Before we jump into the email, I want to urge you to send a little cash (if you can) to any GoFundMe’s with unreached goals, and the CA Fire Foundation. The fires in LA are still burning and so many have been left with nothing. Even a few bucks helps! <3
Hello friends!
It’s felt like an eternity since I wrote to you with a casual update! The last one was July?! Your favorite girl has been a little busy moving across the country, living with her parents for a hot sec, and then moving (yet again) into an apartment! It felt like as soon as we unpacked, it was the holidays and suddenly the new year! Is this what getting older is? The days just flash by in a blur??
Well I have some news… I finally finished Yolker!! The design phase is complete and I will be polishing up the files and then I will… release it?! To be completely honest, I am both exhilarated and terrified at the thought. I don’t want to jinx it or spook myself but this might be the year that I start doing this for real!
I feel like I’ve been sitting on my hands for the last couple years — waiting for permission? Or maybe I simply wasn’t feeling ready? This fall, I had a student who came to an office hour and ended up giving me a pep talk about how I should be releasing the fonts that I use for a demos in class. I, of course, tried to give some excuses about them taking forever, doing this solo, blah blah blah. He saw right through me and said (with love), “that just sounds like excuses.”
Apparently, I really needed to be called out because ever since we had that chat, all I can think about is how I am possibly disappointing someone by my inaction. The fire under my ass has been lit. To prove it, I am going to make you a promise: at the end of this month, I will release Yolker and there is going to be a cute printed specimen to match! And then we will all collectively gasp at my abilities and how brave I was in releasing an egg font.
The Yolker type family will consist of 3 styles: Yolks, Yolkless, and an Outline style. I have designed a pretty robust character set for such a weird font. I used the Latin Plus character set from Underware. I am actually quite proud of how it turned out — despite legibility being a fine line here!
The punctuation and symbols were definitely holding me back. It was a challenge to anything with straight lines or necessary counters as it is against the rules of the typeface. I had to break some rules for things like the @, ©, and ® because the outer circle is pretty crucial for legibility. These symbols might not even see the light of day in a font like this but I take them as seriously as H and O!!
Enough about Yolker, I have to tell you about my spring classes! I am teaching another Crash Course In Revival Type Design that starts at the end of this month. In this class, you will learn everything I can cram into 5 weeks but without the pressure of coming up with an original concept. It takes a lot of the pressure off but there is still room to play if you want it! The last revival class did so great — check out their final specimen here!
I will also be teaching another Type Design Development Workshop starting February 5th. The deadline to apply is on Monday, January 20th (in 3 days!!!). The class is 10 weeks — it consists of 5 two-hour critiques alternated by an office hour every other week. It’s a great class for students who are more advanced and just need the assistance of an instructor to help their project move forward. The fall students really knocked it out of the park — check out their work here! Most of them started with one style and ended the class with an additional style or two (diacritics and all!).
I don’t want to toot my own horn, but we have some serious fun in these classes and I do my best to demystify the whole process of making a typeface/developing a family! My goal with each class is for the students to leave feeling accomplished and with the tools necessary to move forward on their projects — no matter what level they’re at. And hopefully with some new friends to boot!
5 Things I’ve Been Into Lately
This Aquaphor stick my sister, Alyssa, gave me as part of our Favorite Things party! It’s been saving my poor chapped lips in these frigid midwest temps. Dealing with temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) should be illegal!!
Since last summer, I’ve been obsessed with Pikmin Bloom. It’s a walking game, sort of like Pokemon Go but with cute little Pikmin guys. It’s wholesome and makes my walks a little extra fun! Who could ask for more?
Lately, Alex and I have been addicted to frying eggs in chili crisp and eating them over rice with some soy sauce. Sometimes we even get a little crazy by adding mushrooms and green onions.
Ever since I went to Letrástica in the fall, I want to learn Spanish! I am taking a community ed class starting in 2 weeks and I am so excited!! Send any advice or Spanish movie and music recs if you’ve been in the same boat/speak Spanish!
After a specific, unmentionable day in early November, I made a playlist to encapsulate my feelings. I call it girl punk. It probably goes without saying but this not a kid-friendly playlist! Enjoy <3
Ttyl,
Libbie
Ofc the one time I write the email in advance, I forget to check the date!!!
!!! So exciting! It looks awesome!
Will you be releasing this directly through TDN?!