Douglas Vitkauskas (also known as VTKS) is a famous font designer based in São Paolo, Brazil. He has released a lot of his awesome fonts for free. One of his latest fonts, VTKS Revolt is the third popular font in DaFont’s free font top 100. Every single free font can be found on Dafont.com. The rest of his work (including paintings, premium fonts and logos) can be seen on his website, www.vtks.com.br.
How and when did you get started as a designer?
I started to paint when I was twelve years old, at a small school of arts called CANDIDO PORTINARI, named after a great Brazilian painter.
In 1992 I bought my first personal computer, with CORELDRAW 2, I already
worked as free-lance designer by that time. I took a basic course of Corel in the same
year and about two years later I began to use a program like Photoshop (I think
the name was something like GALLERY OF EFFECTS). Soon, I became interested in typography and I began to do research in books that I found at some specialized stores in material for artists.
With the birth of the internet and the improvement of the computer science
equipments, it was easier to develop some works with different typography.
But it wasn’t until that I became aware of the software FONTOGRAPHER that I began to develop some sources to use in my works.
Over time and by reading some more books on typography, I was perfecting my knowledge. Because of the growth of the internet I tended to release the fonts and see works of other typedesigners and I discovered new programs to develop fonts.
What motivates you to distribute a lot of your fonts for free?
It is an excellent way of letting people know my work, and it is also quite interesting to know that in some way you are taking part in the art of other people.
Where do you get your inspiration?
The great majority comes from old posters, the types there are more designed as an artistic work for a difference.
Other inspiration comes from the Punk age, or, as we say today, Grunge: also seeking an air of distressed style.
And finally the tattoos, which perhaps have been my first example of how the types may be us and value the work.
What software do you use to make your fonts?
I use Fontlab and FontCreator to create them.
Do you have any tips or tricks for beginning (font)designers?
Always believe that you can and must improve yourself and your talents, we never know everything about something, but we can learn and to know more above on what we think that we dominate.
I believe we can always improve like people or professionals. If we want to know how someone made something and we do’nt have the information, we must try to make something equal or even better. This way we will discover new things that make us different as professionals.
We must try to touch of the soul of the people who observe the work. It is not always possible, but that’s what makes a professional better than the others.
If I am not mistaken, Shakespeare said:
The more I think that I know, the more I know that I know nothing.
Thanks Douglas for this interview and also for all your free fonts that are available on the web! Please visit www.vtks.com.br if you want to know more about Douglas and his work.
