For A Project™, I need to learn about the historical origins of #bitmap#fonts. Highly doubt these were first created on computers; where in the world have rectangular #tiles or #bricks carried a textual message? (The tiled signs in the #NYC subway are #mosaics, not based on a grid.) Where did bitmap fonts really start?
My eldest's latest adventures in letters is this self-initiated piece using aquabeads. They're now mounted onto this hand-bound booklet as a gift for her friend, Ona.
If this inspires you for your next creation, then there's more about the environmental disaster that are aquabeads at https://aquabeadsart.com.
We’re very excited about this new addition to our collection: a 1882 book from a jacquard weaving course in Lyon, France. As a manuscript, it’s all hand drawn and hand lettered, and it has loom punch cards and fabric samples tipped in. It also has hundreds of intricate diagrams and instructions for this semi-automated form of weaving. Learn more and see a page-through video in our latest blog post by @tanyatypes, Threading Letters: https://letterformarchive.org/news/threading-letters/
Type and design nerds! I’m considering commissioning¹ a queer² lettering artist or typographer to set a slogan³ – link me to beautiful work!
(Boosts would be awesome, and feel free to recommend yourself!)
¹ I hope to crowdfund their fee
² My definition is incredibly broad; if the artist self-identifies as queer, that’s all I need
³ Probably in a hand-drawn way rather than using fonts, but I’m open; to be used on t-shirts/stickers
On 2 March, at BLAG Meet (https://bl.ag/meet), Dr Amy Goodwin shares her research into the fairground painters, past and present.
This visual talk will include some of the works the Fairground Heritage Trust have in their collection — including, lettering which manipulates spatial depth and signs influenced by the cartoon industry — and discuss the impact the past has had on the fairground painters of today.
It's all offered free of charge to broaden access, but for those that can, a suggested $10 contribution to the running costs is appreciated: https://bl.ag/tip.
Please #Boost to help reach more people that might like to indulge in these adventures in sign painting.
Realised I should probably do these as a BLAG Meet-themed thread, so reposting link here about Dr Amy Goodwin's talk about the fairground painters: https://typo.social/@blag/111940125408455717
This will include new material from Fred Fowle that has been received by the Fairground Heritage Trust; which offers an excuse to share this wonderful BBC segment about him.
I've just finished working with Alice Mazzilli on her next 'Interowriting' column for BLAG, the fifth in her 'adventures in writing' series.
Alice will also be delivering a session at Saturday's BLAG Meet (https://bl.ag/meet), exploring the theme of handwriting, and its contemporary relevance in the ‘digital era’.
And you can join her while she writes; just have lined paper and your favourite writing instrument to hand.