Africa alphabet: Readability plus with African flavor

The ABC’s are used creatively throughout Africa.  They form the Swahili words that unite nations along the eastern coast, they transliterate dozens of local African languages, and they communicate in English or French.  By modifying the Roman letter shapes, written words can express African art through bold colors, improvised forms, and strong symbols.  

Using the letters below, you can assemble paper collages, appliqué initials, piece quilts, stitch names, and design many other projects that combine Roman readability with authentic African visual flavor.  

http://www.scribd.com/doc/64189517/Virtual-Swahili-Alphabet-Template-From-Margaret-Shepherd-author-of-Learn-World-Calligraphy 

Useful Swahili words that form the basis of special occasions: 

“hongera,” congratulations 

“ujinga” wisdom

“amandla” we shall overcome 

“furaha” joy 

“nakupenda” I love you 

“oxolu” peace  

“ndio” yes

“chakula ni maisha”food is life

“kupika” the cook 

“pamoja” together 

Africa alphabet: Three approaches

While Africa offers us many interesting systems for recording the sound or the meaning of words, you can use what you've learned to invent your own "Virtual African" alphabet styles.  
Shown here, three easy techniques: 

• Reshape Bamum* letters to look like alphabet letters; 
• Decorate alphabet letters with Adinkra, Bantu, and Nsibidi symbols, colors, and motifs; 
• render the letters in typical African materials.  

And, of course, translate your own language into swahili words as shown here in the illustrations and borders, as here, where "welcome" becomes "KARIBU.".  

Above, This chapter opener from Learn World Calligraphy shows how to add African visual flavor to the ABCs.

*Left: Bamum mixed with the alphabet.  See original letters on page 24 Learn World Calligraphy or go to http://www.pinterest.com/pin/278941770644520572/  

276 Clear cut

These letters, Clear Cut, are made by cutting black 1" squares with mostly straight lines and moving the pieces to make white strokes.  

You can create simple block letters, or spend a little extra time and trouble to give the illusion of serifs and decorative strokes.  

We will come back to this idea during December, when patterned paper is a big part of our lives.  Start saving now.

209 Rosh Hahanah

This alphabet comes from my book Calligraphy Alphabets Made Easy.  You can find four other Hebrew-themed alphabets there, plus three more in the Hebrew chapter of  Learn World Calligraphy.  These are not quite in alphabetical order throughout, in an effort to help you classify them into letter families.  

September is the season of Jewish New Year.  These letters, Sabra, are a blend of Roman alphabet forms with Hebrew pen strokes.   You may take some time to get used to the extreme pen angle and the backward letter slant. 

Virtual Russian

Here's a recent Wall Street Journal hybrid headline,
which replaces the letters E and U with look-alikes
from the Cyrillic alphabet.

I've been interested to find so many "Virtual" alphabets in the years I've been paying attention to this kind of letter.   Anytime you mix alphabets, you can turn readable Roman into an exotic cross-breed.  It's subtle but eye-catching.  I've included a lot more examples of hybrid writing in my new book Learn World Calligraphy. 

Judicious reversal turns this Cambridge bar
named "The People's Republic" into "The People's Pub." page 174