Tuesday 28 December 2010
Homework
Just before going on christmas break I found in the library this really sweet book, called, Learn Kannada in 30 days, a very small and old book. I will give it a try, but I can't promise anything!
Book covers - devanagari
We were almost finishing the term when I had a talk with Fiona Ross about the idea for my dissertation which will be about indian scripts, and out of that conversation came to my hands this amazing envelope full of book jackets in devanagari. Here I share with you just a couple of them.
Chocolate letters and bright colors
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| Tasty chocolate letters! Dutch of course! |
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| Bright colors! |
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| Swift talk by Gerard |
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| My work desk |
Sunday 5 December 2010
Reflections on practice
This past week was difficult because of the snow. Having to face the ice on the way to the department is not an easy task.
Right now, almost finishing the first semester, I have the feeling of going slowly, tripping, like a small child learning how to walk. Everyday the design decisions seem more complex but also more interesting and more consistent.
Everyday adhesion grows, or changes, everyday you find details on the a that you don't like and again, new changes.
It's amazing how much time it's needed to get that a! I wont even mention the s.
As I said it's very cold right now at Reading, especially for people like me that are used to the mild winters of southern Europe. But this weather has some advantages. You get to stay warm at your desk for hours, drawing, reading, and fighting with fontal to get it to do what you want! So, besides the weather, these are good times at Reading, typography runs through our veins, we feel warm and happy, like every Monday when we enter Michael Twyman's class or James Mosley lectures. And this week we will have another visit form our dear teacher Gerard Unger. I hope it will be a cheerful violet week!
Right now, almost finishing the first semester, I have the feeling of going slowly, tripping, like a small child learning how to walk. Everyday the design decisions seem more complex but also more interesting and more consistent.
Everyday adhesion grows, or changes, everyday you find details on the a that you don't like and again, new changes.
It's amazing how much time it's needed to get that a! I wont even mention the s.
As I said it's very cold right now at Reading, especially for people like me that are used to the mild winters of southern Europe. But this weather has some advantages. You get to stay warm at your desk for hours, drawing, reading, and fighting with fontal to get it to do what you want! So, besides the weather, these are good times at Reading, typography runs through our veins, we feel warm and happy, like every Monday when we enter Michael Twyman's class or James Mosley lectures. And this week we will have another visit form our dear teacher Gerard Unger. I hope it will be a cheerful violet week!
New tyfaces
I would like to share the two new releases of typeface designs, from past students in Reading. Especially Capucine by Alice Savoie that I particular admire as an amazing design that brings the handwriting into a new light in typography.
You can find Tiina at https://ourtype.com/#//
and http://processtypefoundry.com/fonts/capucine/
Congratulations to both Alice and Valentin.
You can find Tiina at https://ourtype.com/#//
and http://processtypefoundry.com/fonts/capucine/
Congratulations to both Alice and Valentin.
Thursday 25 November 2010
Another day in the Typography Department
So it was in the morning, another day of practical review with Gerry. Everybody busy putting things on the wall, and then suddenly, the fire alarm goes off! Me and Eleni, just stayed waiting for it to stop, when we see Gerry going out, followed by all the others. And outside was already everybody of the department. It was an exercise. Some brought their lap-tops, some of us without coats.... It was very funny how it was all so well orchestrated. Me and Eleni, used to Portugal and Greece wouldn't move, just wishing that the alarm stopped!!
Pop-up session
As you might been aware, I've not been updating my blog as I would like. It have been busy times on the MATD. Definig our briefs and doing lot of work!
So I hope you delight yourself with some pictures of a session on Pop-up books with Michael Twyman!
So I hope you delight yourself with some pictures of a session on Pop-up books with Michael Twyman!
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Last weeks
This last two weeks have been really full of new knowledge, and lots of work.
We had our first meeting with Fiona Ross, formally in our first class of non-latin scripts.
It was very amusing, we did a little game with the scripts. As you can see in some pictures.
And I also attach here some pictures from the sessions with Michael Twyman, that showed us this amazing English posters from the nineteenth century! Full of fat faces!
Enjoy the pics also at my flickr.
We had our first meeting with Fiona Ross, formally in our first class of non-latin scripts.
It was very amusing, we did a little game with the scripts. As you can see in some pictures.
And I also attach here some pictures from the sessions with Michael Twyman, that showed us this amazing English posters from the nineteenth century! Full of fat faces!
Enjoy the pics also at my flickr.
Sunday 31 October 2010
Monday 25 October 2010
2 term week
This last week was very intense, so that's why it took me so long to write about it. It was Gerard Unger's first visit to Reading, this year. Everybody was very excited about it, in the end he is a legend of typography and typedesign.
Our work was a one week workshop where we had to draw a typeface for small sizes, especially for the iphone. It was very interesting to see we all had their own approaches, after we come from very different backgrounds.
Monday we did research and trying to find our way, Tuesday we were struggling with the first hand drawings, Wednesday morning lots of us already had some digital samples of text, and as Gerard said, this was a quantum leap! And Friday we were in love! For typeface design I mean!
Everybody worked very hard, and the group evolved nicely.
So here are some pictures of our classroom.
By Friday night our brains were officially with memory full! I believe not the because the amount of work but because all the quantity of information going around in our heads.
It was an amazing week and an enormous pleasure to meet Gerard Unger and also learn more about your colleagues talents.
Our work was a one week workshop where we had to draw a typeface for small sizes, especially for the iphone. It was very interesting to see we all had their own approaches, after we come from very different backgrounds.
Monday we did research and trying to find our way, Tuesday we were struggling with the first hand drawings, Wednesday morning lots of us already had some digital samples of text, and as Gerard said, this was a quantum leap! And Friday we were in love! For typeface design I mean!
Everybody worked very hard, and the group evolved nicely.
So here are some pictures of our classroom.
By Friday night our brains were officially with memory full! I believe not the because the amount of work but because all the quantity of information going around in our heads.
It was an amazing week and an enormous pleasure to meet Gerard Unger and also learn more about your colleagues talents.
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Personal Views
Personal Views
Next week we will have the first visit from Gerard Unger, and here is a nice way to prepare!
It's from 2007 at ESAD, in Matosinhos, Portugal, a lecture organized by Andrew Howard.
Hope you like it!
Of course there also lots of other very interesting.
Next week we will have the first visit from Gerard Unger, and here is a nice way to prepare!
It's from 2007 at ESAD, in Matosinhos, Portugal, a lecture organized by Andrew Howard.
Hope you like it!
Of course there also lots of other very interesting.
Friday 8 October 2010
St Bride and freshers week
This was our first week of real activities! The freshers week, except we are not freshers, some of us have freshers already too many times!
Tuesday some of us went to St Bride Library in London, where we are supposed to be found the next months lots of times, talking to Nigel, our host at the library, trying to explain him what we need for our research! It was a very nice introduction!
Before that I wondered in the streets of Soho and Convent Garden, when I saw this new Apple shop, and I couldn't resist to play with the new Ipad! It's amazing! I love it to go online, maps, and all the apps, except reading, I love books, and I wont take an Ipad to read in bed…
After the visit to Saint Bride we went back to Reading, already getting used to the trains at Paddington. The next morning awaited!
Wednesday morning was the induction to the department, the welcome day.
It was very nice to meet the last few ones integrating our group for Typedesign and also the other MAs, for Bookdesign and Information design, and also the Phds this year, that I was very glad to meet Alice Savoie and Sébastien Morlighem.
We were all day on campus doing bureaucratic stuff and then a social gathering at the department, that lead us to a pub nearby to finish our first meeting of the year with everybody!
P.S.
One funny curiosity, when doing the student card, when of the nice girls asked me what I was here to study, and then she replied, "Is Reading still the only place where you can study that? ", quite funny! Of course right now it's not the only place, because we all know about KABK Type Media course, and also some new ones appearing in Mexico and Portugal. But still I said, "No, there are others, but this is still the best!" I had to say that!
Saturday 2 October 2010
First days
After almost eight days in Reading, I finally get the quiet and will to write. It has been a long week adjusting to life in the UK. Especially the weather, it's not easy not to have much light, but well, one gets used to it! Some say it's the latitude, that makes us feel very tired the first days, especially for us southern europeans.
But well this is just some weather adjustments one needs to do when moving away from your country!
The program hasn't started yet, but this year we had homework, so everybody is home drawing, reading, and doing some exercises. But we find time to go out and get to know the city, and
the department.
It's very interesting to meet our colleagues, that are from all over the world, really, from Japan, India, Greece, Holland, United States, just some of them… So our English is a mixture, very
funny sometimes!
We also had the chance to meet some previous students that gave us precious advices, especially work hard, concentrate, and try to follow your instincts, and ear what the professors can taught us, lots of wise words.
It's nice to see them all happy to finish but at the same time sad that it's all over! But it's never over! Hopefully also some previous students of past years will also be teaching us at the department, and that is very good sign!
Right now almost all students are arriving to Reading, the last ones arrive during the weekend! Next wednesday is the first meeting at the department with all students, this year we are 18! Let's hope everything goes smoothly, I believe it will!
In the mean time a nice calm weekend just organizing for a full start on tuesday in London at the St Brides Library!
But well this is just some weather adjustments one needs to do when moving away from your country!
The program hasn't started yet, but this year we had homework, so everybody is home drawing, reading, and doing some exercises. But we find time to go out and get to know the city, and
the department.
It's very interesting to meet our colleagues, that are from all over the world, really, from Japan, India, Greece, Holland, United States, just some of them… So our English is a mixture, very
funny sometimes!
We also had the chance to meet some previous students that gave us precious advices, especially work hard, concentrate, and try to follow your instincts, and ear what the professors can taught us, lots of wise words.
It's nice to see them all happy to finish but at the same time sad that it's all over! But it's never over! Hopefully also some previous students of past years will also be teaching us at the department, and that is very good sign!
Right now almost all students are arriving to Reading, the last ones arrive during the weekend! Next wednesday is the first meeting at the department with all students, this year we are 18! Let's hope everything goes smoothly, I believe it will!
In the mean time a nice calm weekend just organizing for a full start on tuesday in London at the St Brides Library!
Wednesday 22 September 2010
AtypI 2010 Dublin
Last month started with a visit to Dublin to attend AtypI 2010, The Word.
The journey in the world of letters started and it was very intense! Lots of information and learning, new people to meet, many familiar names but unfamiliar faces.
Of course I can't compare with previous editions because this was a first, but still I can say that almost of the conferences I saw were amazing, with lots of interest.
It was very nice also to meet some of my future colleagues of the MA Typeface Design at Reading, and lots of the previous students who were very nice giving us inside information! We need all we can get! Many of the speakers were in a way connected to Reading, and that was interesting giving a very important first approach to our academic life this year. I admired the friendship between people who are competitors in the same field, it felt that they had a very healthy relationship.
I can't help myself to thank all the portuguese and Brazilians present in the event, they were so nice and brought some latin flavor to the parties!
The visit to the print museum was also a high point on the event and lots of us got his/her name on Lynotype machine!There were lots of interesting papers, for example from Jo de Baerdemaeker on Javanese typefaces.I was happy to meet Miguel Sousa, the first Portuguese to ever do the MA at Reading, now working at Adobe.
It was a very well organized event, the food was great, and the venue very comfortable. Always a nice cup of tea or coffee to warm you up!
I felt happy, I still do to have found a group of people that has the same interests, that for normal people are strange things, but for us it's a passion for the written word, it's story and design.
As future colleague of mine said going out together of a bookshop, "it's the first time that I walk around a bookstore with someone looking at covers and lettering!", that's us!
Looking forward for next year at Reykjavik 2011!
The journey in the world of letters started and it was very intense! Lots of information and learning, new people to meet, many familiar names but unfamiliar faces.
Of course I can't compare with previous editions because this was a first, but still I can say that almost of the conferences I saw were amazing, with lots of interest.
It was very nice also to meet some of my future colleagues of the MA Typeface Design at Reading, and lots of the previous students who were very nice giving us inside information! We need all we can get! Many of the speakers were in a way connected to Reading, and that was interesting giving a very important first approach to our academic life this year. I admired the friendship between people who are competitors in the same field, it felt that they had a very healthy relationship.
I can't help myself to thank all the portuguese and Brazilians present in the event, they were so nice and brought some latin flavor to the parties!
The visit to the print museum was also a high point on the event and lots of us got his/her name on Lynotype machine!There were lots of interesting papers, for example from Jo de Baerdemaeker on Javanese typefaces.I was happy to meet Miguel Sousa, the first Portuguese to ever do the MA at Reading, now working at Adobe.
It was a very well organized event, the food was great, and the venue very comfortable. Always a nice cup of tea or coffee to warm you up!
I felt happy, I still do to have found a group of people that has the same interests, that for normal people are strange things, but for us it's a passion for the written word, it's story and design.
As future colleague of mine said going out together of a bookshop, "it's the first time that I walk around a bookstore with someone looking at covers and lettering!", that's us!
Looking forward for next year at Reykjavik 2011!
Sunday 22 August 2010
Home(working)
The homework is in progress. Reading and drawing.
I already have everything ready to take off to Reading in September. After weeks of running from doing the passport, getting the health card, I finally have almost 100% of things done. I already have a room in a very nice house with other MA students!
So, after all that business, I am finally drawing something more, at the Studio DSTYPE at Matosinhos, Portugal, where my professor of Typography at ESAD open his studio doors and gave the opportunity to share his space and knowledge. And also Pedro Leal, who already has a very successful typeface named Mafra.
I'm struggling and remembering Fontlab!
It will be just for a couple of weeks more to shake off the vacations mode!
I hope the work is more or less with a good appearance to show you in the beginning of September.
One thing I have already have noticed, or felt, is that working with typography, at a foundry has nothing to do with the work in a design studio, is different, more precise, more focused on what the client needs, is solving a real specific problem. I like that, this kind of approach takes me again to the way of thinking of the architect.
I will post another text about that.
I already have everything ready to take off to Reading in September. After weeks of running from doing the passport, getting the health card, I finally have almost 100% of things done. I already have a room in a very nice house with other MA students!
So, after all that business, I am finally drawing something more, at the Studio DSTYPE at Matosinhos, Portugal, where my professor of Typography at ESAD open his studio doors and gave the opportunity to share his space and knowledge. And also Pedro Leal, who already has a very successful typeface named Mafra.
I'm struggling and remembering Fontlab!
It will be just for a couple of weeks more to shake off the vacations mode!
I hope the work is more or less with a good appearance to show you in the beginning of September.
One thing I have already have noticed, or felt, is that working with typography, at a foundry has nothing to do with the work in a design studio, is different, more precise, more focused on what the client needs, is solving a real specific problem. I like that, this kind of approach takes me again to the way of thinking of the architect.
I will post another text about that.
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Homework
Augusts is being a very warm month, here in Porto! I profit the beach close to my house, and try to keep in store some of the sun, that won't be so much when go to Reading.
In the morning I go for a walk, or a bike ride, and then an hour at the beach, and in the afternoon, I do some of the homework.
And has we can see everything starts early!
Meanwhile I finished my BA at Esad!
Right now I am happy on vacations, with preparation for the year at Reading, logistics, housing and stuff! But in the beginning of July, Gerry sent us some emails with lots of information, and also some homework!
I started to go on the books to read, got most of them right now to read. Read a few, and also some sketches too!
I went to buy some pencils and sketch books to hand draw some typefaces!
In the morning I go for a walk, or a bike ride, and then an hour at the beach, and in the afternoon, I do some of the homework.
And has we can see everything starts early!
Meanwhile I finished my BA at Esad!
Right now I am happy on vacations, with preparation for the year at Reading, logistics, housing and stuff! But in the beginning of July, Gerry sent us some emails with lots of information, and also some homework!
I started to go on the books to read, got most of them right now to read. Read a few, and also some sketches too!
I went to buy some pencils and sketch books to hand draw some typefaces!
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| Some of the books to read before October. |
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| Adicionar legenda |
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| Want to come to the beach? |
Sunday 8 August 2010
Gothics
Last Spring at ESAD we had really nice workshop on Gothic alphabets with Professor Dino dos Santos, it was very nice, to try the new pens. Here are some pics, enjoy.
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| This one are mine. |
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Saturday 31 July 2010
My second visit to the Department of Typography
I went back to the Department on 24th November for the Open Day. It was a very nice trip. It was also my birthday! I spend i with friends in London!
It was a very nice day to spend at the department, we got to meet the new students like me, and also meet the current students. We had the opportunity to work with the Gutemberg machine, and others, and try them ourselves! Here are some pics.
I met Stavros at Reading that time. We caught the same train back to London, and it was very nice to meet him, we've kept contact ever since, and we became friends.
It really made me want more to be there next Autumn! So if you can, and are interested in attending the MA, you should go to Open Day, Gerry really explains everything very well.
Try for yourself this year, we might met there!
It was a very nice day to spend at the department, we got to meet the new students like me, and also meet the current students. We had the opportunity to work with the Gutemberg machine, and others, and try them ourselves! Here are some pics.
I met Stavros at Reading that time. We caught the same train back to London, and it was very nice to meet him, we've kept contact ever since, and we became friends.
It really made me want more to be there next Autumn! So if you can, and are interested in attending the MA, you should go to Open Day, Gerry really explains everything very well.
Try for yourself this year, we might met there!
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