Hand-painted typography has been an integral part of the visual culture of Indian streets. However, with the advent of Desktop Publishing, the art form, once ubiquitous but now scarce, is submitting to cheaper and quicker vinyl prints. The Hand Painted Type Project, initiated by Hanif Kureshi back in 2011, is a collaborative project dedicated to preserving the typographic practice of street painters across India to serve as a resource for present and future generations.
As a part of the Hand Painted Type Project, this Graduation Project aims to design a Latin typeface inspired by street signs that would 'look' hand-painted. The typeface, 'Delhi-6,' is created in collaboration with Shiv Painter, a sign painter from old Delhi, to capture the essence of street signs. Currently, it has six layers available, with multiple contextual alternatives. The project addresses the critical features of hand-drawn letters in a multi-layered typeface.
As nothing exists in isolation, the project also went through different phases along with the significant socio-political events happening around us. As a result, the perspective of examining the 'Design Problem' has been articulated along with a critique of how the socio-political events influence a designer's role.
Handpainted signs, Indian Street, Layered Fonts, Typeface design, Visual Culture
