Friday, June 1, 2012

A Different View of Words Through Design

In taking a class on Illustrator, my view of words and their essential beauty is being enhanced. The teacher of this online course at a local community college is asking us to consider kerning and its effect on how we view the printed word as part of a design statement. In turn, we are learning to appreciate something more than what to me has always been about getting enough words into a given space.

For those visual artists who are also writers out there, you may be laughing at me right now. But each of us finds our way into and out of writing in a unique fashion, and for this visual, spatial learner, the artistry in words helps me use them to greater effect.

As writers, taking a step back to enjoy the fonts or the figures that make up our written language provides a perspective on a subject that people who have studied and created font styles are as passionate about as I am about writing. We are seldom taught that each font design is more than a tool to use in getting to our final goal. True, it may be distracting for awhile, but two fonts, Verdana and Georgia, which I compared for class, made me think about fiction writing again.

Some writers, including me, can get caught up in the rhythm of words. It's just nice to have a visual path to add to that sensual journey.

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