10 of the Coolest Typographers Out Right Now
It’s safe to say that these days most of the written words we interact with probably take the form of a text message or a tweet. Gone are the days of handwritten letters. Fortunately, there are still tons of artists and graphic designers out there who continue taking written language to the next level. While Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic’s calligraphy and illustrator Alex Trochut’s colorful lettering simply look dope, others are getting more innovative with typography. Just see Ruslan Khasanov’s “liquid type in motion” as an example. Check out these 10 artists and designers whose lettering will put your handwriting to shame. They’ll inspire you to be more artsy the next time you go to cross your Ts and dot your Is.
Tricia DiMarco
L.A.-based artist Tricia DiMarco draws inspiration from moments she has experienced throughout different stages of her life to create her psychedelic hand lettering. Her latest “Zodiac” series depicts both her own spirit and those of others. It feature illustrations of the 12 astrological signs accompanied by the names of each, which she has rendered in '70s, art nouveau-throwback lettering.
Alex Trochut
Alex Trochut has no definitive style. As an illustrator, designer, and letterer who has worked on single covers for Katy Perry and print campaigns for Fila Japan, he's required to be versatile and creative. All of the lettering he has done, whether it was for a client or for a personal project, is vibrant and engaging in some way. While some of his typography bursts with color, other works pop because of their unique design.
David Mcleod
New York-based artist David McLeod takes typography to the next level, imagining many of his projects as 3D works of art. What makes the Australian native’s works distinct from that of all the others on this list is the range of textures in his designs, which he renders through CGI. While some are sleek and minimal, others like his “Undone” project resemble coils of rope.
Chris Labrooy
Some of Chris Labrooy's designs look good enough to eat. Take his Cheeseburger play series, for instance. It features beefy letters stuffed in between two buns that are oozing with cheese, all of which LaBrooy has digitally rendered. For many of his projects, the artist has chosen imagery that best embodies the featured text. For example, in his “Transport for London” design, he incorporates the city’s famous tube into his imaginative lettering.
Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic
You may have seen Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic’s penmanship at the Museum of Modern Art during this year’s Armory Arts Week, or at the Nike 340 Canal Street pop-up shop last December. The Argentine designer, calligrapher, and creative director has made quite a name for himself throughout the past few years, collaborating with Kanye West and KENZO. Inspired by the current moment, as well as by Japanese, Cyrillic, Slavic and Latin American culture, he blends the archaic art form of calligraphy with modern aesthetics.
Cai Peng
Many Chinese characters consist of multiple strokes and are difficult to render even without any embellishments. Nevertheless, Beijing-based graphic designer Cai Peng still makes it work, giving the centuries-old writing an interesting twist. Some of his Chinese typography simply looks finer and more minimal, while other designs brilliantly merge western calligraphy and English words right into the Chinese characters.
Pokras Lampas
Pokras Lampas is a calligrapher from St. Petersburg, Russia, whose handiwork blends age-old Cyrillic calligraphy with street art aesthetics. In fact, he has done many large-scale works that stretch for yards and cover the surfaces of entire rooms. He’s even scrawled all over cars, creating some sweet calligraphy-bombed rides. His pieces are both dazzling and mystifying at the same time.
Kate Moross
Kate Moross’s typography is an explosion of color with a touch of the playful and wacky. The 26-year-old graphic designer and illustrator from London told Juxtapoz that she's intrigued by "three-sided shapes, illegible typography and freeform lettering,” and it shows in her projects. She also has her own creative studio, Moross Studio, and she’s the current art director for British songstress Jessie Ware.
Ruslan Khasanov
Ruslan Khasanov is a graphic designer from Russia who's best known for his experiments with liquid. Apparently, the dude became inspired to create liquid typography while cooking, mixing oil and soy sauce. He moved on to combine different paint pigments, fascinated with the ensuing concoctions. Indeed, there’s something beautiful about the spontaneity of his blooming letters.
Ole Martin Lund Bo
Ole Martin Lund Bo’s lettering is legible from only one vantage point, a form of art known as “anamorphic typography.” This particular piece, “Deceptive Outward Appearance,” is an installation from a 2007 exhibition in Berlin. Although it’s more a work of art than typography per se, his design is still pretty impressive.
It’s safe to say that these days most of the written words we interact with probably take the form of a text message or a tweet. Gone are the days of handwritten letters. Fortunately, there are still tons of artists and graphic designers out there who continue taking written language to the next level. While Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic’s calligraphy and illustrator Alex Trochut’s colorful lettering simply look dope, others are getting more innovative with typography. Just see Ruslan Khasanov’s “liquid type in motion” as an example. Check out these 10 artists and designers whose lettering will put your handwriting to shame. They’ll inspire you to be more artsy the next time you go to cross your Ts and dot your Is.