The book of James
cissabrandao (154 pencils) | Tue, 2008-03-18 06:05
This was a manuscript grid assignment for type class. I chose the first chapter of the Bible book of James as my text, from a translation called "The Message", which is written in a very contemporary language.
I tried to give this book, which is believed to be the oldest of the New Testament (written around A.D. 45), a trendy twist. I used Pastelaria (this font was created by a Eduardo Recife,designer from the city I'm from in Brazil - misprintedtype.com) for titles and emphasis and optima for the blocks of text, for a lot of contrast.
The second spread is the attached image, Picture 25.png
Thanks for your feedback.
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The treatment of the number 1 in the first paragraph reads like a drop cap for the "I" in "I, James," making it seem like a mistake at first glance.
Your page 1121 has a little widow. It would be funny in another chapter, the one that (in the King James version, anyway) speaks of "the widow's mite." Fewer than 16 people on earth would get the visual pun, but it could be worth it. In this case, though, it looks as if your design will work only if verses are left intact. That could get cumbersome.
The Pastelaria typeface leaves me cold. It reminds me of construction-paper cutout letters on school bulletin boards when I was a kid. The thick rules that you use as part of the page designs, that take their cue from the initial "J," have a fenced-in feeling. I get a sense of entrapment from that look. The "J" itself could even become a stylized key in that context, reinforcing a kind of jail cell feeling. With so much liberating white space to play with in this layout, I wonder why you'd want to do that to your readers.
Mara
Don't be afraid to add a little color, unless this is assignment was restricted to a one color print. But I think if you play around with color, you could use it to your advantage. It will draw the viewer's attention to the text and feel more inviting.