First try.
This design was created as part of the TwentiesComp. Too bad, due to lack of time, it was not finished. I realize db Pontus still needs a bit of time and patience to be ready (glyphs, kernig etc...) However, I just want to introduce db Pontus in this context already ; )
At the end of October I decided to dive into the new Bricks 'Connect'. I started with the lowercase 's' & 'a'. Working out what the minimal size I could fontstruct it in, then expanded and condensed it from there to accomadate the rest of the glyths. You can still see these in the font above (Just before the Latin characters. As I progressed I came to love the thin white gaps, and then tried to have every glyth with some element of the curved white gap in it. Some were more successful than others. As you can see, I have included the less preferred options at the end. I've also designed some of the final glyphs in illustrator, as it was impossible to have all of them with one white line, without help from an external app.
The most difficult glyphs to create and ultimately the most satisfying once completed were the 'V' and '~'.
I liked the look of final font so much, that I decided to create a whole family. Cableguynium 0 (which has Zero cables), CableGuynium 2 (which has 1-2 cables per glyth), and CableGuynium 3 (Which has 3-4 cables).
Unusually I struggled naming this font, I have early versions saved called Flowonica, Rubber Tyre, Ice Skater and Fibropticon, ..... eventually settling on CableGuynium as it was the most memorable.
ANY CRITICISM, GOOD OR BAD IS WELCOMED.
This font and tm Nibble started off as one. Both were different from what they have now become. The idea was to create a very heavy, minimal curves and angles to give a sense of the glyph.
It started with a plain N and a solid O. Making the E match either the N or the O resulted in deviation from the style just enough that it warranted a spin-off into a font of it's own.
Some letters—such as G and H—proved quite difficult to match in the style of either. A slight angle shift resulted in a glyph that did not go with other glyphs. I kept trying different possibilities...and at some point decided to save the discarded option into another fs, which now contains more than 200 characters.
The teardrop counter in tm Byte forced a complete redraw of all glyphs at about 2× the size.
I am already working on two additional fonts that came out of this exercise...and it might yield more.
This font and tm Byte started off as one. Both were different from what they have now become. The idea was to create a very heavy, minimal curves and angles to give a sense of the glyph.
It started with a plain N and a solid O. Making the E match either the N or the O resulted in deviation from the style just enough that it warranted a spin-off into a font of it's own.
Some letters—such as G and H—proved quite difficult to match in the style of either. A slight angle shift resulted in a glyph that did not go with other glyphs. I kept trying different possibilities...and at some point decided to save the discarded option into another fs, which now contains more than 200 characters.
The teardrop counter in tm Byte forced a complete redraw of all glyphs at about 2× the size.
I am already working on two additional fonts that came out of this exercise...and it might yield more.
Inspired by the Maze Set. A technical fontstruction showing the usage for thinner macaroni bricks. The logic for possible counter relation:
1) Every letter is filled with thinner version of itself (self-pattern fill).
2) Outline vs Inline, emphasizing the "opposite" meaning of counter.
Ten years ago, a StumbleUpon Fontstruct on April 8, 2008 has been one of the highlights of my life. Few things have provided so much joy and fewer things have kept my interest for so long. Type design has always been a fascination for me and the simplicity of the UI/UX of fontstruct has allowed me to explore all that I can imagine without getting in the way while letting me do as I please for the most part. In times of creativity, fontstruct was there to let it flow, and in times of personal lows, fontstruct was there to allow me to ignore that which was beyond my control. Furthermore, the overall civility and helpful nature of the fontstruct community is still one of the best on the internet. I have been using the fontstruct website almost daily for 10 years now and rarely do I not see something new that is amazing and awe inspiring. The creativity of the designers past and present is incredible.
I wish to thank FontShop for sponsoring fontstruct for so long allowing it to grow. Most importantly, I wish to thank Mr. Meek for creating and constantly enhancing this incredible gift of creativity and a calming haven for over-active minds.
Thank you.
Many alternates as I couldn’t choose between some letters variants, and because certain initial lowercases look better without that top-left swash.
~ Alternates ~
< - Alt. G 1
> - Alt. J
_ - Alt. A
@ - Alt. S
# - Alt. E
$ - Alt. F
% - Alt. G 2
* - Alt. d
) - Schoolbook a
] - initial schoolbook a
[ - initial a
" - initial s
/ - initial e
\ - initial o
Humanistic sans.
Made a rough 'A' glyph first as a test for the Reverse Competition but I had no time to get back to it before the deadline. I finished it anyway to see how the final outcome would be.
Deceptively simple.
This fontstruction was made possible by several fontstruct special capabilities: connecting brick, brick stacks, custom bricks, and nudge. Out of 68 bricks used, only the full square brick is from the available bricks; the remaining 67 bricks are all modified in some way or another.
3 bricks tall.
from the category of 'also ran'
Only interesting in theory; the practical application leaves a lot to be desired. Incomplete as well. Only sharing now because vacations are over. Back to work from tomorrow moring. Won't really have time to work on this in any meaningful way anymore. Unless inspiration strikes out of somewhere and I am able to stay awake past my bedtime.
Every glyph has a counter rotated glyph or has self rotational symmetry—all except the c, which remains a loner loser.
paired rotational glyphs: ae bq dp ft hy jr mw nu G9 JR NV 25
self rotational symmetric glyphs: g i k l o s x z Q S Z ! & , '
Full disclosure: This fs was started before there was such a thing as Reverse competition.
Side story on the making: This fontstruction is deceptively simple. It was quite a challenge to execute. Just because the strokes seem flowing doesn't mean they are all placed in the logical grid block. The rounded-off ends forced the bricks to be placed in any of the 8 adjoining blocks and nudged into place. Consequently, due to the nature of nudge only moving as much as half a block in any direction, some compromises had to be made in the shapes.
Out of 111 bricks used, only ten are from existing bricks; all the rest are custom bricks. There would have been a lot more bricks if most weren't rotated or flipped.
3 bricks tall.