One of today’s most outstanding graphic designers, Paula Scher, is recognized for her illustrative typographic style. Some of her great work is done in paintings, but she has a done a wide variety of graphic design as well. Her professions throughout her almost forty years of work have added to her knowledge and style of great inspirational design.
Paula Scher was born in Washington D. C. in 1948, and went to the Tyler School of Fine Art in her hometown. She acquired a bachelor of fine arts and a doctorate by the Corcoran College of Art and Design. She began her employment wanting to be an illustrator; most of her work reflects that illustrative style. In the seventies she worked for CBS Records and the Atlantic Records. Most of her designs there she says, were “formulaic.” She wrote in her book, Make it Bigger, “most of the typographic covers I designed in the 70’s were classical and jazz albums or for… pop recording artists that were either dead or dropped from the label.” She discovered that she learned about all of the typographical periods in history, by designing covers that “employed historical typefaces” of those periods. (1)
She also worked for Time inc. designing magazine covers. In 1984 she formed her own firm, Koppel & Scher, and in 1991 worked with the Pentagram. She has created identity and branding systems, all kinds of graphics and typefaces. Her background in the knowledge of music and culture of past times makes it possible for her to connect people to any idea she employs in her work.
Her most famous series of artwork, Maps, has been continued for over a decade. Her inspiration for this painting came from the mass amounts of media and news that she had to deal with during her job. Scher is painting the world’s news with words. She has created twelve large canvases full of the current information from cities, countries, bodies of water and continents. The election numbers from Reagan’s presidential election are used to populate the United States of America. The great tsunami of 2005 was documented as well as other breaking news with terrorism. Her handwritten typography spirals and flows throughout the work in a colorful array. Each letter is painted in detail; she has created her own typefaces in an illustrative style. Her typefaces are usually gothic and appear to be bold. If viewing her work from a distance one wouldn’t know that her typeface was dramatic and heavy at times because it curls and winds, instead of cutting corners. Some of her letters are outlined and all are majuscule. Outside of her paintings, her illustrated typefaces could be seen describing breaking news. Each word demands attention because each letter is in bold, and weighted heavily. This is where her illustration meets her graphic work.
In most of her designs, Scher, uses san serif, but she is not opposed to using serif type. She has created a few typefaces, other than her handwritten illustrative type. In 2007 she made five typefaces through hp. Each one looks like its name. Bold is a san serif type, which appears to be extra bold. If it had serifs it would take away from the simple loud lines. It could be utilized for a name brand or for a message that must be read. Bold is a typeface that draws attention. Modern and Edgy are san serif type. They are both thin with rounded curves and sharp ends. Modern could be used in the name of a business. Modern shows cleanliness and is contemporary style. It can be used to tell people that a business is well put together and up to date. Edgy is italic and its point size is larger than the Bold template. Edgy can be seen as modern with a twist. It could be used to emphasize because of its size and italic form. Its kerning and tracking are somewhat tightly fit, which helps its thin letters to be easily read. Its slant makes one want to read it quickly. It could be used for the store that sells the new and upcoming or for things that are out of the ordinary, yet modern. Elegant needs serifs and has thick and thin lines to emphasize beauty. It could be used for a brand name or title, since every letter is in majuscules. Elegant draws attention and says beauty in a modern way. The last typeface she created was the only one not in majuscule form. Friendly, was given a playful appearance with its serifs curling around beside the letters. The fact that it’s miniscule and has tight kerning, allows Friendly to have more curves and smaller intimate lines. Friendly could be seen used for a catch phrase or adjective on a package. Friendly gives people a sense of goodness. (3)
Paula Scher has designed logos for many companies. Her trick to the trade is knowing what the client wants and what the client’s customers should think of a business. When she designed the logo for Citibank, she knew they wanted to be known as the “bank of the future.” She designed a clean and simple logo. The typeface she used is san serif regular. She even connected the “i”s into a simple line. When she designed the Free Love poster for two plays in central park, she used a simple typeface that lightly “dripped” on the ends of each letter. The typeface was in italic and conveyed the spirit of the plays about “love.” (3) Scher has mastered the art of brand identity, by knowing the range of typefaces and how they should be utilized. (4)
Paula Scher is today the principal of Penagram Design. She has won many awards for her work and much of it is in museums all over the world. She has won the Chrysler Award for Innovative Design. She has also worked with the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The AIGA has published a book on her work and career called Make it Bigger. Her typefaces have evolved from handwritten sketches prior to her work to illustrative typography and now to her graphic typefaces. Her typefaces for hp would most likely be seen in the digital environment and used with businesses, or advertisements. She will always be remembered for her illustrative typography and her passion for design.
links:
(1) Scher, Paula. Make it Bigger.
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