Bowie.otf

Intro

An homage to a personal hero and cultural icon.

When David passed, it hit me much harder than I ever thought it would. I never knew him personally, and likely never would, but his contribution to culture and music had, and still has, a profound effect on my life. I wanted to create an homage to him – something that wasn’t just a typical portrait, because everyone was doing that, so I thought I might make a typeface inspired by him.

I had never created one before, and I figured nothing would honor the spirit of Bowie more than doing something new and out of my comfort zone.

So here we are.

Inspiration

He's a starman

To me, David Bowie was someone whose style was ever-changing, yet always instantly recognizable. He ranged anywhere from being a starman sent from the heavens to just being a man in a suit. Though no matter how he presented himself, you knew it was Bowie. He was versatile. Classy yet unique. Daring yet refined. Bold yet subtle. I aimed to bring his ability to blend genres into a typeface which can be used across different design styles yet still retaining its uniqueness and making it instantly recognizable.

Of the many styles Bowie has embodied, I chose four that stood out to me. The angles of David’s Earthling suit, Ziggy Stardust’s circlular forehead design, the repeating lines of Ziggy’s black suit, and the slenderness and elegance of the Thin White Duke.

Angular
Roundness
Repetition
Slenderness

Examples

See you, Space Cowboy

Like it? It’s yours!

This font was made out of love and it’s free for personal use! I didn’t make it to turn a profit, and I don’t expect you would either.

Download BowieOTF