Here are some images of my work on the first 4 letters of the "peace" alphabet assignment. I usually start a lettering project with lots of thought before even putting pen to paper. Wanting my alphabet to be "peaceful" I decided I wanted them soothing, gentle, soft edges, sans-serif, simple. These are words I kept coming back to. As I said in a few comments of others' work, I realized that I also kept going back and forth with "peaceful" vs. "peace" or "attaining peace" which each conger very different things for me. Peace is fragile - yet my letters are sturdy. PeaceFUL - congers simple, solid, yet attaining and maintaining peace is anything but simple. So, it really shows what a variety I'm sure we will all come up with!!
I started out with pencil. I wanted a mono-line letter (no thicks/thins). I was thinking of rounded ends - but then I thought the letters looked too casual and cartoony. I finally decided to render my alphabet using a brush with an ink wash. I decided on lower-case letters which, to me, are "simpler" less "fussy" than caps. I am going to emboss the letters for the final project.
I transferred the images to Bristol board to make the embossing template. The letters fit into the 7cm x7cm frame, but I've made the embossing template slightly larger just so I can handle them more easily.
You will notice here that I had initially prepared the templates backwards! (I glued the counter shape onto a translucent paper that is on the back of the Bristol board). I could have
de-bossed the letters, but in the end, I fixed them so the templates are
"backwards" and the resulting embossed letter will appear correctly.
Here, I embossed letters on individual 7cm x 7cm squares. I'm
thinking the final project could be an exemplar with all the letters
embossed in an interesting composition on one sheet of paper.Thinking ahead to simplifying the rest of the alphabet, I might have to return to previous letters to "tweak" them so they all "fit" together as an entire alphabet.
I have realized with this experience that I am not a very good photographer!!
I enjoyed reading about your process and why you choose lower-case letters instead of capitals, for example. Also the reason you discarded the cartoonish mono-line version. I really love the embossing and the serenity of white on white. Beautiful work!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I enjoy discussing the process...hope I didn't get too wordy! I like reading about other's process, too!
DeleteVery peaceful. Thanks for sharing your thought process and the actual process of creating the final embossed letters. I love the simplicity of the final white on white pieces.--Julie
ReplyDeleteI think I might try other papers, too...but keeping "same color on same color".
DeleteBlind embossing: white on white work is so attractive, and as you say, so peaceful.
ReplyDeleteIs that the technical term? Blind embossing. I never knew that! Thanks! It makes it easier to explain, definitely! Thanks!
DeleteHi Sally, there is also something pure about your letters... the final letters being free of ink or paint - love your process!
ReplyDeleteSx
Well done Sally, blind embossing is lovely but time consuming.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of process Sally and really enjoy reading how other folk think their way thru a project; what lay behind their choices etc, so am more than happy to read of the ups and downs and wins of creating an alphabet. White on white - or just any embossing really, always makes me very happy - I know I will enjoy watching this space!
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