Brush Lettering: Contemporary Style Collection
Brush lettering for identity, campaigns, and social commentaryThis collection of brush lettering shows a wide range of styles, all made with the brush. I use many different papers to achieve the different effects. These examples are a mix of projects done for clients and ongoing studio work. I am always looking for new ways to use lettering to express voice and contemporary culture.
Brush Lettering: Design Through Gesture
The brush is one of the best tools for creating expressive lettering. The softness of the brush makes it feel like an extension of the hand, flowing, organic, and natural. Synthetic brushes or other brushes with a stiff fiber can be used for controlled forms that look almost drawn, like “Loveables” above. I almost always start a project with the brush, as a way of thinking. Then if the work needs to be refined or vectorized with very crisp edges or particular adjustments for style or legibility, I am at least working from something that started with life-force, connected to intuition.
When I design a logo in a contemporary brush style I go back and forth between pencil sketches, napkin doodles, and direct work with the brush. Direct work is based in calligraphy, the act of designing with gesture in the moment. Instead of planning and designing each mark I trust in the motion of the brush to find interesting patterns of shape and space.
Other portfolios in the Calligraphy and Expressive Lettering Collections mix brush technique in with other styles. This set gives you a good idea of what pure brush lettering looks like, so if you are trying to find a look for a project you can visualize it and give a name to what you have in mind.