they’re doing typography

When tasked with creating a typographic portrait of an iconic figure I was immediately drawn to one of my favorites —Pablo Picasso. I also knew I wanted to work from a portrait of him with his signature black and white striped shirt. I used the colors in reverse to create more drama and add mystery. Every line, contour, wrinkle and feature of the infamous artist is illustrated through his words, titles of works and other painterly adjectives and nouns. A few of his most iconic titles are featured in prominent areas such as Guernica and the Old Guitarist. I also brought together Surrealism and Cubism in the center of his face as he was the center of both artistic movements.

Letters are shapes. The art of graphic design is being able to bring words, pictures, and colors together to tell a story. With typography, when you come to understand the form, shape, line and weight of various font families, you can then use those shapes to tell the story you want to share. Typography increases understanding of a subject and sets a mood.