From the elegance of copperplate engraving to the punch of robust Fat Face fonts, the Modern letter continues to be extremely useful in contemporary advertising and design. Its vertical stress, uniform proportions, and simple serif structure make the style particularly easy to modify and thus remarkably adaptable to all sorts of visual communication. In this workshop students will learn how to customize hand-drawn Modern letterforms and exploit their inherent versatility for different uses.

Beginning with an introduction to the genre’s distinct characteristics, participants will gain a foundational understanding of how these qualities can be manipulated to produce an extensive array of results. Skill-building exercises will focus on the development of both precision and expression in creating unique wordmarks for a variety of applications. Slide presentations will illustrate the numerous varieties, descendants and by-products of the Modern genre, while drawing demonstrations will aid students as they bring logos and lettering from the conceptual stage to completion.