Drawn to type

Illustrated Type is everywhere, a trend seems to be forming lately teamed with artist determined to either make a typeface out of a bicycle, or create a single B out of bicycle parts (or whatever else is available.) The result of everyone's experiments is this enormous plethora of resources for every kind of artist, especially typographer's. It's as if we're faced with this hive of new ideas and emotions all begin to be put onto paper. But, the questions remains on whether or not that is appropriate.I couldn't even find a bicycle alphabet, frogs will do though. 

Think back to the reading of Bringhurst in using typefaces appropriately. Imagine you're writing a compilation of short stories about bicycles should we expect to see all of the O's in there with tiny spokes drawn in them? Or perhaps those tiny handlebars on the Y's? The truth is is that if we dared to fill our bicycle book with all this fluff and ornamentation our readers would be so overstimulated they probably wouldn't even make it past the first page. There eyes would circle around the "letterforms" in this endless cycle (no pun intended) that would take away from the point you were trying to make in the first place. Now, this doesn't mean that one should never use a flower ridden 'S' in their gardening book or an 'O' with the bat symbol in it, but think about the message you're trying to deliver, are you trying to show off the exquisite artistry or are you hiding your work behind flashy lights to jazz it up? The answer may surprise you. My opinion? Our work doesn't need shine and glitter to show it off, and as professionals the fact that we can take eloquence above gawdy is what will separate us from your everyday wanna-be. Illustrated Type is a beautiful medium, but let's show it off for it is, an image to compliment a letter form, and not a letter form to compliment an image.



My own personal favorites of Illustrated Type are those single letters redrawn, much like our assignment, here are some examples.


These are cover material, I'd put that 'A' on the front of my article, instead of on every 'A' in sight. Which do you think would be more appreciated?