Pinpression

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Balanced Rating: 7.88
Average Rating: 7.87
Click for more information about this rating. 7.88 31 votes

by afrojet

154 266916

I bought one of those 3D Pin Art things at a garage sale a couple weeks ago. Turns out making 3D impressions of "The Bird" doesn't hold the same cultural currency now as it did when I was in Junior High, so I decided to cash in another way and make some letters.
Info:

Created on 17th April 2009. Last edited on 4th December 2009.
License:

Creative Commons
Categories:
- Display
Sets:
- Op-Art
Tag:

26 Comments

Comment by afrojet 20th april 2009

lol @ your description.

Cool font.

Comment by aphoria 20th april 2009

Incredible sample! How'd you go about making it? Looks like a bunch of different selections/gradients with texture...

Comment by Stelios Constantinides (sconstantinides) 21st april 2009

very nice!

Comment by jmarquez 21st april 2009

Lovely. This reminds me of a New Zealand op-artist's canvases using maori motifs but I can't for the life of me remember his/her name. Now it's going to bug me.

Comment by intaglio 21st april 2009

Incredible sample.

Comment by djnippa 21st april 2009

I would give it if a 10 if you add numbers. fpr now a 9/10

Comment by jffry101 21st april 2009

Thanks everyone.

@intaglio: I hope you remember the name of the artist, I'd love to see their work.

@emepar7: Nothing too crazy with the sample. Here's how it's done. Set the word(s) in Illustrator. Convert the type to outlines. Then in the Pathfinder window, under Shape Modes, option-click 'Add to Shape Area'. You should now have a vector grouping of all the separate shapes. Apply a black and white gradient to the group (you should see the gradient applied to each separate shape within the group). Put it on a black background and there you have it. Note: I then printed and photographed the sample before posting it here.

@jiffry101: Thanks for your vote. I will add numbers this week.

Comment by afrojet 21st april 2009

Aha! The ripples of the paper and random shadows were throwing me off :)

The more I see this font the more I like it...any chance of an apostrophe? Also I like all the chars except the E looks a bit like a K to me...maybe an alternate E and F with 5 "pins" on the top most (and bottom most) rows like the T?

Comment by Stelios Constantinides (sconstantinides) 21st april 2009

@emepar7: Yes I think some random leaves were blocking the sun and creating the shadows. Excellent idea on the 'E' and 'F'. I've added those alternatives to the lowercase in addition to adding an apostrophe and period. More to come including numbers for sure.

Comment by afrojet 21st april 2009

i thought is was a photo of a three dimensional object!
absolutely gorgeous!

Comment by kix 21st april 2009

@kix while I appreciate you comment Kix, and maybe you didn't notice. . .but this thread is only for people with black & white avatars. ;-)

Comment by afrojet 21st april 2009

@afrojet: HAHAHAHAHHAA! oh...i'll be going now.

Comment by geneus1 21st april 2009

OK, I already rated this wonderful font, but I'm posting a comment just to add another B&W avatar to the discussion!
;-)

Comment by Em42 22nd april 2009

Thanks Em. Now if we could just get Geinstein to remove his sunglasses...

Comment by afrojet 22nd april 2009

Numbers added.

Comment by afrojet 24th april 2009

You make me so jealous :(

Comment by Stelios Constantinides (sconstantinides) 24th april 2009

His name is Gordon Walters, and during the 'Sixties he did lots of canvases featuring this motif.

Comment by intaglio 24th april 2009

Whole. Eee. Shit! A super worldwide high-five for that reference Intaglio. I've found my new love and I have you to thank for that. This one knocks me down. I love how he's able to interweave the black and white lines/shapes. I wish I could accomplish his same effect but my negative (white) space is thicker then the black space. I know very little about the Maori, Intaglio. Do you know how they would traditionally use these motifs? Tattoos? Textiles? Pottery?

Comment by afrojet 25th april 2009

I don't know much myself, inexcusable for an inhabitant I know. I'm not sure, but I think this particular form is a synthesis of a (punga)tree-fern frond. I suspect that each of the forms used in traditional maori carving "mean" something, and tell a story that can be read by those in the know. Not in as formalised a way as egyptian heiroglyphs, for instance, but a language nonetheless.

Comment by intaglio 25th april 2009

color matters!

:P

Comment by kix 25th april 2009

I believe you're right Intaglio. It looks like our man G. Walters was riffing on a geometrical version of something called the Koru: "The koru is the Māori name given to the new unfurling fern frond and symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. It is an integral symbol in Māori carving and tattoos." [wikipedia]

Which is all just good news for Kix. For the fern is green, and I must now allow his new avatar is freely wander these gardens.

Comment by afrojet 25th april 2009

While researching Gordon Walters, I found this which I thought was pretty great.

Weston Frizzell, "Tu Tu Turntables"
Limited Edition Screenprint. (via Monument Gallery).