#learning typography

[periaptgames]

A new fantastical uniquities poster! Really enjoyed pairing the typefaces and art for this concept.

Art credits: Chaoclypse. Map elements by Kyle Latino / Map Crow (https://mapcrow.itch.io/), CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), modified. Steven Colling. Maciej Zagorski / The Forge Studios. Compass rose by Art SilverGlass.

Fonts: FS Alvar, Lovecraft's Diary, Pathways, Passage.

This design dabbling was all about aligning and masking the more than 100 graphical elements. Lots of layers, for map features, the eye in the compass rose, the title text, the magnification effect, the foreground elements obscuring the stem of the magnifying glass, the sepia elements, the papyrus pattern, etc.

Pretty happy with this one overall, although I went over my two hour time limit. The 'Pathways' font (which looks like it has circles missing) was such a great find for the concept. I can see some of the poster's flaws, but a lot of the things I tried seemed to work.

[thanvunguyen]

A new post wake me up after a long long time no see tumblr

[periaptgames]

S.A.G.E.

(Everyone had that experience at the athenaeum where some barely-trained local inquisitor came in to tell the class that Cantrips Are One More Gateway To The Occult.)

Texture: Texturelabs.

Fonts: Advent Pro, Decalotype, Millimetre, Ostrich Sans, Saira, Selima.

Design dabbling: I wanted to try a proper composition and make a poster entirely from scratch. This uses no art assets other than the paper texture. I took the kernel of the idea in the D.A.R.E. direction because I was tickled by the absurdism and figured my own amateurishness would fit for that clumsy 80s aesthetic.

This was one of the most time-consuming of the thirty-something fantastical uniquities posters I've made, even though it's really simple. I didn't develop the design enough on paper first, which made for a lot of time-consuming digital changes.

[periaptgames]

Halfway through my month of fantastical uniquities posters!

This one's for my new game, Overzealous.

Art credits: Evlyn Moreau. Gordy Higgins. Adobe Stock. Lorc, CC-BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), modified.

Fonts: Nevermind Display Extra Condensed, Roboto Condensed, Moonrock.

Overzealous is funding on Kickstarter right now. Check it out!

Overzealous: Your cult has no chill!

A pen-and-paper solo RPG about some overenthusiastic cultists… and you, the god they’ll summon if they can just stay focused.

Today's design dabbling: Overzealous has a visual style of cartoon line art and matching thin letterforms. I wanted to try a conversion of line art to silhouettes and text to a hefty poster weight, while keeping it consistent with the established style and themes.

I like how the curve of a sickle imitates punctuation in the title.

I also made this alternative version:

[periaptgames]

Another fantastical uniquities poster! 'Ascent' is a common concept in tabletop games.

Art credits: Amanda Lee Franck. Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission. Some art by Josh Soper, © Josh Soper, 2017. Art by Hairic Lilred (https://hairic.itch.io/) and Emiel Boven (https://emielboven.itch.io/) used under CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), modified.

Fonts: Saira, Lora.

Today's design dabbling: Revisiting black-and-white, with a dip into some grid-based layout. I tried manually adjusting the title character letterforms as vector curves, but kind of botched it. I didn't go into it with enough of a plan, and the angles and spacing are a mess. Look at that awful S in particular.

That's how you learn!

[periaptgames]

Ugla is Old Norse for owl.

Art credits: Steven Colling, Adobe Stock.

Fonts: Lithos Pro, FS Sinclair, Floki.

Just a little design dabbling with monochrome and stone textures. The subject was a full-colour photograph of a historical reenactor, edited to match the gritty/inky style.

[periaptgames]

Hit da bricks

My next fantastical uniquities poster!

Art credits: Texturelabs. Adobe Stock.

Fonts: JSL Ancient, Old Newspaper Types.

Today's design dabbling: Used various methods of distressing the elements to give it a worn look. They all boil down to adding and subtracting. I also composited the sweatbands and re-kerned the title text.

I put some work into designing a version of the majuscule 'A' that looks like a hazard sign with an exclamation mark in it but still reads as an 'A'.

[periaptgames]

Here's my latest fantastical uniquities poster! After defeating the wicked wizard, you find his Collection of Imps Trapped in Stamps.

Art credits: Kim Holm (https://denungeherrholm.smugmug.com/), CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), modified. Perplexing Ruins. Adobe Stock. Texturelabs.

Fonts: Gentium Basic, lots of tiny snippets of other typefaces.

Today's design dabbling: Trying to imitate the look and feel of vintage postage stamps. Lots of little hand-made elements in this one: each stamp is combined from various templates, illustrations, text, and painted elements. I added the franking at the last minute and I think it looks okay.

I also made the sticky tape from scratch.

I had a clear concept from the outset and sketched a plan of the page to work from, and I think that helped a lot. I probably should have spent less time on the art and more on the typography, because the title doesn't really pop.