Typography Projects
These are a few interesting typographic explorations & projects I’ve done.
Murdah Loves John
This piece was inspired by one of my favorite actors in one of my favorite shows — Idris Elba in ‘Luther’. He happens to also be a talented musician so he created an album inspired by his character in the show, John Luther, a detective. The music is pretty good and it encapsulates everything about the show and that particular character. I didn’t feel the same about the album artwork, so, this is my take on it. The show, itself, is a crime thriller/drama. John Luther is rough around the edges, gritty and often conflicted, yet, there’s a very cerebral gravity to him.
*click image to enlarge
*original below
República de Chile
This is a typographic illustration for a company based in the República de Chile. I used the colors from the Chilean flag along with the national flower, the copihue (Chilean bellflower).
*click image to enlarge
Wennie
This is a project I did as practice. I jump at the opportunity to do custom type design whenever I can! I usually start from sketches to lay the foundation of what I’m going for. For me, the concept has to be solid with pen and paper before I do anything digital.
*click image to enlarge
Happy Juneteenth!
This is a piece I did to celebrate Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had become official on January 1, 1863.
It’s actually a mixed-media piece with the combination of a led pencil to sketch the form, white acrylic paint for the highlights and black acrylic paint for the speckles.
*click image to enlarge
Stack Cheddar 4eva…
Live Treacherous…
All The ETCs…
Dead Presidents
Music is as much a part of my design process as my ability to see what I’m doing. Every project takes me to a different place, mentally. So, I try to pair the music I’m listening to with the mood that I’m trying to tap into for a particular project. From conversations I have with other creatives, I know that we all like to work within our own subjective comfort. That could be anything from a spotless desk, a slightly unorganized work space, a quiet room, in the midst of chaos — or whatever. Music is my comfort. It’s my background noise. This exploration is my way of paying homage to my love for music and how it helps me. The subject I chose for this is Jay-Z (who happens to be my favorite artist) and his song, Dead Presidents ll, from his first album Reasonable Doubt. Each piece is inspired by lyrics from the song. They serve as what I personally imagine as the backdrop for the song when I’m listening to it. Jay-Z is one of the best storytellers in music. So, it’s no surprise that he painted such a vivid picture of enterprise, hustle, risk and grandeur with this record.
*click image to enlarge
*press play below to listen to song