Stencils tend to be associated with sturdy and industrial shapes, but what if they were based on broad nib calligraphy? Lanka uses the junctures of calligraphic strokes as an opportunity to achieve stencil effect, shifting those connections in order to create unexpected shapes. The starting point was inspired by a Spanish book of engravings published by Francisco Palomares in 1776: “Arte nueva de Escribir”. Some of its reproductions show an uncommon stencil effect that attracted my attention. While Lanka’s stencil styles make it an eye-catcher, the text weights are sober workhorses suitable for longer pieces of text. The family is enhanced with different flourishes and alternates that add liveliness and variety. Feel free to drop me an email for a process-detailed pdf!

Bogidar Mascareñas Vizcaíno, born in 1990, is a Barcelona-based type designer and letterer. Before graduating with an MA in Type and Media, he earned a BA degree in Graphic Design at Elisava, Barcelona, from 2008 to 2012, where he discovered his interest in calligraphy and lettering. He drew his first typeface in the condensed program at Cooper Union, New York, in the summer of 2014.