12 Months of Type: Acrylic

Here are some highlights from February's typographic adventures with acrylic for 12 Months of Type. Check out all previous posts here, and follow my current progress on Instagram.

Also, watch for new work coming to the shop on Monday.

Have a great weekend! Stay warm!

CR

Sign painting fun

Above is the finished washroom sign I created for Hank's Cafe. I wanted the style to match the existing wordmark, pictured below (designed by Key Gordon).

Since I couldn't track down the original typeface, I used the system & characteristics of the existing letterforms in Hank's to create the letters I needed for the word Washrooms. Throw in a nice, swashy arrow, a white drop shadow, and the design was complete! A couple additional process shots below.

Love

I hope your day is filled with love!

Ligatures Meeting Nº4

The next Ligatures type club meeting is happening next Thursday at SOMA Chocolatemaker. Yum!

Please RSVP on our new and improved website: ligatures.ca


(Poster design & banner lettering by yours truly.)

Calendar sale!

If you haven't picked up a calendar for this year yet, you still have time! My 2014 hand-lettered calendar is 25% off in my shop. Simply enter promo code LOVE2014 at checkout.

Limited quantities remaining!

Toy block alphabet print

Remember my toy block alphabet and numerals I posted a couple months ago? Due to popular demand, the full set is now available as a print! These 9" x 9" posters are ink jet printed in Toronto in full colour on 180gsm ultra white matte cotton-based art paper. Pick up your copy over at my shop.

Two-word truths

One of my favourite lettering projects last year was the Be Kind lino print I created for my winter collection. I enjoyed every aspect of the process, from the original sketching, to the carving, to the inking and printing of the final pieces (you can check out the full process here). But most importantly, I loved that such a short, simple phrase resonated with so many people.


I decided to take what I learned from that project and expand it in to a year-long project I am calling "Two-word truths". Each month for 2014, I will commit to creating one new limited edition lino print based on a short inspirational quote. The copy has already been selected and the layouts have been finalized to ensure that that series has a cohesive flavour. At the beginning of each month, I will unveil the "truth" for the month, and at the end of 2014, I will have 12 new prints!

Here is a preview of how the year will look, with the first two prints (for January and February) revealed:



The first two prints, "Do good" and "Work hard" are printed and available for purchase for $20 each. These 9" x 9" limited edition lino prints are based on original hand-lettering by yours truly. Printed in black ink on bright white 250gsm cotton archival paper.



And here's the best part: I have also created a "Two-word truths" print-of-the-month subscription. For $120 (a 50% savings!), you can pre-purchase all 12 prints and receive a new print in your mailbox at the beginning of each month.

You can subscribe at any point during the year – I will simply send you all the prints that have been released up to that date.

The "Two-word truths" print-of-the-month subscription is a perfect gift for anyone who loves hand-lettering and all things handmade. Think about how awesome it would be to give – and receive – an inspirational piece of art of each month!

I am so excited to watch this project grow throughout the year. I hope that these hand-lettered, hand-printed, heart-felt words will create joy and inspiration in your home or work space.

Watch for third print coming in first week of March – keep your eyes on my Instagram to watch my progress. And head over to the shop to pick up your copy of "Do good" and "Work hard" today!

Thanks for your support!

12 Months of Type: Ink

Here are some highlights from January's typographic adventures with ink for 12 Months of Type. Check out all previous posts here, and follow my current progress on Instagram.

Have a great weekend!

CR

Everyday

A lovely mention of the 12 Month of Type project on the UPPERCASE Magazine blog! Thanks again to Erin and Janine for their love and support, and for my new notebooks that will keep my ideas flowing all year long.

Be sure to pick up your UPPERCASE everyday notebooks here!

Ligatures Meeting Nº3

Just a reminder that Ligatures Meeting Nº3 is happening tonight at Coach House Books.

Please RSVP at ligatures.ca.

(Lettering above is by the talented Kyle Gallant!)

12 Months of Type

If you've ever stopped by my blog, you'll know that I love two things: letters, and year-long projects.

2010: 26 in 52 research project
I researched all 26 letters of the English alphabet (origins, history, and interesting anecdotes).

2011: 12 over 12 research project
I decided to do the same for numbers, investigating the numbers one through twelve (background, symbolism, and fun facts).

2012: Alphabet 100 lettering project
I choose one letter of the alphabet each week, and illustrated it 100 different ways. After the 5200 (!) sketches and 200+ hours, I compiled the final 52 illustrations into one awesome print, available for purchase in my shop.

2013: 12 in '13 for '14 calendar lettering project
Each month, I hand-lettered a dozen calendar header options each month. After curating the selects, I rendered the final titles in Illustrator and incorporated them into the layouts. I created a supplementary set of numerals and capitals for the week title (a full post on the process here). And voila! An extra special, hand-lettered, limited edition calendar, also available for purchase in my shop.

This year, I set these goals for myself:

• create more art
• practice, practice, practice my lettering
• get away from my computer
• try techniques and materials I've never used before
• get messy!

And that's how 12 Months of Type was born. The premise is pretty simple: each month will be dedicated to one art medium. And for the entire month, I will immerse myself in the new medium, and create as many typographic pieces as I can. Some will be highly experimental, some more refined, and some will likely end up as special pieces of typographic art available for purchase.

Here's a breakdown of how the year will progress:



And the best part: you can participate! Feel free to follow my schedule, or create your own monthly projects. If you want me to share them on my blog, please send me an email, or just hashtag them with me on Instagram as #12monthsoftype.

So let's get started! I'm off to do some ink projects for the rest of January – please watch my Instagram for the most up-to-date projects.

I hereby declare 2014 The Year Of Type!

Lessons from 2013

Every year, I keep an ongoing list of quotes and mantras to keep me motivated.

With a bright colour palette, a bit of creative copyrighting, and some new ink lettering, I am happy to present the words that kept me going in 2013:



This year, to spread the word and keep these ideas alive all year round, I've created a couple of fun FREE downloads! You can adapt these for your desktop or mobile devices, or even print a copy to display in your home or office.

Here's to making 2014 the best!

CR


Horizontal
High res (1980px x1440px)
Low res (576px x 432px)


Vertical
High res (1440px x 1980px)
Low res (576px x 768px )

p.s. Want larger sizes or custom prints? Please send me an email!