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Spring 2021  ︎ SUNY Purchase ︎ (DES3440) Typographic Investigations

Schedule Overview

(schedule is subject to change based on your feedback and necessity)

Week 01 ︎ 02/02/2021 ︎


Week 02 ︎ 02/09/2021 ︎


Week 03 ︎ 02/16/2021 ︎


Week 04 ︎ 02/23/2021 ︎

  • Discussion on clarity for Project #2: Calligraphy Conversion
  • Knitting Circle: Drawin’ in Glyphs
  • Spiel: Roman capitals, calligraphy acclimation

Week 05 ︎ 03/02/2021 ︎

  • In class: Calligraphy (Roman capitals)

  • Knitting Circle: Intro to Glyphs/Birdfont (interface and basic drawing)
  • For next week, create (condensed, sans serif) capitals I, L, H, E, F, T, A, V and Y out of modified in simple rectangles. Output a font (.TTF, .OTF) of your progress.
  • For next week, create 3 pages of Roman Capital calligraphy, focusing on pangrams of your choice.

Week 06 ︎ 03/09/2021 ︎

  • In class: Calligraphy (Foundational hand, “lower case”) 
  • For next week, create (condensed, sans serif) capitals W, M, N, Z, U out of modified in simple rectangles. Output a font (.TTF, .OTF) of your progress.
  • For next week, create 3 pages of Foundational hand calligraphy, focusing on pangrams of your choice.

Week 07 ︎ 03/16/2021 ︎

  • In class: Calligraphy (blackletter)

  • In class: Q & A on basics of drawing in Birdfont and Glyphs. Discuss using Font Forge (for Windows peeps).
  • For next class: Practice the calligraphy we have done thus far. Do at least three pages of practice on blackletter, and refine the previous alphabets we looked at before.

Week 08 ︎ 03/23/2021 ︎

  • No Class!


Week 09 ︎ 03/30/2021 ︎

  • In class: calligraphic decoration and blackletter majuscule options
  • In class workshop/tech talk/Q & A on Fontforge/Birdfont and Glyphs. Check in on progress with calligraphy and font conversion.
  • For next week, start a font based on one of the calligraphy options we’ve already done. Start with (at least) 5 letters. Choose from among H, I, L, E, T, F, O, G, V, and A for Roman Capitals as an example. Output a font (.TTF, .OTF) of your progress.
  • For next week, take a version of one of the forms of calligraphy we have previously examined and create a more finalized piece of writing from it featuring decoration or embellishment of some kind. Please use Photoshop here to refine the best versions of letters you have and to remove dots and guide lines. It is okay to embellish digitally as well. 

Week 10 ︎ 04/06/2021 ︎

  • (please note this class will be slightly truncated for the Design Gathering)
  • Spiel: Historical models and inspirations
  • Review of all calligraphic outcomes pt.1
  • For next week, continue a font based on one of the calligraphy options we’ve already done. Complete the remaining letters. Output a font (.TTF, .OTF) of your progress.

Week 11 ︎ 04/13/2021 ︎

  • Introduction to Final Project: Face-time!
  • Spiel: Stress & Contrast
  • Review of all calligraphic outcomes pt.2
  • Review all font outcomes pt.1
  • HW︎︎︎
    • Refine your font for Calligraphic Conversion based on feedback from class.
    • Start final project, research and sketching component

Week 12 ︎ 04/20/2021 ︎

  • Review all font outcomes pt.2
  • HW︎︎︎
    • Refine your font for Calligraphic Conversion based on feedback from class.
    • Continue final project, research and sketching component

    Week 13 ︎ 04/27/2021 ︎

    • Final Project check-ins / presentations
    • HW︎︎︎
      • Continue final project, research and sketching component

    Week 14 ︎ 05/04/2021 ︎

    • Final Project check-ins

    Week 15 ︎ 05/11/2021 ︎

    • Final Project Critiques pt. 1

    Week 16 ︎ 05/18/2021 ︎

    • Final Project Critiques pt. 2
    • Unofficial Class Feedback Session
    • Havdalah