36 DAYS OF TYPE BY PONK HA

If you checked out the Instagram of Ponk during the last month you will have noticed that it has been infused with a very specific style exercise.

The British has taken advantage of the premise of “36 Days 36 Tips” to put in shape his stylistic ability by testing each and every one of the letters of the alphabet. He himself tells us some details about this creative challenge, which forces to take the style and skills of a writer outside of the comfort zone that is his own name.

36 Days of Type is an open event on Instagram by a Barcelona based company, for artists (mostly graphic designers) to upload their own take on letters A-Z and numbers 0-9. I’ve seen happen for a few years now and this year I decided to take up the challenge .

“So far I’ve struggled more with the watercolours than the letters, this has been my biggest challenge.“

For quite some time, I’ve been wanting to practice using watercolours so I thought I’d take this opportunity to practice. It’s been a fun learning experience and I’m enjoying learning how to use them. It’s not that easy so I’ve got a pen to outline so i can get the tightness and control I like.

I started painting the letters on the day they were due but quickly realised I’d never have the time to get them finished so I’ve begun to do them in 3’s. Basically I sketch them up first, then paint them all together at the same time, next, work in the pen and then go back with the paint a little. Improvising as I go but I’m also slightly restricted in how the paint works and how to get the best use out of it.

So far I’ve struggled more with the watercolours than the letters, this has been my biggest challenge. Getting a look I like but also learning how the paint works at the same time. It’s been quite stressful as I don’t really have the time in my life to scrap them and start again.

I’d really like to exhibit them somewhere once they’re all finished. Seeing something in the flesh is always much more interesting and inspiring than a quick 3 second flash (& like) on your phone while your on the train to work or sneaking a peek while having a piss at work. And once they’re all done I think they’ll look quite impressive together.

The reason I decided to put in parts of characters was also as a separate challenge. I’ve long been wanting to find ways in how to better incorporate characters into my pieces, to get them interacting and make them more my own. I’m not entirely sure that this is the way to do it, but it’s been an interesting experiment. Some of them work.