Posts

Images of YOU

Image
Here is another example of images as letterforms. The letters Y, O, and U, are formed by images of YOU. This is a screen shot I took from an online ad. It was late in the night and I did not notice from and by whom it was created. Maybe Facebook? Vodafone? Please, if you know more details, write a comment below, I will appreciate it. I can recall that you could roll over on the single image and a little pop-up opened to show the name and more details of the person. In this blog you can find other examples of images as letterforms . Let's notice what they have in common: - the letterforms are formed by the object or meaning of the word itself. In this case the word YOU is formed by individual "you-s".

Joni Mitchell

Image
by Ben Duarri-Screen Prince Joni Mitchell was the first portrait of a female I attempted, shortly after discovering the pointed pen nib used for copperplate and flourishing. Copperplate became the modern hand at the end of the 19th century and has since become a favorite for popular sign-writing and commercial graphics. A delicate and smooth flowing hand, it can be written quickly using one continuous line [unlike gothic script] and can be dressed down to a basic joined up writing or dressed up accentuating the loops and curves and because of the nature of the nib, when pressure is added, the line widens adding curve and sensuality to the words. These words, from A Case Of You on her hit album Blue , draws from the metaphor of her lover being like fine wine, “I could drink a case of you and I would still be on my feet”. However the song is not just a compliment, there is a sense of sadness, a splitting and ending of a relationship and the drinking in bars to numb the hurt...

A calligram with... touch!

Image
Type your word, draw your picture and get a calligram in few seconds with TypeDrawing with just a touch. It is so easy and fun! TypeDrawing is an application for iPhone and iPod Touch. Like calligrams, drawing with letters is what the application is all about. I was amazed the first time I tried it on my husband's iPod Touch! - I typed the sentence, Everything is all right, right now. - I chose a white background paper - I selected the font style, its size, color and opacity - and then just let the intuition flow and drew a vase of flowers, just with my index finger! Then - I saved it in an iPhoto Album - went into iPhoto and sent it directly to my husband as a sign of gratitude for introducing to me such an interesting and fun application. And all within few minutes. On Flickr there is a TypeDrawing Group Pool and it's clear how many people are enjoying and using their creativity with this tool. I am exploring it daily and I am finding it truly amazing. It allows an entirely...

Free your mind

Image
by Rick Ligas Some of us believe that the only real revolution is the personal revolution and that the only peace that exists in the world is our own internal peace of mind and heart. This calligram, titled Free your mind , by Laura Ruggeri , shows that belief in a clear and subtly powerful way. Looking at a world that seems so unpeaceful (even if, on any given day, there are billions more peaceful people than non peaceful people) we are reminded that peace starts within each of us and flows out to our family, friends and beyond. It doesn't exist anywhere else. This lovely calligram quietly reminds us that there is nothing mysterious or difficult to understand about world peace. It reminds us that world peace is simply our individual peace of mind and heart naturally projected into the world from our daily actions. If we want a peaceful world we have the responsibility to become and remain peaceful individuals. "Free your mind instead" comes from the lyrics of Revolution ...

Letterforms made by STUFF

Image
The word STUFF is part of the logo-title designed by Ruben DeLuna for the very succeful 20-minute documentary THE STORY OF STUFF with Annie Leonard .  "The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever." says Annie. As you can see the letterforms are made by stuff that everyday we consciously or unconsciously buy, collect, store-and-forget-we-have, stuffing our environment and, most importantly, stuffing our mind. In the yoga tradition the mind is called "citta vrtti" translated in english as "the mind stuff". Stuff that comes from the past and stuff that we desire in the future could be objects, memories and emotions that in some way stuff our lives. Try to open your closet. Can you find something you do...

A Summer of virtues

Image
a yoga calligram card by Laura Ruggeri From the depth of my heart I wish you a Summer full of: cheerfulness compassion courage determination friendliness generosity love openness peacefulness purity strength tolerance trust wisdom These are in alphabetical order only for convenience but... let's set up our priorities and sincerely follow them! May this Summer shines from within You.

Jimi Hendrix

Image
by Ben Duarri-Screen Prince The third calligram in The Royalty Series , Jimi Hendrix , is entirely hand drawn lettering using lyrics from "Are You Experienced?" , from his break-through album of the same title. I drew from the phsychedelic posters of the time such as Martin Sharp's Bob Dylan cover print of Oz magazine,“Blowing in the Mind” and the work of John Van Hamersveld, Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelly, among others. Here, Jimi is elevated to a sun-god status, a messiah of rock and roll, with little sun rises in his eyes and mouth refering to the line “ we'll hold hands and then we'll watch the sun rise from the bottom of the sea... ” that makes up his jaw and arched moustache and side burns. The overall impression I wanted to acheive was that of an apparition or hallucination in a cloud of purple smoke and golden sunlight passing through it. So far, one edition of 20 of the classic gold -lightly blended with green edges at the beginning of the run- and purple...