OTIS GUILE (Xtype)

Experimental Type fall 2011

Front and back cover:

This is the front and back cover to the process book I made after the fall experimental type class.

I used this treatment for all of the section breaks throughout the entire process book.

Experimental Type: A Process

Patrick M. Garcia

Fall 2011

(Title page)

ACAM:

ACAM started out on graph paper and was soon developed into various letters based on a common concept. The mechanical letters would later be reproduced three dimensionally. ACAM is a factitious word that these letter forms spawn from. The process is in chronological order, each step wielded new alternatives and characters to explore.

Drawn letters:

Graph paper was the medium used to establish a series of letters. The triangle was used as a foundation to create multiple letters and concepts. I wanted to establish depth in each of the letters by adding shading. The goal was to capture three levels of depth in each of the letters

(a fore ground, middle ground and a back ground).

The Letter (G):

I tried various ways to create the illusion of depth. I even tried the idea of the letter opening up in certain areas and being connected with fine lines. The reoccurring theme in the letters to come was the idea that they are delicate and although the hard lines and sharp corners provide

a apprehensive nature to them, the letters are in fact very brittle and would break

if dropped.

The Letter (N):

This was the second of the letters from this alphabet that I created.

I have expressed the idea of depth by adding in shading, I wanted to translate the idea of diagonal lines into these letters. Every letter in this alphabet would have three layers and would all follow similar rules based on the grid.

The Letter (N):

The final version of a letter would look something like this. The triangle pillars start to hint at the influences of robotics.

The Letter (M):

The first letter I created from the alphabet was the letter M. The letter M translated easily into the format and rules I set up. This is the initial sketch of the letter.

The Letter (M):

This is a possible extended version of a letter. The foreground pillars might be too short. In three dimensions, the letter would be connected by very delicate points.

The Letter (M):

The final version of the letter. After several tweaks to the letter I was able to come up with a form that is based in science fiction with the letter displaying pail color tones as well as a cold beak feel from the foreground white pillars. Developing a display typeface off of this letter is the next step

The Letter (E):

Another possible letter variation of the alphabet. Instead of using the triangle as the staple of the set, the square is introduced to provide

a similar look and feel of the letters above. Although the idea of the letter being brittle and fragile is lost with the strong connections of the extensions of the E.

The Triangles:

The same triangle was photographed at different angles to provide several options. The reflection can provide another intriguing element to these letters. Different colored triangles might be another way to provide more complexity to this alphabet. Combining all the ideas into

a sculpted three dimensional letter would provide a very interesting beginning of an elaborate alphabet.

The Letter (A):

I stared to think of the triangle in three dimensions. I started with a drafting triangle and after taking multiple shots of the triangle at different angles I was able to construct this letter.

The Letter (W):

Another version of the drafting triangle letter. In three dimensions the letter would be very complex with the available option of passing in and out of the circle in each triangle. Also, the circle provides a way for the triangles to weave together.

The Letter (A):

This letter was made of pictures from architecture books. I took several pictures of different parts of buildings (the outside, inside, schematics, and sketches). I started to play with the angles to make the illusion of depth. I continued to extend the lines with my own drawings. I found using the schematics and the sketches of architecture to be the most useful. The stairs make this letter have different levels which add to the overall illusion of depth and space.

The Letter (C):

Using schematics and drawings of architecture, I was able to create another letter. But this time I used the drawings in a way to make it look like the pieces were connected as oppose to matching the lines. The letter is robotic and heavy and stays in the realm of science fiction.

ACAM:

|ak’am|

ACAM is based on the ideas of: perspective, triangle, depth, dimension, steel, construction, modern, machine, transformers and mechanics. Using some of these ideas, I was able to create more variations of how the letters would interact. Ultimately I would probably be separating these forms to create alphabets of their own. This is the first layout of the word. The individual letters would be the concept behind the kerning of the letters. All of them would be in close proximity to one another so they can interact.

ACAM:

These are additional layouts of the word ACAM. Although these layouts are not readable, they cross the lines into their own forms. I created these in the shadow of robotic creatures. Their inspiration comes from the smaller transformers from the 80’s cartoon movie.

ACAM:

I started to experiment more by adding additional letters to the form. These variations start to become more abstract and take on

different structures.

ACAM In The Third:

The letter M was the foundation that these three-dimensional letters tried to imitate. I shopped around the Depot and I thought that razor blades would transition nicely into the three layers, as well as display the idea that the form is connected at very fragile points. Materials consisted of: Super Glue, quick set, Razor blades (100 count). I used whatever I could find to provide a vice for the razor blades to be joined.

The Letter (M):

The first attempt at this was a bit difficult. The material it was made out of and the points I chose to connect the blades together was very delicate. I would start by attaching two blades on a flat surface with one bead of super glue. I would repeat the step to form two identical pieces. I would attach these two together with glue. The process of balancing the pieces together after that to construct a letter was even more challenging. But the final result was a good one.

The Letter (A):

I perfected the technique by attaching the blades with tape before applying glue to make the process easier. This letter turned out less messy.

I placed the glue on the connecting pointS very delicately and took my time to built up a strong connection.

ACAM In The Third Part 2:

I used plexie glass to recreate the letter A from the orange plastic triangles. This did not go as well as I had hoped. The plexie glass was hard

to cut, so the variation in shapes made it so the letter would not be symmetrical. The glue I used left a stain on the plexie glass and when

I cleaned it with Windex the stains were more pronounced. I think if I was going to continue with this, I would have to be a lot more patient and find a different way to cut the shapes out.

ACAM Icosahedron (20 Sides):

I used the ideas from the ACAM paragraphs to construct a 20 sided polygon. To the left is how the shape would appear if it was flat.

An Icosahedron is made up of 20 equilateral triangles. It is a shape that is very easy to make and with this treatment was very successful. However I would use more scale shifts in the next version.

POSTERS:

A collection of the different posters from the course. They are the result of combining most of the material into a composition. I enjoyed the opportunity to combine all the letter, forms, and concept together to really give what I had made even more life. The Posters provided a chance to see if all the elements could be place in an entirely new space. Each poster gave me a chance to see the capabilities of each letter and how they could interact with other forms.

ACAM I:

This was the first poster I made for ACAM. It shows the word at the top along with variations of how the letters could interact with one another. The variations act as mechanical working robots.

ACAM II:

I combined the icosahedron with the robotic forms of ACAM and was able to give them a physical place that they would inhabit. The robots repair the polygonal shaped ships as they drift through space.

MACAW:

I started MACAW by folding paper to construct a paper alphabet. As I continued to create more and more letters, I eventually translated them digitally. This produced an entirely new environment for me to explore. MACAW is a very exciting new venture because it has an unlimited amount of potential and growth. I will continue to work on this typeface for as long as I am able.

MACAW:

My paper alphabet started to take shape as I began to make the letters more complex. I used black and vellum paper to continue with my new typeface, MACAW. I found that Vellum is more expensive than the black paper and would prove to be second best as I continued creating more letters and manipulating them. The letters that are shown: A, V, B, and C on the opposite.

MACAW Vellum: The letter C

MACAW Black Letter:

I started to make more letter forms, some are more successful than others. The letter L at the top of the page would probably need

to be revisited. However I did find a good outcome from the other letters represented. I decided to start to make all the letters in black

because the manipulation of them using Illustrator reaped a greater reward. The letters that are shown: L, B, Y, and W on the opposite.

MACAW Black Letter: The letter W

MACAW Words:

Out of the letters I started to form words. Seeing the letters together really brings in a new set of interests and places to investigate. The words are: Bay, Back, and Way on the opposite.

MACAW Black Letter: The word Way

MACAW Black Letter:

These are more of the letters that I started to produce. I found that it is becoming more and more difficult to come up with the right folds and variations of folding to create the existing letters in the alphabet. The letters that are shown: U,G,D, and B on the opposite.

MACAW Scarlet:

Manipulating these letter forms in Illustrator provides an infinite source of change and creation. I applied a color overlay, and traced the lines of the paper structure to come up with a solid letter B.

MACAW Outlines:

By tracing over the letters folds, I was able to reproduce the letter digitally and create a very compelling juxtaposition with the angular lines mixed with the rounder arches. The letter shown is: H.

MACAW Black Letter: The letter H

MACAW Vellum: The Letter K

MACAW Outlines: The Letter K

MACAW Scarlet: Vellum

This is how the vellum translated with the color overlay. The letter shown is: A.

MACAW Outlines: The Letter A

MACAW Scarlet: Vellum

MACAW Outlines: The Letter C

MACAW Scarlet:

I used magenta as the color to overlay to provide a strong contrast and color integration with the overlay effect. I have two versions of the letter one with the shadow and one without. I find that the one without the shadow would be a overall better choice. The letter shown is: W.

MACAW Outlines: The Letter W

MACAW Scarlet:

This is a personal favorite of the MACAW typeface because it starts to take on features of the Macaw. The letter shown is: M.

MACAW Outlines: The Letter M

MACAW WEAVER:

I started to combine the Outlines letters: M,A,C,and W to form a new letter set. These structures will continue to grow making this typeface infinite in expansion. The letter shown is: M.

MACAW WEAVER: The Letter A

MACAW WEAVER:

Each of these letters will have different stroke widths to provide texture. They will also have a hint of black on them for pronounced definition. The scale shifts in the letters makes the illusion of depth. As these letters are applied to form new ones, the amount of detail and the environment that the letter will create will be very intriguing. The letter shown is: C.

MACAW WEAVER: The Letter W

BLUE-AND-YELLOW MACAW:

The Outlines Letters M,A,C,and W were used to build a Blue-and-Yellow Macaw. These letter forms can be applied to just about anything and produce a magnificent result. The letter shapes translate the feathers very well.

Triacontagon Outlines: When applying text to the pieces of paper failed in real life, I used the digital option and applied different names and numbers of various multisided polygons.

Paper Triacontagon: This was made from 30 pieces square paper. I should have made this with the black paper. At the time I thought I could place text on the shape, but that did not work out as planned. In time young Skywalker, I might make this again.

POSTERS:

A collection of the different posters from the course. They are the result of combining most of the material into a composition. I enjoyed the opportunity to combine all the letter, forms, and concepts together to really give what I had made even more life. The Posters provided

a chance to see if all the elements could be place in an entirely new space. Each poster gave me a chance to see the capabilities of each letter and how they could interact with other forms.

MACAW I:

I tried the MACAW in color, but soon realized that black and white would be better. In this image, I am not sure if the shadows of the letters are needed or not. They still need to be reconsidered.

MACAW II:

The first black and white poster was a bit of a mess. I needed a layout grid for the chaos. I wanted the letters to act as if they were huddling together to make the bird, not stationary.

MACAW III:

I combined all the elements that I had with the MACAW family. The triacontagon seems out of place and I would ditch the type on it for later revisions. Although the layout in this version is much better.

Bad Type II:

Miracle Whip provided the red wavy lines in this composition. Echo came from a business sign. Even though I find the Miracle Whip logo to be distasteful I thought that this was an elegant solution.

Bad Type III:

This poster seems to be portraying the message of the poster a little better. I think to enhance the message the smaller butterflies would continue to fade away and become smaller.