B&W Abstract Typography (Glyphs)
What are Glyphs?
Have you ever heard of the word glyph? What about hieroglyphs?
Glyphs are a hieroglyphic character or symbol otherwise known as a pictograph.
This assignment was created to teach us what a balanced, cohesive glyph design looks like. Since we are required to keep the glyphs black and white, we are learning how to be more creative with placement and size.
Final composition of the San-Serif and the Serif glyphs
Step 01: Thumbnail Sketches
The first step to creating a thought out design is to sketch. Bringing pencil to paper helps you to brainstorm ideas and create designs you otherwise wouldn't come up with. Though it can be tricky at times, creating a dozen or so sketches makes the digitalizing process go a lot smoother.
My 24 sketches for this assignment
To help with creating better sketch letter and understand the difference of san serif and serif fonts, we sketched out the letter "g". As you can see, they are almost opposite of one another. One is more elegant and unique, while the other is boxy and simple.
Step 02: Digital Sketches
Now that you have completed your rough draft sketches, it's time to get out the computer. Digital sketches can be more complicated, but after getting out all your ideas onto paper, you can focus more on the ones that would actually be possible.
I created 6 completely different glyphs in order to get inspiration for my final composition
Step 03: Creating Variations
After creating and choosing your favorite glyphs, the next step is to tweak. For example, my favorites from the digital sketches I made were numbers 1 and 5. I loved the way the "a" and the "I" balanced out the strong, sharp lines of the the 'k" while also giving it a whimsical feel. As for the serif, I loved the curves of the "m" and the upside down "2". Though these designs look great, I felt like there was something missing. This is were the variations come it. I can tweak each one just a bit, making it better each time.
Step 04: Final Selection
Now that you've tweaked and change the glyph to your liking, it's time for you to place them in their final resting place which will allow you to display your amazing work! Congratulations, you created Abstract Glyphs!
My completed abstract glyphs
