�A picture is worth a thousand words� and here,
that�s more than true. Take a look at Erotica�s
Booklet; Erotica�s Poster Design and Erotica�s
User�s Guide before reading below. I have always
wondered if the circle could ever be considered as
an imperfect shape. Thousands of years have passed
and we still consider circles as synonyms of
infinite beauty. Some believe that there is
something intrinsically �divine� that could be found
in them. The woman, that lovely being, is the best
example: Sensuality today demands perfectly shaped
strong curves, exuberant forms and a big contrast of
thicks and thins... oh wait! Am I talking about
women or typography? What if these two are combined?
This story begins one fine day of March in 2012. I
was looking for something new. Something which would
express the deep love I feel regarding calligraphy
in a new way.
At that time, I was practicing a lot of roundhand,
testing and feeling different kinds of nibs; hearing
the sometimes sharp, sometimes soft, sound of them
sliding on the paper.
This kind of calligraphy has some really strict
rules: An even pattern of repetition is required, so
you have to be absolutely aware of the pressure of
the flexible pen; and of the distance between
characters. Also, learning copperplate can be really
useful to understand about proportion in letters and
how a minimum change of it can drastically affect
the look of the word and text.
Many times I would forget about type-design and I
would let myself go(1): Nothing like making the pen
dance when adding some accolades above and below the
written word.
Once something is mastered, you are able to break
some rules. At least, that�s my philosophy. (2)
After some research, I found that the world was in
need of a really sexy yet formal copperplate. (3)
I started Erotica with the idea of taking some rules
of this style to the extreme.
Some characters were drawn with a pencil first
because what I had in mind was impossible to be made
with a pen. (4)
Finding a graceful way to combine really thick
thicks with really thin hairlines with satisfactory
results demanded months of tough work: The embryo of
Erotica was a lot more bolder than now and had a
shorter x-height. Changing proportions of Erotica
was crucial for its final look. The taller it became
the sexier it looked. Like women again?
The result is a font filled with tons of alternates
which can make the user think he/she is the actual
designer of the word/phrase due to the huge amount
of possibilities when choosing glyphs.
To make Erotica work well in small sizes too, I
designed Erotica Small which can be printed in tiny
sizes without any problems.
For a more elegant purpose, I designed Erotica
Inline, with exactly the same features you can find
in the other styles.
After finishing these styles, I needed a partner for
Erotica. Inspired again in some old calligraphic
books I found that Bickham used to accompany his
wonderful scripts with some ornated roman caps.
Erotica Capitals follows the essentials of those
capitals and can be used with or without its
alternates to accompany Erotica. In 2013, Erotica
received a Certificate of Excellence in Type Design
in the 59th TDC Type Directors Club Typeface Design
Competition.
Meet Erotica, beauty and elegance guaranteed.
Notes
(1) It is supossed that I'm a typographer rather
than a calligrapher, but the truth is that I'm in
the middle. Being a graphic designer makes me a
little stubborn sometimes. But, I found that the
more you don't think of type rules, the more
graceful and lively pieces of calligraphy can be
done.
(2) �Know the forms well before you attemp to make
them� used to say E. A. Lupfer, a master of this
kind of script a century ago. And I would add �And
once you know them, it�s time to fly...�
(3) Some script fonts by my compatriots Sabrina
Lopez, Ramiro Espinoza and Alejandro Paul deserve a
mention here because of their undeniable beauty. The
fact that many great copperplate fonts come from
Argentina makes me feel really proud. Take a look
at: Parfumerie, Medusa, Burgues, Poem and Bellisima.
(4) Some calligraphers, graphic and type designer
experimented in this field in the mid-to-late 20th
century and made a really playful style out of it:
Letters show a lot of personality and sometimes they
seem drawn rather than written. I want to express my
sincere admiration to the fantastic Herb Lubalin,
and his friends Tony DiSpigna, Tom Carnase, and of
course my fellow countryman Ricardo Rousselot. All
of them, amazing.
// See a review by FONTMATTERS
