Type project began in July 2006 after my inital sign designs* were presented. (see below)
I sent my first working font to the Exhibit/ Graphic Design for use in January 2007.
Click Here for the Single Sisters site.
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Here is the basic story of the development of the new typeface for the Salem Academy and College Single Sisters House.
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Above: JS doing first brush drawings
Above middle: Date stone from the Sisters house, 1785 At right: JS brush lettering on paper which were my working drawings. |
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Meeting and reviewing my intial designs… August 2006
After pencil sketches in my notebook, I wrote out words in the proposed letter style to show rhythm, form and proportion, so that I could see how they "worked" together in black and white. |
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After approval, the brush lettering was scanned and then re-drawn in Illustrator to make the lettering digital. Next it is imported into FontLab Studio to be made into a font. Once at this stage, the typedesign gets revised, spaced, kerned and hinted; all terms of type design that result in making a custom font useable on a computer.
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This typeface has a historical reference, yet it is a modern interpretation. It is not as simple as copying some old gravestones.
Background: I was always intrigued with early lettering in stone. God's Acre and other sites provided many clues as to lettering the Moravians would have used. At right: I developed the overall look of the signage to be At left: Upper: Historic Stone from God's Acre. Below: Modern day stone carved lettering designed by John Stevens (carved by Martin O'Brien) |
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Below: more screenshots of the digitization process.
Left: John Stevens, brush lettering. |
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It has been my great pleasure to work with Gwynne, Jane & Denni on this project. I am especially grateful to "our benefactor"…for offering the opportunity for me to do a typeface for the Sisters' house- to be a small part of this important renovation.
Letterforms are like architecture in that they are vital to society and reflect an important desire of humanity to imbue useful things with an aesthetic quality. They each reflect the time period in which they were created and have a long and beautiful history. Thank you, John Stevens |
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©2007 John Stevens Design | All rights reserved | March 2007
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