Handwritten: Expressive Lettering in the Digital Age (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Mirko Ilic (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

It brings back to the world of typography the notion of unique and fastidious design. -- Step Inside Design

Reminds you of a time when you needed artists to make art …a really inspiring book. -- Vice --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

A profusely illustrated survey of the next big trend in typography: the handcrafted letter.

Hand-drawn graphics mark a return to the creator's immediacy and craft. Increasingly, advertising campaigns, CD covers, and branding are adopting the rough-hewn style of manually created typography. Notable recent examples can be seen in the Calvin Klein campaign designed by M/M, Paris, the self-inflicted body marks of Stefan Sagmeister, and the painstaking illustrations of Pentagram partner Paula Scher.

This is the first publication to offer a complete overview of handwritten typographics, drawing on an extensive array of examples from around the world. At the heart of the book are hundreds of graphics, presented in creative themes: "Scrawl" (letterforms that are raw, splotchy, untidy); "Scratch" (scraped, cut, gouged fonts); "Script" (type that is sinuous, curlicued, ornate); "Simulate" (typefaces that have been redrawn or copied); "Shadow" (dimensional, voluminous, and monumental letterforms); "Suggestive" (forms that suggest the metaphorical, surreal, and symbolic); "Sarcastic" (the ironic, comic, and satiric in lettering); and "Stitch" (letters that have been sewn, sutured, embroidered).

In an age of characterless digital typography, Handwritten returns to the values of craft. This outstanding collection of unusual, meticulously wrought, and often breathtaking designs is a must for students and practitioners of design. Over 500 illustrations, most in color.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500511713
• ISBN-13: 978-0500511718
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,021,812 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a diverse and complete collection of graphic design that merges the handwritten with the computer, May 4, 2006

By	SixChip (Brown University, Providence, RI) - See all my reviews

Heller and Ilic's book is a collection of exemplary work in the world of graphic design in which the "handwritten" has been implemented in the artists' works.
Examples range from magazine covers, traditional advertisements, film festival posters, album covers, book covers and other media/art. There is a wide range of styles covered, and though there is not a lot of text that accompanies each featured piece, the descriptions of the work are insightful to how (in the opinion of the authors) the text/design work, and in what ways. For instance, the authors comment on one poster which used a childish scrawl saying, "Scrawl is most effective when located with a generous helping of negative space, as is portrayed elegantly in this poster etc.etc."
Though you might not agree with their observations, you will most definitely get something valuable out of your disagreement, whether it is a better sense of your own visions and style/likes/dislikes.

All in all, this book is worth the money. It is bound to inspired you to break out a pencil and your sketchbook again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and informative, September 21, 2006

By	Kevin M. Scarbrough (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Handwritten is a history lesson and an inspiration piece, breaking into a series of successive styles from polished to grunge. The exploration is seemingly complete, and as the above commentor wrote, will inspire you to pick up a pencil and sketchbook, and have at it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From a teaching pt of view, July 21, 2007

By	CJMinotian "art educator" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handwritten: Expressive Lettering in the Digital Age (Paperback)

Nice range of examples categorized by how they look. An example is "ornate, curlique, sinuous". More a look book reference than a topic/subject reference. Examples include books, posters, ads, CD/DVD, web designs...all using art with a human touch.