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Jordan Jelev

Jordan  Jelev

Jordan Jelev

Varna, Bulgaria

Calligrapher, Graphic designer

Custom Lettering on Wine Labels

“I do not know how it happened, seriously. It just happened. I think I will have to kill myself if I had to work according to my education… a bookkeeper, for example. Funny—could not stand it.”

“For me, letters are maybe one of the most interesting things and phenomena in the world. I mean it because I see it everyday in my work and in my life. It’s a real miracle to express yourself with writing… to make a long, long swash when you are happy and a short, sharp stroke if you are angry. Calligraphy gives you a true chance to be what you want to be, to be yourself, to free your emotions, and your senses. And if it is really good, people can read it”.

Custom Lettering on Wine Labels

In most of my wine labels you can see hand made calligraphy (digital or analogue) which is something like a personal style or signature – in the 21st century most of the designers use digital fonts, only a few do custom lettering…

First I do a simple sketch of the type — just to see how it goes as a composition, swashes etc., then I put it in front of my eyes and start reproducing the style but this time with black ink, a penholder and proper nibs. After repeating this form 200 to 500 times, I finally get the hand lettered original. Wait 10 minutes for it to dry…, then it is scanned and in some cases transferred to vector graphic or sometimes it is kept natural as it is — depends on what I want to do in my project.

Author works

Revery

Paper, pencil, pastel, gold liner, dip nib, 20x29 cm, 2009

Shiraz

Hand made calligraphy, nibs, inks, polymer plates, hand made print, 2007

Rousse Reserve

Hand made calligraphy, digitally postprocessed, double stroke nibs, inks, transperant puff-up varnish - serigraphy, embossing, 2008

Kastritsi

Hand made calligraphy, digitally postprocessed, nibs, inks, hot foil stamping, 2007

Enola

Hand made calligraphy, digitally postprocessed, nibs, inks, transparent puff-up varnish - serigraphy, embossing, 2007

Ekrine

Hand made calligraphy, digitally postprocessed, nibs, inks, polymer plates, hand made print, 2007

Sun is stronger than shadow

Paper, acryl, nibs, coffee, pencil, manual embossing, 30x14 cm, 2009

Love is blind

Paper, acryl, nibs, pencil, coffee, manual embossing, 14x30 cm, 2009

Kaloyan Typeset

Digital print on canvas, gouache, cork nibs, 150x150 cm, 2009

Division by zero

Paper, digital calligraphy, Wacom Cintiq Grip Pen, Art Marker, INKSCAPE, 30x30 cm, 2009

Asemic Style

Paper, acryl, nibs, 25x20 cm, 2009

Letters

Paper, acryl, gold liner, sponge, white liner, 13x15 cm, 2009

Colours of the Shade

Paper, acryl, wide wood hand made nib, white liner, 21x14.8 cm, 2009

Calligraphy

Paper, acryl, wide wood hand made nib, white liner, 21x14.8 cm, 2009

Thirteen Roses

Paper, watercolours, coffee, black ink, red 3D liner, gold 3D liner, glittering varnish neutral, 12x12 cm, 2009

To Lead Not To Follow

Paper, acryl, gold bronze, nibs, 25x35cm, 2009
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Words Of Wisdom
Calligraphy — the written beauty of feelings.