My type of day

2011 Create Design Awards Finalist

2011-09-14T11:24:00.004+10:00

My typeface 'Habitat' created for the Brisbane City Laneways project with JOLT Studio has been nominated as a finalist in Typography category for the 2011 Create Design Awards.

Type@Cooper - Judgement Days

2011-08-08T18:00:00.003+10:00

My amazing experience at Cooper Union included critiques from type heros Matthew Carter and Jonathon Hoefler. Here's what they had to say...

"I like that sort of gothic arch form" Matthew Carter

"I feel this really has legs" Jonathon Hoefler

Me (left) receiving a class crit with Sara Soskolne—Hoefler & Frere-Jones (right) and Sumner Stone—Stone Type Foundry (sitting)

Me presenting my typeface to the Type@Cooper class

Type@Cooper - Major Project, Lena

2011-08-05T16:28:00.003+10:00

My major project at Type@Cooper was to design a serif typeface.

I was interested in designing a slab serif so I started out exploring some design ideas using the edged pen. I liked the contrast in the stroke the pen created when moving from a vertical stroke to a horizontal stroke while drawing the 'n'. The design of the 'n' really influenced the design of the entire typeface.

Below are snapshots of the different stages in my process.

1. Rough sketches using edged pen

2. My control characters

3. Dummy text set using control characters

4. Extended character set for Lena

5. Lena set in mixed case and uppercase

6. Lena set 9/11

Type@Cooper - Hand Lettering

2011-08-05T14:46:00.002+10:00

A playful day at Type@Cooper learning some hand lettering with Ken Barber from House Industries.

Type@Cooper - Caroligian Minuscules

2011-06-28T08:00:00.002+10:00

My second project at Type@Cooper was to understand the history and structure of the minuscule forms. Once again I tried to replicate these forms this time using an edged pen and following letter forms written by Poggio in 1425.

Type@Cooper - Latin Majuscules

2011-06-24T06:33:00.008+10:00

My first task at Type@Cooper was to understand the structure of Latin majuscules.

In order to understand how they were constructed I traced the skeleton of each letter form from an inscription made on a bronze tablet from the end of the second century BC. While tracing these shapes it was important to try and capture the individual characteristics and proportions of each form.

The challenge was to try to avoid the natural urge to formalise the shapes and make them what I think they should be rather than how they were constructed on the bronze tablet.

2011-06-24T06:23:00.000+10:00

A sneak peak at the beautiful clock tower in the Cooper Union foundation building.

2011-06-24T06:11:00.005+10:00

Day 1 at Cooper Union

2011-06-24T06:09:00.004+10:00

The first of many 12 hour days started on Monday at Cooper Union.
Our first task was to setup our workstations in the studio located in the beautiful foundation building.

Hand lettering for Nelly's Flowers

2011-06-01T01:09:00.000+10:00

Brooklyn NY

Beautiful metal street number

2011-06-01T01:07:00.000+10:00

Found in Brooklyn NY

Flowers & Type

2011-04-05T13:55:00.001+10:00

I visited the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show last week and found a typographic entry.

Type@Cooper, New York

2011-03-16T12:36:00.002+11:00

I'm very excited to have been accepted into the typeface design summer school at Cooper Union in New York in June. Checkout Type@Cooper here. Follow my tweets from NY @7roy

English Fingering

2011-03-12T17:14:00.004+11:00

Found this lovely old book of scales in a secondhand shop on Gertrude Street.

I can't quite make out the first name hand written on the top of the cover but the second is 'Lester' dated 15.6.05.

A great specimen to inspire a new typeface or two?

The grassy truck

2011-02-05T12:43:00.000+11:00

Interesting use of type. Not sure the message works as well.

Rusty Three

2011-01-03T15:25:00.001+11:00

Rusty 'Three' spotted in a shop window on Johnson Street.

Gordon Slipper Signage

2010-12-28T17:03:00.004+11:00

Some lovely old signage for a footwear manufacturer on an old building in Fitzroy. Click on image for a closer look.

Nice X

2010-12-18T13:01:00.001+11:00

Nice X at Nine Lives Gallery, Brisbane.

More street letters & numbers

2010-12-16T17:27:00.008+11:00

It's amazing what you find
when you're looking for it.
I've recently moved into a
share house on Easey Street
in Collingwood. After finding
my first set of street letters I've
had my eyes pealed to see if I
could spot anymore and look
what I've found. Note also
the "P" at the top of the
third image.

Street letters

2010-11-16T11:09:00.004+11:00

Walking to my studio in
Fitzroy this morning I came
across three very distinctive
letters on the footpath in
different locations. Let's
see if I can spot anymore.

Retro Chairs Poster

2010-10-18T17:39:00.001+11:00

Positive Posters Entry 2010

2010-10-18T17:34:00.002+11:00

Brief: "Glass half full"

Postive Posters Entry 2009

2010-10-18T17:31:00.005+11:00

Brief: "Change"

2010-09-16T11:33:00.005+10:00

Spotted last night on a building in Collingwood. Lovely weathered paint texture!

Upper & Lowercase

2010-08-10T15:44:00.007+10:00

U&lc is a type experiment using labelling stickers to create the words ‘UPPER’ and ‘lower’. Once again the goal was to capture a concept quickly rather than labour over perfecting the production techniques.

Coffee With Type

2010-08-10T15:30:00.006+10:00

‘Coffee with type’ is a type experiment using electrical tape to create letterforms in the shape of furniture. The goal was to capture a concept quickly rather than labour over perfecting production techniques.

Daily Glyph Project

2010-08-09T14:39:00.025+10:00

October 2009–April 2010

While studying font design at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, I decided to set myself a task of drawing a glyph everyday to record interesting type, to improve my drawing skills and to encourage thought on construction and style.

Some of them were found on the street, some are by other designers and the odd few are my own creations.