123 Klan
123Klan consists of Scien and Klor, a husband and wife duo of graffiti writers, and graphic design champs. Scien and Klor opened a studio in 2007 in Montreal, after allready establishing their design work on a global level. The work speaks for itself, and clients seek them out, as one of the visual representations of new handmade lettering and graphics. Peep Game:
You came from graffiti first, then graphic design, explain the similarities and differences between making something on a computer or on a wall? (I.E. do you start from a sketch always, or can you freehand a letter right on a surface/screen?)
Similarities between graffiti and graphic design are just the fact we focus our creativity onto letters, characters, and the art of how to lay out elements in a certain given space. the tools are just a detail, now the big difference between graffiti and graphic design is the fact that you don't have to communicate a clear and understandable message to a largest audience as possible. So graffiti offers you more freedom to create, feel letters and to lay out them the way you want.
In your design work as 123Klan, it seems like your able to keep your same look and style through each project. How do you describe your work to prospective clients?
Well, We don't have to, in general, most of our clients approach us because they saw our artworks online in books or magazines and feel like they need our skills to help them to look good or simply to grow up their branding. Like they certainly do with other designers as well. Your artwork must talk for yourself, we are image makers, so if you have to explain to somebody a picture there is 2 options, you do abstract pictures that need to be explained with a concept behind or you simply do bad pictures. In our case it speaks for itself.
Most of your design has custom type in the work, and the few fonts that you use seem very legible. What fonts do you like?
It depends, we usually love to use classic legible fonts, like the Bebas Neue, Frutiger, Futura condensed medium or Century gothic bold. We use them as a 2nd detail plan, like to write something inside a swoosh or as a small head line like "Style is the Message " for example. But all our logos are hand made, then cleaned up with illustrator. It is really important to create as much as possible yourself, it looks better and different. I guess it also for that same reason our clients approach us.
Talk a little about the process of your graffiti lettering, how in depth are you sketches/ how much of the piece is made up on the wall?
Because we have a daily creative job we don't paint as much as we would like to, but we still draw a lot, so most of our pieces are sketched first then painted. Also we are now living in Montreal, and winters are long over here, so you have no choice to sketch home. Back in the days we use to paint straight on the wall, but you have to paint a lot to do that, not to be good, just because you are not frustrated to paint everything that comes in your mind, coz finally everything comes from your mind, a sketch or a piece. But sketching everyday it's good to practice and to keep yourself evolving.
What are the characteristics to style on a letter? (how would you describe a letter with style vs. one without)
It's really hard to say... We personally love things by following our feelings and instinct, so it seems we do feel some and others don't. We try to spend our energy in everything that catch our attention, so when something we don't feel comes to us we prefer to skip it rather to focus our attention to criticize it. No time to hate on anything or anybody.
123 Klan | Expresh Letters | Inspiration
Scien | Flickr
Interview by Kel Troughton for Expresh Letters 2011, the images used are owned by 123Klan and shown here under permission of the artists. Respect
1 comment:
Great interview here and love the examples of 123Klan work.
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