Far Out Typography from the Cosmo's?

Australia's Cosmo Magazine that is...... Here’s the scoop, this Guinness Book of World Record human suburban typography was created with 1,010 bikini clad bathing beauties on the Australian suburban beach of Bondi breaking the previous one of 300. This great photo I obtained care of Military photos network forming the word cosmos was a publicity stunt for Australia’s Cosmos magazine cover to be displayed in their January 2008 issue due to hit the stands December 3rd 2007. I first heard the news of this record breaking occurrence care of E online news reported by Valery Ortiz via Comcast.net fan video. Far out? What a hoot!!

Now Read This?

You can't miss this sign Baltimore is the city that reads.

While driving into Baltimore City south bound on the 5400 block of Route 40's Pulaski Highway underpass to the fork in the road to Monument St. the train track overpass adorns a beautiful display of painted typography announcing your arrival to Baltimore City. I don't know how many times I drove past this one but I can assure you it is one of the most legible signs you can read while driving. Take a Glimpse?

Graphic Graffiti?

This is Graphic Graffiti!!

While driving on the outskirts of Baltimore's Little Italy at the corner of the 500 block of S. Central Avenue and the 300 block of Eastern Avenue I found this tremendous display of Graffiti Typography. The bold lettering really caught my eye I had to stop to take a good look at this wonderfully painted display of artistry. To my surprise I found some small print that identified this artist as Philip Aldinger. Philip and I went to grade school together here in Baltimore and he was always a terrific artist. I found out he has his own graffiti and mural business and his number was displayed next to his signature on the art. Ingenious!!

Chalk Talk?

The teacher?This little corner market restaraunt caught my eye with it's quaint appearance and it's down home advertising. At first glimpse I thought someone was really standing there. I had to look again and take a double take to realize it was really a statue with a chalk board sign. Certainly a childlike typography addressing the elements of school days and chalk talk. But this old style typography really caught my eye well placed under a street lamp on the corners of the 900 block of Stiles St. and the 200 block of S. High St. Isabella's statue really stands out.

Blinding Affection?

Here is an example of distressed typography that really caught my eye. It seems to show a great sense of business sensibility geared toward the consumer for advertising. I found this while afoot at the Baltimore Inner Harbor's Gunther Circle. This display of typography was remarkably interesting not only because of the great details it could display but because of the affect of the rotating blind really drawing in one's attentions. The National Aquarium of Baltimore is a major attraction at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. The National Aquarium is recognized worldwide as an Aquarium of the World as referenced by MarineBio.org.

Sign on High?

Signs, Signs, Everywhere are a Signs?

My most favorite neon typography is found right in the heart of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The image I like the most sits high above it all on the Power Plant. It seems to be a standard for all Hard Rock Cafe's to have these terrific neon signs. Their website gives you a virtual visit to Hard Rock Cafe's all over the world. This terrific neon guitar shape displays the neon lettering of the Hard Rock Cafe logo high above everything at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. It can be seen when traveling North bound by the harbor on East Pratt St. by the World Trade Center of Baltimore. Being the guitar enthusiast that I am, I am sure you can imagine why I like this particular sign. This guitar shaped sign draws the attentions of many Baltimore visitors and residents as well. Isn't it remarkable how it appears to be almost like it is floating on air?

Things Are Looking Up?

An interesting example of urban typography can be found on Lisa Riemann's website. This beautiful portfolio displays her work. An article entitled Urban Typography led me to her site. Lisa says she was just looking up and, 'there it was'. Keep your chins up there's something to learn here. Lisa said, “…she should start looking up more…” People don’t usually look up people should look up more often. Doctors say take 5 minutes each day lying flat on your back looking up at the ceiling for good posture. My posture and perspective on life have improved. So if you want to be creative, have a good perspective on life and good posture keep looking up, it works.

© Photo from: 'Type The Sky' by Lisa Riemann ®

What is Typography all about?

Typography as defined by Wikipedia as, 'the art and techniques of type design, modifying type glyphs, and arranging type. Type glyphs (characters) are created and modified using a variety of illustrations techniques' etc... But what is a typography, since digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users. The, who, what, where, when, how and why of it all is continuing to encompass more and more users all over the world. I stumbled on a website that brings together many elaborate thinkers on the subject with an array of 124 English articles that touch base on various typography topics of interest in the typography world @ http://www.typotheque.com/articles/. One article in particular that struck my fancy since I am into research and development psychology was called, 'Experimental typography. Whatever that means' by Peter Bil'ak. It may not tell everyone everything but it leaves it open for suggestive creativity. One website that seems to touch base on a lot of technical jargon is about.com . I found a lot of useful typography jargon that affirmed my aesthetic beliefs about typography. The about.com site is definitely worth a gander. You know what they say, "What is good for the goose is good for the gander".
Happy gandering! Duck, duck, GOOSE!! Your it!!!

Peak-a-boo! Now You See It Now You Don't. Is it Magic?

Expressions of design on the Internet are something that is actually staring you right in the face most all the time. But we as novice designers are only beginning to get a peak of what really is an art called typography (or an art of perfection). Anyone can see the final product but what are the elements that comprise such efforts. Drafting an HTML code has everyone wondering if it is something so magical or is it just mathematically correct. Designers are constantly playing the game of peak-a-boo with the encoding. Do designers have something up thier sleeves? I would like to imagine it is a magical art in itself based on principals of encoding. The hand is quicker than the eye putting up web pages that can be seen in a blink of eye. But encoding takes more than a couple of blinks to grasp. Keeping in mind the basic principals of web design we can develop easy quick informative websites that will grab every one's attentions. I found a most interesting website called of all things "The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web" by Richard Rutter, Brighton, 2005. This website meticulously addresses the principals of typographic designs one principal at a time. I strongly advise taking a peak-a-boo.

To Blog or Not To Blog. That is the Question? Blog, Blog, Blog!!!

I had the occasion to read some very interesting statistically projected accounts of the futures of blogging at a blog site called Modern Life . "Modern Life is a blog about the web - development, design, search engines and statistics sometimes controversial, occasionally satirical but usually right on the nose." One blog in particular came to my attention called the 'Web Typography Cheat Sheet', by Stuart Brown November 17, 2006. It addresses the typical variables of letter size, spacing, height and word spacing with a twist of what would create a good impact for the reader's eye with one liner headings. I found it an attractive presentation that linked to some very interesting facts about blogging on the WWW called, "Who's Using What for RSS?" by the same author. I would strongly recommend taking a peak there is more here than meets the eye.