Art Nouveau lettering can most often be characterized by three words: "quirky", "ornamental", and "formal". The late 1800's to early 1900's is the period that most inspired me to start creating fonts. Experimentation with letter forms and breaking the rules seemed to be a necessity for any artist worth their salt. Charles Strong and R. Henderson were two influential sign artists who pushed the envelope and published books during this period. Their wonderful books featured many high quality examples of unusual Art Nouveau lettering and designs, some in color. I recall having to locate these rare books on Ebay when I first started, but now they can be read easily in digital format. Each of the fonts below have been inspired by the likes of Strong and Henderson to one degree or another. |