Chris Campe

I enjoy seeing everyone else’s logo collection for @logoarchive and @logoarchive.now so here’s mine. Bouncy scripts, bubbly bold shapes and reverse contrast – that’s what I enjoy drawing most and putting this together made me want to get back to drawing digital lettering like this. Half of the drawings aren’t actually logos, but lettering I created for the series of animated lettering gifs you can find on giphy if you type in chriscampe (without blank). Photo by the increasingly famous @polinaalexandra #logoarchive #logoarchive_now

Im aktuellen Blogartikel auf dem Flow-Blog stelle ich Dir Chris Campe von @allthingsletters in meiner kleinen Interviewreihe vor. /chris-campe-im-kurzinterview/ Den Link zum Blog gibt es auch in meiner Bio und in der heutigen Story! Chris ist Designerin, Autorin und Buchstabenkünstlerin aus Hamburg, die sich mit ihrem Büro “All Things Letters” auf Schriftgestaltung, Lettering und Illustration spezialisiert hat. Chris war vorletzte Woche mit einem Artikel zu ihren Demoschildern im @spiegelmagazin Von den Demoschildern erzählt sie mir auch im Blogartikel! Außerdem war Chris bereits einmal bei mir in meinem Podcast “Der kreative Flow” zu Gast, da hatte ich sie in ihrem Studio in Hamburg besucht – hör gern nochmal in Folge 110 rein. Danke, Chris für Deine Antworten und die Zeit! #chriscampe #allthingsletters #derkreativeflow #deutschepodcasts

These drawings from my sketchbooks will go into volume 3 of my lettering alphabets book series. While you wait for me to get the 50 new alphabets for »Still More Alphabets« ready, go get your copies of volume 1 and 2: »Alphabets« and »More Alphabets«. 1. An alphabet I developed from the cover lettering of »More Alphabets«. 2. online letters 3. Lettering I saw at one of the shops in Frankfurt’s Kleinmarkthalle 4. Some words written in the style of the lettering for »More Alphabets« 5. An alphabet developed from the numbers I saw on the face of a vintage alarm clock. 6. The cover of my book »Alphabets« 7. The cover of my book »More Alphabets«

Bielefeld shop sign impressions. I spent a day and a half teaching at @design_hsbi and this is what I saw during a quick walk through the city centre. Like in many cities in West Germany you can tell from all the vintage neon that is still in place that there was a lot of money once (in the 1950s and 60s?) and there is a lot less now. That’s my guess at least because in cities with a lot of money the old signs and sometimes the whole buildings get taken down eventually. This is what I saw: 1. Classic neon over the entry of car park 2. Mirow-Haus used the same round letterform for M and W 3. Wäsche-Schmitz-Haus am Berliner Platz – Bielefeld used to be famous for it’s linen products with lots of textile factories 4. The cornered entry of a printer and publishing company founded in 1661 (!) and out of business since 2021 5. Classic Coca-Cola sign in the old town 6. Teppiche – vertical neon advertising carpets 7. and 8. fantastic neon on the front and side view of the former movie theatre »Skala« 8. The entry of @hsbi_bielefeld – what’s that Helvetica? I learned that the building was built in 1957 and it features a nuclear shelter! I’m scheduled to see it when I come back to teach in two weeks. 9. „Dem Landesvater sein Volk“ grammerly greetings from Hannover on my way back to Hamburg.

Writing the title lettering for my latest book »More Alphabets«. I’m using a custom tool made by a calligraphy colleague. It’s a kind of wide automatic pen and a great joy to write with because it moves so smoothly. The book »More Alphabets« is the sequel of »Alphabets« and it contains 50 new lettering alphabet variations for your inspiration. Like my work? Get the book! the link is in my bio.

Kicked off the new semester today as possibly the last teacher who draws on chalk boards and handing out paper copies … it was much fun! I’m teaching two classes this spring: »Letters as Images – Lettering and Typography for Illustrators« @design_hawhamburg and »Public Speaking: Words in Public Space« in communication design at @design_hsbi – it’ll be intense, but I’m much looking forward to it, because in my mind’s eye I can already see the great things that’ll come out of both. By the way, I opened a new account to show student work for from my classes and workshops and it’s called @klassecampe because no one can stop me from pretending I’m a professor at an academy of fine arts!

Call for students: I’m teaching two classes at art schools this spring—one in communication design Bielefeld @design_hsbi and one in the illustration department @design_hawhamburg The class in Bielefeld is called „Public Speaking“ and it’ll be a mix of creative writing, calligraphy and large scale mural lettering. The goal is to fill up a whole gallery at the school with our own words and then present it to the public with an opening and a reading on June 18. I can already see it in my mind’s eye and it’ll be great. The class at HAW Hamburg is called „Letters as Images“ and it’s an introduction to lettering and typography for illustration students who are afraid of type. So if you study at one of these schools and like my work, I’d be happy to see you in class. Or if you know cools students at these schools, please send them my way. Registration starts this coming week By the way, I created a separate account for showing student work. It goes by the aspirational name of @klassecampe – as if it was the class of a big name professor at an academy of fine arts. Ha! 😎

A little clip from the latest episode with Chris Campe @allthingsletters who talks about what happened when she started sharing her protest signs, what it activated in her followers and how it’s become the biggest achievement in her work so far. Check out Chris’s website (allthingsletters.com) for free tutorial and download on “How to Paint Protest Signs”. In the full episode you will also discover how Chris has inspired published many books and creates a thriving world of letters, alphabets and more! I’ve also added a 14min clip to our @thelifeofletterspodcast YouTube channel with exclusive footage - Chris unboxing her latest book and more 🤩🎬 What an episode, go check it out! _ #allthingsletters #letteringdesign #protestsigns #letteringartist #letteringbook

More relevant than ever: The text I wrote for my installation »Manifesto« in 2024. I wish it became less relevant. Manifesto I wish I didn’t have to say this. I wish speaking up didn’t make me the target of haters. I wish I didn’t have to be afraid of being raped. I wish I could ride my bike without risking my life. I wish I didn’t live in a world shaped by and for men. I wish I didn’t have to worry about any of this. I wish it was just a matter of mindset. I wish it was really just my responsibility. I wish I didn’t have to see a therapist about this. I wish I was paid for creating this artwork. I wish my comfort was not based on the exploitation of others. I wish I didn’t have to worry about staying relevant. I wish I wasn’t afraid of being poor when I get old. I wish capitalism would finally end. I wish I knew better.

What do people think in a museum? Are they amazed, fascinated, confused? Together with the staff at the Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg, I collected remarks, questions, and comments about the spaces and exhibits. This became »Wow! Huh? Cool!«, a site-specific work for one of the stairwells at @mkghamburg The installation will be presented alongside the exhibition »Who Are You? New Approaches to Visitor Research« and you are warmly invited to the opening: on March 19 (Thursday, the day after tomorrow!) from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on the second floor of the museum. Just say at the entry you’re there for the opening—no ticket required. Hope to see you there!

I wish: Happy International Women‘s day!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I first posted my wish list for Women’s Day in 2018 and though I feel less optimistic than ever at the moment, I guess I‘ll just post this again and again each year until at least some of it comes true.⁣ ⁣⁣ * I wish I didn’t have to clarify that trans women are women. * I wish I’d no longer get sir-ed just because I have short hair, wear sweatshirts and look a bit androgynous.⁣⁣ * I wish I could kiss my queer lover in the streets without keeping one eye open to check who else is there and whether they’ll kick my face or make a sneering comment.⁣⁣ * I wish I didn’t have to be afraid of being raped. ⁣⁣ * I wish I wasn’t worried about being too outspoken online.⁣⁣ * I wish people were too embarrassed to organize events with an all male line up.⁣⁣ * When I call an ambulance because I have stomach cramps I wish the paramedics wouldn’t say »Oh, great! A woman with cramps – and you call an ambulance for THAT?!«⁣⁣ * I wish women everywhere had the right to make decisions about their own body. * I wish women stopped saying »I’m not a feminist, but …« because what does that even mean? You don’t want women and queer people to have equal rights??⁣⁣ * And I wish all those people who say feminism is over and »We no longer need it!« were right.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ And you? Any wishes for international women’s day? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ PS: For those of you who didn’t know me back then then, the photo is from my #windowkaraoke series: 2014 to 2016 I put up a new piece of lyrics every two or three weeks, and people walking by guessed the songs and sang along. Lovely!⁣⁣

Want to learn how to do this kind of lettering? It’s actually a lot more about ways of thinking about letters than about tools and techniques. My online course »Drawing Letters« starts in three weeks—sign up by February 15 to get the extended early bird discount.