p r a g u e . b l a g u e

just for S's and G's

AREN'T WE SOOOOO CUTE?!?!

Oops! (I did it again)

I recently submitted my display typeface as part of a scholarship portfolio (fingers crossed, please), so for some reason that I cannot explain, I thought that it would be a good idea to reformat my folio so that the presentation would appear more consistent in size and color. The results are below, and the unnatural joy that I've experienced by working with this typeface so many times has directed me to the possibility of completing an independent study in type design this fall semester. I would love to finish Restoration by resolving the awkwardness found in the 'Z' and other characters, design a set of accompanying diacritical marks, and try my best to introduce a lowercase alphabet. I often find myself browsing through the thousands of photos I took on our Prague trip, and there is so much inspiration for unique type design that I can't help but be intrigued by the seemingly endless options. It would be great to start developing a handful of distinctly different ideas and see what might be possible (and reasonable) for the future. My major focus would be digitizing historical and/or hand-drawn typography, to "restore" those examples, if you will. Please excuse my cheesiness. I'm just happy because I started work this week.

Love,
Jay Jay

P.S. I miss you guys.

new folio jaunt

After taking into consideration the fact that I had, once again (no surprises here), done the wrong project, I began redesigning the presentation folio for the display typeface Restoration. The images here are presented as single sheets, but the final format for the folio would still be a booklet. The expressive poster can be found in a pocket in the back of the booklet. I am still working on the design for the final spread, which includes references to the typeface's inspiration as well as some process work from my sketchbook and grid paper drawings. This will have to become one of my summer projects, so for now, here are the updated alphabet display and type in words sheets as well as the expressive poster. Still getting there, but miraculously, I am still enthusiastic and excited about the type design project and hope to continue to resolve some of the lingering issues.

400 SHOW

Some photos from the advanced studio show in Brooks:

After seeing some familiar faces (Mike Beavers, Sharon, Kalesia, Critter and Dana), Tanaka and I bumped into Santiago in the breezeway and had a very nice chat about our experiences in Prague as well as the work we presented in the show. He was genuinely positive and enthusiastic about the work we have been doing, apologetic about the black and white output (it had to be done for speed!), and excited to see us. Our posters looked great, and if anyone would like to see them, I believe they will be up until tomorrow (May 4th). They will be shown again over the summer and during Open House, so we all have a chance to update them with our lastest revisions, if you're into that sort of thing.

memory factory

The Big Kahuna

Details

folio booklet

Front (r) and Back (l) Covers:

Spread 1: Alphabet with Numerals and Special Characters

Spread 2: Type Used in Context (in words)

Spread: Values, Recommendations & Inspiration

numerals and all

I already posted my revised alphabet. I know I know. The Department of Redundancy Department. But I thought it would be helpful to be able to view all of the letters, special characters, and numerals (new! yay!) together. Yeah? OK, folio, now it's time for you...

jay jay's magical colors

This is the poster I am presenting at the Advanced Studio Show in Brooks. I feel like I have made so many changes in the mere week that has passed since we made these posters that I would really like to continue to revise the poster as I also wrap up revisions on my remaining projects. And by remaining projects, I mean... all of them. There are a few drawings (early souvenir sketches) that I would also like to include on the poster. With more time, I think it will show a more complete view of my work from this semester.

creatures

These suckers should be digitized by Monday, but the hand drawings have been an attempt to unify the diverse range of drawing styles found in my collections of illustrations. They complete the set when paired with the collective image of drawings posted earlier this month and reveal, to me, a distinction between drawings aimed at satisfying some need to nostalgic imagery within a city and creating something new with these more "creature-like" illustrations. There also seems to be a strong difference between what forms are known and immediate in recognition versus the ambiguous nature of ther others. It should be interesting to see them placed together, interwoven, and interacting with each other in some environment, the point of which is to show some sense of my experience here in the chaotic, random way that is so close to the actual activity of my brain...

The first image is the second half of the set of older-style drawings. The second two images are the complete set of new-style creatures.

spanish synagogue

My mom and I got in touch with our Jewish heritage this weekend by visiting the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Spanish Synagogue. Both were amazing, and the Synagogue had some interesting type handpainted on the stained glass windows. If I hadn't been so damn hungry I would have tried to draw the whole alphabet.

Here's what I managed to copy: