Andrew van der Merwe, calligraphy, lettering and design

/ H O M E P A G E /

THE SITE AT A GLANCE
   (to navigate, use the
   menu bar above):

/ H O M E /
   Welcome
   (Home Page)
   Contact Details
   About the scribe
   Useful links

/ D E S I G N /
   Corporate ID
   Wine Packaging
   Book Covers, Adult
   Invitations

/ L E T T E R I N G /
   Wordmarks/Logos
   Wine Labels
   Book Titling, Children
   Invitations

/ C A L L I G R A P H Y /
   Illuminated Scrolls
   Awards
   Wall Pieces
   Heraldry
   General

/ W O R K S H O P S /
   The Cape CalliBash
   CalliBash exhibition
   My Workshops

/ F R E E   S T U F F /
   e-Stationery

To find out more about calligraphy as an art form, read A short essay: an introduction to western calligraphy and an introduction to the Callibash exhibition.

How to read my site off-line:
While on-line, navigate the pages you want, allowing each to load fully > disconnect > Go File / Work Offline > open the History panel > click on the first page you want to view > navigate from there as per usual at your leisure.
Note: you can only review pages which were loaded when you were online.

NEWS >>>>>>>>>

           As a designer specialising in lettering and calligraphy, I am involved in a very wide range of work which I have categorised as follows:
      / D E S I G N   S E R V I C E S/
This section showcases design projects done under my creative direction and which I have seen through from strategy and concept to printing for my own clients. I find wine label and corporate ID design particularly satisfying because of the marketing strategy aspect. Naturally, I also design and manage the printing of corporate stationery such as letterheads, business cards and pamphlets.
      / L E T T E R I N G   S E R V I C E S /
Much of my work is done for other designers and agencies or publishers who sub-contract me to do typographical components of their designs. In such cases my contribution to the design is limited to the lettering or calligraphy. I am often involved here in the design of logos and wordmarks because of the advantage of originality and "ownability" that hand done lettering has over typesetting. I also do work on wine labels: the craftsmanship of calligraphy strikes a chord with that of wine making. Much of my lettering is done for book covers. Hand done book titles are pivotal in the effective branding of a book.
      / C A L L I G R A P H Y   S E R V I C E S /
This section showcases my calligraphy work in its more traditional and less commercial applications. Illuminated addresses, scrolls, heraldry, raised gold, inspired words on hand made paper - the stuff of an ancient art! I have written scrolls for Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, among others.
      / W O R K S H O P S /
I find the teaching of calligraphy particularly rewarding. This section contains information about workshops which I am and have been involved in. The Cape Friends of Calligraphy are hosting an exciting Peninsula-wide letter-arts festival in April this year. My involvement spans branding the event, presenting a number of workshops and organising an exhibition of commercially applied calligraphy.
This section of my site is also where you might find some of my own opinions and pontifications re. the art of calligraphy. In the near future I will add some published material.
      / F R E E   S T U F F /
The way you present your thoughts can sometimes be as important as the thoughts themselves. The e-stationery here is to help you reclaim for e-mail some of the beauty of communication by hand.
This section is still a mere quire but I am determined to build it up to a virtual library of cool, useful stuff.

E V E N T S
Be-Za Calligraphy Collaboration
This exciting collaboration between Belgian and South African Calligraphers, culminating came to a climax on 28 September 2008 with the auction of the stones raising over €61 250 for Sprinkle and Breadline Africa projects for Aids affected children here in South Africa.

For a full report see:
Wor(l)ds Project Report Vol1
Wor(l)ds Project Report Vol2
Wor(l)ds Project Report Vol3.
Vol3 is the beach calligraphy report and contains some nice pictures. e.g.:

E X T R A C T S
FROM THIS SITE:

Free e-stationery:

Calligraphy on exclusive ceramic ware:

Titling for childrens' books:

Book cover design:

Logo for Nemesis software:

€