Blog 2: Ampersands

Above is my chosen ampersand from the font 'Coming Together.' A font created entirely from ampersands by many different designers for Font Aid IV.

The humanist letterform can be distinguished clearly from the calligraphy/script like strokes. The weight of the stroke varies from a extremely thin to a relatively thicker stroke throughout the lettering. The fluid like serifs curve naturally like buds of a flower. In terms of size and scale the ampersand looses its elegance (identified in the fluid serifs) when produced in smaller sizes. It is better suited to a larger font sizes.

The ampersand is clear in its distinction of the 'ET' as identified as the universal language off and, in the 'Just My Type' book. This specific ampersand appears quite delicate and ornate yet it has a sense of elegance and beauty. The variation of stoke thicknesses distinguish this very elegant appeal. The delicate appeal is created through the fluid serifs and the ornate through the sort of 'blobs' of thicker detail at the end of these. It in some ways has hints towards the French Art Nouveau movement in its very organic shaping. It can be imagined in the heading of an elegant magazine or holding two designer's names together in their artistic design agency (The feeling of permanence identified by Simon Garfeild.) The joining of the 'ET' in this ampersand is from the 'e' to the 't' in a very natural curve, the whole design is very organic and does not hold any geometric properties.