OUGD501: Study Task 4 - Practical Considerations

Practice-based research What is practice-based research? Practice-based research is a form of research methodology that uses “practice”, alongside other forms, as a means of discovering or generating knowledge. While the emphasis is still very much on establishing a critical understanding of the issue, practice-based research acknowledges the role of “making” in establishing this understanding.

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Technique, Content & Communication
Based on the above, extract the practical issues/aspects surrounding your chosen field of interest.

practical issues of hand lettering in terms of technique, content and communication

technique
completely hand rendered or digital production. both techniques create the best outcome; hand draw the main design then neaten and perfect digitally. use of pencil, fine liner, marker, calligraphy pens, etc.  digital tools that are replicas of physical models. movement of wrist and hand to create variety of line weights and strokes.

content  
lettering usually made up of headings, titles, quotes, or short phrases/taglines. short bursts of information, logotypes, can be accompanied by imagery

communication 
intention is to communicate an informal language to encourage personal relationships. engage with text by emphasising certain parts of the word(s). engage with something more humanised 

Research/Analysis, Exploration/Evaluation & Testing
Comment on how you will engage with each of these aspects of practice based research (highlight opportunities for primary research).

research
practical research into how easy it is to hand draw something rather than digitally produce it. is it easier to produce using solely digital material or is it necessary to hand draw first to produce best results. contact lettering professionals about their opinion towards digital production of lettering compared with traditional techniques. ask/question people on why they are attracted to lettering and find out how much it engages with the audience compared to printed type.

explore/eval
i will develop my own practice in hand drawn type/lettering so i have a better understanding of how artists create balanced images considering the spacing of letterforms to create a unique design/composition.

testing
compare aesthetic differences between mechanical typefaces to wholly hand rendered pieces.