Music, as lettering, is an abstract art, and both are based in what you listen and see. Lettering is based on the visual language of color, shapes, strokes, sizes, scales and, in some cases, the process. The goal of this project was to explore visual expression of language through letterforms, showing how typographic design can guide the message and the emotions of the reader.

I used the words to represent the music style, and its attributes. For the conceptual point of view it could be done in many ways, p. e. working on the words but focusing on the meaning on the title, or on the lyrics. I chose three different songs with different attributes ‘God only knows’ by The Beach Boys, is positive and romantic, ‘Life during wartime’ by The Talking Heads, a song about life in Manhattan’s Alphabet city along the 70s, is funky and jumpy and finally ‘Water of Love’ by Dire Straits is nostalgic and sentimental. These works are deprived of a normal denotative function and refer directly by showing rather than saying, as by expressing feelings.

 

The process of work for this project consisted of exploring these aspects from the experimental drawing, going from fast sketches to more controlled shapes, emphasizing some letters with texture and color, in order to interplay with the space and extend the graphic power of lettering.

 

The Song Letters were designed with the aim to promote my work among magazine art directors.