Daitengu Font

Designer: David Kerkhoff

I have constantly been fascinated by Tengu - a mythical creature from Japan. Tengu are normally illustrated with a red face, an extremely long nose, white moustaches and a funny hat. They used to be considered harbingers of war, but over the centuries, their image softened and they ended up being the protective spirits of mountains and forests.
Daitengu implies 'greater tengu' and originates from the Genpei Jōsuiki - an extended version of the 'The Tale of the Heike' - an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan.

So, now you learn about tengu, end of the history lesson!

Daitengu is an epic brush font style. I made it with a soft brush and China ink (like many of my brush font styles), however instead of forming the glyphs I saw in my head, I let the brush do the work. A more 'zen' method to brushwork if you will! The result is an unpleasant, organic brush font with a lot of spirit.

Comes with diacritics and double letter ligatures.