This collection shows what different styles look like in headlines or in what is commonly called a “tagline,” the secondary branding element that may complement a logo. Clients for these projects include the National Peanut Board, Kraft, Fresh Express, Warner Brothers, Garden Burger and Eileen Fisher. Each of these is a custom design done with brush or pen or another lettering tool. I have shown some of them in reverse as this is often how they are used, and the impact can be much stronger in a high contrast environment. Custom lettering and calligraphy can be used wherever you might use a font, for brochures, websites, advertisements and television.

Some messages require a fierce approach. These examples are from book and film projects and various editorial concepts. Some of my most creative work has been in film titling, where exploration and innovation is encouraged, although not always published. Expressive calligraphy takes passion and extreme focus. It’s all about letting the voice come through.

Expressive calligraphy puts motion and emotion first. The process is usually pretty wild, ink flying everywhere, papers on the floor, brushes and pens chosen sometimes at random for surprising effect. I have been a dancer for years, and have always loved the connection between calligraphy and its sister artform. A year of tango and many more of salsa, waltz and old fashioned swing were my very best lessons in the art of calligraphy.

Watercolor is a medium that always surprises. It is a perfect way to say spring! The new shoots are promising, but what you thought was lettuce turns out to be squash, the baby pak choi is tough as a grown up and the slugs drink the beer but keep on partying, in spite of what the organic gardening book says. For my watercolor designs I use heavy rag paper and fine pigments, work quickly and spontaneously and then wait for things to dry. (I also use a hair dryer. . . .) It’s all about strategic mistakes, otherwise called “magic,” and going with the flow.

Although it is a spontaneous art form, with the new options available in computer image editing I have many options to control color after the work is dry.  I can scan and fine tune the palette to work with different color schemes, modify values and change proportion to fit multiple layouts. I am happy to say watercolor is beginning to be used more in advertising and design. It is an antidote to vector-sameness and brings a very human touch.