering Mike.

Putting his detective skills to work, Hadar hunted down Mingering Mike thirty years or so after his last album. As a boy, Mike lost himself in a world of his own imaginary susperstardom. Basing songs and albums on life experiences, from teenage love songs to political upheaval during the Vietnam war.



What I like about this book is that one could totally relate and see oneself doing something like this in childhood. Perhaps not to this degree, but I'm sure we've all imagined, and if we were artistically inclined, drew ourselves in some imaginary book, song album or film.



Being a folk art fan and having the appreciation for hand lettering, I'm really drawn to the creative and imagination that went into drawing all those cardboard records. And because the albums were made during a particular time in history, they support its status as both folk and contemporary art according to the Folk Art Magazine.

A book for someone who appreciates hand-lettering, folk art and in particular urban black american popular culture.

mingeringmike.com
Princeton Architectural Press

folk typography field trip

great folk typography examples from the folk typography pool over at flickr:

bar in nambia by sundayschild 1




henry's beach market



mexican sign by justin.scrappers

hand lettering book

really really really want this book hand job: a catalog of type, by mike perry. beautiful hand-lettering samples for inspiration and reference for all us alphabet crazed people!

(via lost at e minor)

handmade nation

joy posted about this handmade nation movie yesterday.

it's going to be a documentary about the independant handmade crafters out there. take a sneak peek at you tube.

and i'm loving the hand drawn artwork! anyone know the artist?

the art of hand-lettering

a demonstration on the art of hand-lettering a sign.

leigh wells

speaking of handlettering! some beautiful examples from illustrator, leigh wells out of san francisco. she creates images for advertising, design, publishing and editorial clients. her work has been recognized by major organizations such as the aiga and the society of illustrators as well as appearing in several volumes of american illustration and in communication arts illustration annuals. no doubt.

robin cameron

last week i posted about handlettering, one of my favorite things right now. seems i can't get enough of hand drawn and painted letters on posters, cards, buildings (especially very old ones).

i decided to a little more searching online and found an interview on robin cameron, at all maple. a british columbian born artist who attended emily carr institute of art and design and now resides in ny. it just so happens she likes the hand-drawn typography thing too. she has a new book out called, the blown mind.

rocamm

hand-lettering

1. ray fenwick and an article by lab-zine
2. my starbuck shirt - create your own and download the image (via ljcfyi)
3. hand-lettering poster at dkim's etsy shop
4. letterpeg - handpainted lettering in the city of winnipeg

see more hand lettering at the flickr's hand-lettering pool and folk typography and fly blog.

and hand-lettering fonts here, here and here.

ray fenwick

ray fenwick makes things, most of them involve lettering. this fellow canadian is a letterpress printer from halifax, nova scotia, and also a member at threadless and is definitely one to watch in the wallpaper design world. a link to his wallpaper design submissions at nakedandangry.com bring a twist to the traditional and his typography background along with his handlettering illustrations make these fun and whimsical patterns. also check out his flickr.

influences, train marking and graffiti

i have so many things i want to start this year and one of them is to try hand lettering. i know i keep going back to margaret kilgallen, but her work says so much to what is still relevant in art today if not more so. even though this interview was back in 1999, her viewpoint of handmade is so present and worth a review. i also like her explanation of graffiti and it's validity in perspective to commercialism.

link here. (image of margaret's work from paulson press in berkely, ca.)

folk typography

another fine example of folk typography i found on flickr this week. i seem to be on a pattern as of late on the hunt for good hand-drawn typography.

this one, rotisera, is photographed by alejandro javier paul.

loving the blue/green with the red and yellow.

nice find.

streetsy kilgallen

speaking of kilgallen, found this lovely piece at streetsy today. actually, i should say pieces. i never saw some of these before.