DA Workshop: The Essentials of Typography with Nicole Arnett Phillips, 27 May, Auckland
Join Brisbane-based type designer Nicole Arnett Phillips aka TypographHer, for this full-day, hands-on typography workshop in Auckland:
The Essentials of Typography – Everything about type that you didn’t learn at school!
Saturday 27th May
10am–4.00pm
Yoobee, Level 4 workspace
3 City Road
Auckland CBD
$350 Professional / $250 Design Assembly Friend (Not a DA Friend? Click here for details on how to sign up).
$150 DA Student Friend (Not a DA Student Friend? Click here for details on how to sign up).
Refreshments from Atomic Coffee and Serious Popcorn. Thanks Guys!
I attended Auckland University of Technology, and our curriculum was broad. We had an introduction to typography, its historical context, pairing typefaces and the fundamental geometry of the major type classifications — barely scratching the surface of type as a discipline.
At the time (15+ years ago) design schools were moving away from drawing (and making) toward more fast-paced, digital production practices, so I soon realised that I needed to create a personal investigative practice that trained my eye, developed my hand, and nurtured my curiosity for the mechanics of typography. I began interrogating letters (and typefaces) hoping to unlock their dirty little secrets. My method of visual research was tactile and analogue. I would draw, trace, and scale characters, rotate and reverse them, crop them and recreate them.
This craft based learning (after graduation) was where my type education began. Analogue craftsmanship demands you to be resourceful and clever, I value the freedom that comes from working slow, with my hands, and without the safety net of {cmd+Z} to undo. Crafting and interrogating letterforms in this way is the best medium to learn the finer details of typography, lettering and type design.
In this one day workshop I will share some of what I have learned as well as my techniques for interrogating, drawing (and learning) about type. We will explore all the things you didn’t learn about type design and typography at school, using craft to unlock type’s dirty little secrets.
Learning Outcomes:
- Exploring the origins, anatomy, and vernacular of typography.
- Understanding recognition, legibility, archetypal forms, and the visual logic of typography.
- Using varied techniques for creating typography by hand.
- Gaining insight into the maths (geometry) and magic (common optical illusions/adjustments) used in typography.
- Participants will also deepen their understanding of typographic tone, what sounds look like, and the relationship between visual and verbal language.
DA Workshop, Hand Lettering with Kelly Spencer, 08 April Wgtn
Join Kelly Spencer, hand-letterer, designer and illustrator, for this full-day, Wellington-based typography workshop.
Workshop Summary
Take a well earned break from points and pixels in a 1 day intensive workshop studying the craft of hand lettering, with Wellington lettering artist Kelly Spencer.
Learning Outcomes
Workshop attendees will learn a range of practical hand lettering skills, building confidence in the creation of structured letterforms and design layout. Kelly will share her process through live demonstrations and explanations. A small class size allows the benefit of one on one time with Kelly, and students are encouraged to allow their individual style to flow, crafting their own custom design whilst being guided through tips and techniques for refinement.
The class will cover selection of materials, instruction on the execution of different alphabet styles, and the practical application of hand lettering to a custom illustration, exploring weight, shape and space.
Materials needed
Mechanical pencil, ink pen, eraser, ruler, tracing paper, paper stock.
20 people maximum.
About Kelly
Operating from Honey Badgers Studios in central Wellington, Kelly is a full time freelance illustrator best known for her beautifully crafted hand lettering. Whilst being primarily based in Wellington, Kelly loves to travel, and aims to head overseas at least once a year, painting walls across the world. She’ll also jump at any opportunity to explore and decorate homeland NZ.
Kelly’s creative style is characterised by a bold use of colour, curvaceous forms, clean lines, and hints of old-school. This broad approach allows her the freedom to design across a wide variety of media, and she enjoys creating both in-studio or out on the streets, adorning surfaces large and small with her colourful forms. Adventures to date include murals/street art, sign painting, book illustration, web design, apparel graphics, festival — gig branding, identity design and set design.
The fluidity of freelance life often leads to projects which allow collaboration with other artists across a variety of mediums. In addition to her contract work, Kelly is one of 5 directing members of The League of Live Illustrators — a lively and glittery team of graphic facilitators for hire.
Kelly does not engage in conversation before consuming coffee in the mornings, but is henceforth a social creature, taking great delight in the company of the 8 other talented creatives she shares her studio with. On the rare occasions where she’s not drawing, Kelly will be found sharing chardonnay with friends, practicing yoga, and patting other people’s dogs.
DA Workshop: The Essentials of Typography with Nicole Arnett Phillips, 28th May 2017, Christchurch
Join Brisbane-based type designer Nicole Arnett Phillips aka TypographHer, for this full-day, hands-on typography workshop in Christchurch: The Essentials of Typography – Everything about type that you didn’t learn at school! Sunday, […]
6 years ago by Louise Kellerman
5 Minutes with… Kelly Spencer
Design Assembly is delighted to present a Wellington-based workshop with talented type designer Kelly Spencer. Ahead of this event, we grabbed a quick five minutes with Kelly to find out […]
6 years ago by Louise Kellerman