The following collection is the result of one my latest studies on lettering and flourishes. Here, I explore different letter styles, swashes and their combinations, all rooted in the tradition of calligraphy and lettering.
Calligraphers and letterers have known that a flourish can be divided into 3 main components - the loop, spiral and s-curve. Older examples (above) show how these three elements work together to create robust ornaments. In this collection I apply those same principles with a contemporary approach.
The Magic Wave refers to the concept of one or a stream of s-curves placed parallelly under or above the word. The results can be mesmerizing, but the technique also has immense practical value, especially when it comes to balancing the lettering piece.
The spiral is a common flourish and is at the basis of many other flourishes and swashes. It's seldom used on its own dut to its simplicity but here it was used as the main ornament.
The process behind the designs is generally the same: (1) thumbnail sketches, followed by (2) detailed sketches on Procreate or pencil & paper, and lastly (3) vector tracings with (4) further adjustments.
