Embark on a one-of-a-kind journey into the world of Devanagari type design. This course will guide you through the intricacies of turning your idea into a working Devanagari typeface with the help of type design professionals.
Practica Devanagari Two: Introduction to Devanagari Type Design
Wednesdays and Fridays, July 24–Oct 25, 2024
Wednesdays classes are 2.5 hours. Friday classes are 1.5 hours.
Classes begin at 7:30pm Mumbai, 4pm Berlin, 10am New York time.
43.5 total course hours, live classes held over Zoom. Students should expect to spend roughly six hours a week on homework or research outside of class.
What you’ll learn:
- Understanding of the construction and proportions of Devanagari letterforms
- Expanding character sets and building a foundation for a complete typeface
- Creating a coherent visual system
- Insight into research and professional type design practices
- Increasing efficacy and time management when designing a Devanagari typeface
- Understanding and applying typographic principles specific to Devanagari script
Students will get plenty of personalized feedback on their typefaces, as well as the support and collaboration of their peers. Join us to develop your own Devanagari typeface, be inspired by our amazing guest lecturers, and connect with a community of passionate designers.
Class schedule:
- July 17: Optional special session: Getting ready for Devanagari Two (open to the public)
- July 24: 10 min individual meeting with Kimya, no formal class
- Aug 2: Course introduction, lecture: possibilities of Devanagari typefaces
- Aug 7: Project introductions and initial design direction discussion
- Aug 9: Lecture: review of type design process in Glyphs
- Aug 14: Feedback session: basic consonants and vowels
- Aug 16: Lecture: setting up test documents and testing techniques
- Aug 21: Feedback session: advanced consonants and vowels
- Aug 23: Guest lecture with Noopur Datye: research-based type design and revival projects
- Aug 28: Feedback session: anchors and marks
- Aug 30: Lecture: the world of conjuncts
- Sept 4: Feedback session: conjuncts part 1
- Sept 6: Lecture: Basic Devanagari feature building; short guest lecture with Liang Hai: font production
- Sept 11: Feedback session: conjuncts part 2
- Sept 13: Individual feedback sessions, no formal class
- Sept 18: Individual feedback sessions, no formal class
- Sept 20: Flex session: Q&A
- Sept 25: Feedback session: texture and spacing
- Oct 2: Feedback session with Lipi Raval
- Oct 9: Lecture: Language alternates, numbers and punctuation
- Oct 11: Guest lecture with Pooja Saxena: identity and type design
- Oct 16: Feedback session: numbers and alternates
- Oct 18: Lecture: interpolations and pushing boundaries
- Oct 23: Feedback session: final
- Oct 25: Final presentations 🎉
Who?
Kimya Gandhi (Mota Italic) – Lead instructor
Noopur Datye (Ek Type) – Visiting instructor
Liang Hai (Typotheque) – Visiting instructor
Pooja Saxena (Matra Type) – Visiting instructor
Lipi Raval (Typeface designer) – Visiting critic
For Whom?
Devanagari Two is for the student who is passionate about Devanagari letterforms and ready to create their own Devanagari typeface. To succeed, students should have a good comprehension of the Devanagari script, be comfortable drawing with Bézier curves and have some basic familiarity working in a font editor, and have an idea for a typeface they’d like to create during the course.
How Much?
Starting at USD 1250
Payment plans available, see the Practica website.
Enrollment opens July 8, 2024.
Language
English
Prerequisites
Mac with Glyphs preinstalled. Internet connection, a layout program like Affinity Publisher or InDesign. Zoom, Miro and Discord accounts (free).
