How to write like an architect

[editor]

I ran across this interesting video on the interweb today.

[TheNiche]

...and here I was waiting for the punchline, where presumably they'd make fun of the guy's anal retentiveness or just the general God Complex that architects seem to have.

Nope. It's a video about caligraphy.

[infinite_jim]

I can do mine w/o a meter

However this is becoming a lost art as most young folks today are more consumed with the computer production aspect of architecture.

Not hating on mental ray, but hand renderings do not even compare anymore.

The exception being water color hand renderings, something I've been trying to do for sometime now.

If your a big calligraphy buff check out Brazilian Handstyle graffiti, real talk.

[texas911]

I really hate it when architects use the hand lettering font in CAD drawings. Umm, it wasn't hand done, just use a regular font.

But hand lettering as is hand drafting and hand renderings are an art form that we're quickly losing.

[Dan the Man]

I was taught that the secret to good lettering was always pulling on the pen/pencil, not pushing. Orthogonal letters like "E" & "F" are made up of straight lines; if you are super-anal, like one of my professors in college, you only use a triangle and paralell bar for these letters (no freehand). "Curvey" letters such as "Q" or "O" are made up of a series of slightly curved marks done in freehand; ex: O = ( + ).

It takes a lot of practice. I'm still not completely happy with my lettering ability.

[20thStDad]

My lettering was what kept me from perfect scores in drafting. I loved it though, I wish I took more of those classes or had a reason to do it in real life. I've done minimal drafting for different projects over the years but haven't sat at a real drafting table since the class. I write like a four year old...that's why I type, very neatly.

[hadooga]

That was pretty interesting for me. When I was young, I used to sit and just write anything to practice hand lettering. I'd write the same sentence over and over in different ways. I've always been fascinated with different styles, long before I was even aware of words like 'font' or 'calligraphy' or anything similar. I also used to fancy myself an architect in elementary school and regularly drew blueprints of stuff, so perhaps that's where my attraction to lettering came from - I don't really know. My regular handwriting now is some weird mix of cursive & straight print. Letters occasionally get hooked together, but it definitely looks more like print. Sometimes on forms where you have to print your name and then sign it, they think I've just printed it again on the signature line. I quite often get asked to write things for others, though, because "your handwriting is so nice." I guess all those hours of writing were worth something, even though it's not much.

[infinite_jim]

I just finished watching "Helvetica".

I recommend it for all designers and architects.

[citykid09]

The video does not work.

[dbigtex56]

I just finished watching "Helvetica".

I recommend it for all designers and architects.

Thanks - hadn't heard of this film.

From the website:

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day. The film was shot in high-definition on location in the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium.

link

[sevfiv]

That does look interesting. The Aurora had a screening last year (sold out) - I wonder what other way there is to see it for us cable-free folks.

nevermind - $20 dvd

[dbigtex56]

That does look interesting. The Aurora had a screening last year (sold out) - I wonder what other way there is to see it for us cable-free folks.

nevermind - $20 dvd

Unfortunately, not available at Houston Public Library, according to their website.

[editor]

Unfortunately, not available at Houston Public Library, according to their website.

Do libraries do inter-library loans for DVDs, or is it just books?

[sevfiv]

Do libraries do inter-library loans for DVDs, or is it just books?

Depends on the library that owns the item - I've heard of some lending audio/visual materials and some that don't.

I did get to see Helvetica, and it was interesting but long. Maybe it was my mood at the time, but it might have been better as a 30-minute show..