This project was an assignment in Advanced Typography, where we were expected to already know how to use Adobe Illustrator in order to study further into the history of typography and how the structure and forms are important elements in design. The assignment was to create our own typeface by hand as our final semester project.
I was inspired by water color, brush strokes, and how liquid interacts with paper. In order to understand how letters are created by a brush, I had to practice creating the letters with a bursh using paint, water color, and ink. Then, I utilized a grid system to create a foundation for the typeface letter form structures. I studied how some of the letters can use the same strokes since some of them are partially created with the same strokes.
The name “Adam’s Ale” is derived from literary research on what water used to be originally called. Biblically, it is believed Adam had only unadultered water to drink in the Garden of Eden. Originally, it was referred to as “Adam’s Wine”, then as “Adam’s Ale”, and then “water”. The Temperance Movement in the 1830’s believed that since water is derived from nature it could be assumed that the first of men only had pure water to drink in the Garden. I felt that giving my typeface a unique name based on the history of water would add to the structure and aesthetics of the design.
For this project, I created my typeface by hand and had various sketches. I then uploaded my artwork from my sketchbook into Adobe Illustrator using the Adobe Creative Cloud applications available on iOS. I was able to make sure the letterforms were then at the same scale in Illustrator and partially trace some of my sketches. I had to utilize multiple layers and keep them organized since each vector shape required more than one enclosed path to create the final form of the letter.
Completed Fall Semester 2015.
KCarlton Designs 