Female figures designed in the shape of the A to F letterforms
Female figures designed in the shape of the G to L letterforms
Female figures designed in the shape of the M to R letterforms
Female figures designed in the shape of the S to X letterforms
Female figures designed in the shape of the Y to Z letterforms and 1 to 3 numbers
Female figures designed in the shape of the 4 to 9 numbers
For my second 36 Days of Type challenge, I illustrated a set of female figures in the shape of each A-Z letter and 0-9 digit.
Challenge
The annual global design challenge is to create a cohesive set of 36 letterforms in as many days.​​ My goal this year was to loosen up and have fun with my character shapes, opting for expressiveness over anatomical accuracy. 
Rough thumbnail sketch
Rough thumbnail sketch
Colour final
Colour final

Timelapse colour process

Thumbnail sketch
Thumbnail sketch
Final colour
Final colour

Timelapse colour process

Solution
I started with rough thumbnail sketches in a 6x6 grid to jot down my initial ideas. When I was happy with the basic concept, I transferred the small sketch into a new document, enlarged it, and refined it, adding colour, pattern, and details.
A grid of 36 rough letterform sketches planning 36 Days of Type 10

Rough thumbnail sketches

I limited my colour palette to 7 risograph colours using brushes in Procreate on the iPad. This gave me the texture I was looking for, as well as the flexibility to vary the background colours and still create enough emphasis against the different skin tones of the figures.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Rough thumbnail sketch
Rough thumbnail sketch
Final colour
Final colour

Timelapse colour process

Rough thumbnail sketch
Rough thumbnail sketch
Final colour
Final colour
1st sketch didn't quite hit the mark
1st sketch didn't quite hit the mark
2nd sketch communicated the idea more clearly
2nd sketch communicated the idea more clearly
Final colour
Final colour

Timelapse colour process

I kept the shapes, patterns, and colours simple and playful – exploring different ways to translate female forms into recognisable letterforms.
Rough thumbnail sketch
Rough thumbnail sketch
Final colour
Final colour

Timelapse colour process

Rough thumbnail sketch
Rough thumbnail sketch
FInal colour
FInal colour
Outcome
As I got further into the project, I became more open to pushing the proportions of the figures and exaggerating shapes to make an emotional connection and communicate an idea more effectively. I look forward to using what I've learned in this challenge to stretch my imagination further and explore more creative character designs in the future.
Initial concept was static and uninteresting
Initial concept was static and uninteresting
2nd sketch had more potential
2nd sketch had more potential
3rd refined sketch pushes the shapes
3rd refined sketch pushes the shapes
Additional flag detail clarifies the message
Additional flag detail clarifies the message
Initial rough sketch
Initial rough sketch
Refined sketch
Refined sketch
Colour final
Colour final
Rough thumbnail sketch
Rough thumbnail sketch
Tipping the glass adds more movement in the final image
Tipping the glass adds more movement in the final image

Timelapse colour process

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