Fictional Letterform
2018
Bel Air
Bel Air is Bulmer’s 27th letter. Unique for its curved ascender and arc, the name takes after the richness and elegance of a neighborhood in Los Angeles. The West entrance gate also has beautiful, delicate iron curves that very much inspired this letterform. Furthermore, Bel Air, in French, means “beautiful air.” This meaning is strongly embodied in the classic, smooth curves in the anatomy.
The alphabet in Bulmer typeface with "Bel Air" added between the letter 'g' and 'h'.
The letter consists of three anatomical parts of Bulmer, they are the bowl of the letter ‘b,’ the arc of the stem of the letter ‘j,’ and the ascender of the letter ‘f.’ There is a high contrast between the thin and thick strokes of Bel Air; this characteristic is very known for in the Bulmer typeface. When creating Bel Air, the letter ‘b’ was used as a starting foundation. Later, the curves were added to the defined stem of the letter ‘b.’ Together, they create
the dynamic and harmonious anatomy of Bel Air.
Poster to advertise the new letter of Bulmer — "Bel Air"
