A Delicate Balance Poster · Dennis Clouse · Cyclone Design
The type treatment on this theater poster makes it memorable. This piece is working on so many levels - it has great color, balance and texture - but the hand-lettered type really provides the spark. In the design process there was likely a decision about whether or not to use a standard font or hand lettering. What makes this use of type so successful is that it is a combination of both. The hand lettering is based on an actual font but modified to be appropriate to the design.
The designer made two other good decisions. One was to allow the texture of the illustration to seep through the type. Notice how beautiful the B in the word balance is. The other was to fill in some of the letters in the headline, thus adding in even more interest to the design.
While the headline font is based on a serif font, the smaller text is based on a sans serif font. This contrast of fonts allows each of the type choices to occupy its own space within the design. In other words, the contrasting of the two font styles in a design is often key to making to making the type compatible.
Source: Design Basics for Creative Results by Bryan L. Peterson
