Font-tastic Monday. Is this heaven?

I am working very hard on becoming proficient in Illustrator. It is similar to Photoshop but then takes everything up about 20 notches. There is so much freedom to sketch (even in perspective), text, edit patterns, objects and lordy, lordy! Freedom which as you know can be frustrating and exhilarating all at once! Pretty much if you can think it you can do it. I've done a few tutorials on YouTube that still have my head spinning. I've learned some things I can do with lines and swirls that I can't yet comprehend how I will begin to use them. Sigh. Love it! I have to learn to let go and just go for it.

So, I need my focus... I've set aside specific days to work on particular projects. Monday is the day I have set aside for font exploration. Yes... a whole day dedicated to fonts. Downloading them, creating them and designing with them. I am thrown back to the days that my mom would bring me home typography books from the architecture firm. I would browse slowly through them tagging and coloring the pages that I loved.



I love text. Yes, I'm proud to say... I LOVE text. If I did not set aside said day for fonts... I would get distracted (not get much done) and end up looking at fonts all the time. Not a bad thing... but not very productive. In my head: Tuesday is color palettes... equally distracting. Wednesday is for webdesign tips. Thursday for illustrator, photoshop and dreamweaver tutorials. Friday is for icon and image precedent/ inspiration. Saturday for designing, drawing and painting... Sunday is a free day! I can just be me and schizo flitting about with any little bit that I desire! I can't always be focused. Some times you just need to let the image you find or inspiration lead you to the end.

You may not have my font lust. That's okay. Because now things are so much easier. You get a simple word program and it is loaded up with about 80 fonts already! But, if you are craving a little newness... then you go to the web and get all drooly over thousands of free fonts and the costly ones that you wish you had an endless budget for on cool sites like Lost Type, Veer and MyFonts. I've recently fallen for a website called fontsquirrel. Sooooo appropriately named as I feel as if I am actually a font squirrel. Putting hundreds of fonts on my computer. Stashing them for designers block, a drought or harsh winter of design ahead. Is this heaven? I think so. It would be my heaven anyway. Endless fonts and quotes and pens and markers and papers of all textures and colors. I think I should open a stationery store. Selling cards, books, paper, pens and invitations. I love them so much... I love having them all around me and talking to other people about them.

These are a few fonts I acquired today. Some free, some paid for. I love them all... This is just a sampling. I will be sure to give you more next Monday if you'd like! Click on the name below and it will take you to the font!

nickelodeon, speedball no. 3, pacifico, sofia, selfish, airstream, adolphus, carrington, betty noir, balitmore typewriter, campanile, deftone stylus, lobster, mom's typewriter, pigeon, spirulina.