Instagram story viewer> @letterbread> Posts

Alex Rhodes

@letterbread

1.5K

followers

798

following

Fresh doodles baked weekly-ish. Lettering artist based in Boise, ID.
Personal → @rhodes_creative
Ye ol’ site ↓

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Recent lettering for the April issue of Texas Monthly. As always, the whole team killed it, and I was thankful to be included on such a fun assignment.

The goal with “The Best Picture Shows” lettering was to create a fun movie title that incorporated movement and fit with the cover’s surrounding elements (shout-out to @danielledelplato for crushing the photo illustration). I sketched a few rough directions before refining them on the iPad and bringing them into the computer to fine-tune and vectorize. From there, I took the lettering and masthead and added a soft projector-like glow, along with film grain to simulate a vintage projected movie title. I am so excited about the result, and after I got a hard copy in my hands, I had to snap a few photos.

Thank you to @texasmonthly for the opportunity and @emilybk for the always-amazing creative direction. Seriously, y’all are the best!

#texasmonthly taken in Austin, Texas by @letterbread

30

2

6 months ago

It can be tough to pause during the heat of a creative project and document the process. Recently, I somehow remembered to take a moment and set up a camera to grab a short clip of the first coat of paint being laid down on a mural for Muah Salon in Boise, ID. It always feels great to get away from the computer and get my hands dirty slinging paint. And having images of the process is a nice bonus. It was satisfying to see the letterforms transition from sketch to physical space.

I’m currently on the hunt for more type-focused interior mural projects in 2024. If you know of a business or interior space that could benefit, please feel free to reach out. taken in Boise, Idaho by @letterbread

149

25

3 years ago

I shared this project previously, but I wanted to expand on it with a short process video (second slide) and a few other nuggets about the project. It was such a fun little collaboration.

When I met with @mhwordell to chat about possible styles for a new @visionkitstudio shirt design, he was completely open to letting me do my thing. This freedom provided the opportunity to try a lettering style that had been bouncing around in my head for the past year or so, but I hadn’t found the right project to try it out. This VK shirt was the perfect proving ground to push my style into new territory and explore fresh techniques in my workflow.

About halfway through the process, I met with the VK crew to share the concept I was working on. I was pretty happy with it, but when I walked them through things, in the back of my mind, it still felt far too safe. Anyone who has worked with me knows I use the word “tingle” to describe the feeling of great work. I wasn’t getting the tingle I craved, so I wanted to push it further—into an absurd, borderline illegible, juicy, inflated, balloon-like wonderland. I proceeded to manipulate the letterforms, made them 3D, added some surface gloss, created secondary illustrated elements, and ran everything through a bitmap screen to add texture and lend itself to screenprinting. To finish it off, I also made a font for the text at the base of the design. Ah, the tingle had arrived. I am really proud of this design and thankful to the VK crew for their trust and collaboration as I explored uncharted creative waters.

I’m pleased to share that this design, along with four others, was shortlisted in the Communication Arts Typography Annual. It didn’t make the final cut, but I’m still damn proud of this bad boy.

If you like what you see, you can support the crew and buy a shirt through Visionkit’s website.

📸 Photos by the talented crew at @visionkitstudio

#lettering #handlettering #type #typography #boise #idaho #seasons #design #illustration #apparel #studio #photography #videoproduction taken in Boise, Idaho by @letterbread

87

10

2 years ago

My 3 weeks in Miami drawing in my sketchbook and taking reference photos of tropical horticulture in Coconut Grove, art deco icons in South Beach, and some very lively street art in Wynwood, the city's arts district is almost at an end. I pulled real textures straight from the city with my handheld scanner. Every surface in this piece came from real life.

It’s the only place in the U.S. I’ve been where Spanish feels like the default setting city-wide. It’s a blend of Latin American cultures all layered into one city. The best part is nobody switches to English. Conversations just continue, sometimes with a little Spanglish assistance. Very forgiving way to practice.

10/10 minus missing my half marathon with @quinnstagram_95 and @wehaynes due to a nasty case of bronchitis/sinus/ear infections from a lingering cold. Met some rad people and experienced some classic Floridian eccentricities.

Lettering kindly contributed by the all-powerful @letterbread taken in Miami Beach, Florida by @letterbread

46

9

7 months ago

Two years ago, after watching a stream of agencies share their holiday party festivities, I had an idea. I thought it might be fun to put together a small celebration for us self-employed folks. As 2025 was coming to an end, I decided to share a story on Instagram with an invitation to join “A Holiday Party for One.”

My only goal with the post was to gauge interest from fellow independent folks to see whether the idea was worthy or silly bullshit. I had low expectations that it would gather interest, espeshally with my lack of enthusiasm for social media. I sent an event link to those who responded to that post, thinking maybe one or two close friends would show up, and I was happy with that. To my surprise, a squad of some of Boise’s finest rolled in. It was exciting to be surrounded by such a great group of people and celebrate a year well done. As Snoop Dogg famously said, “I wanna thank me,” a good sentiment to remember, espeshally when you work for yourself in such a competitive and often cold industry. To sit in the midst of such an inspiring collection of talent and celebrate our wins was a great way to close out the year. When the event wrapped, I emerged from 10th Street Station feeling recharged and motivated for the year ahead. Thank you to all who attended.

I also want to call out @mattlarson.jpg for lending his incredible talents to capture some moments from the night on FILM. These images are so damn fun. In typical fashion, I totally forgot to take any photos as the night was unfolding, so when Matt sent these over, I was ecstatic. Thank you!

Looking forward to the next one!

#boise #idaho #community taken in Boise, Idaho by @letterbread

74

16

9 months ago

San Francisco is probably my favorite city to visit on the West Coast. During a recent flight to the Bay, I sketched this lettering while dreaming of dim sum and ice-cold Lucky Buddha beers. Once landed, I hopped on the train and promptly made my way to Chinatown to consume my body weight in dumplings. After I had my fill of steamy goodness, I started making my way over to the East Bay for an exciting branding project I plan to share a case study on very soon. Maybe it was the dim sum, but when I got back to Boise, I decided to take that plane sketch a little further and see where it went. Here is where it landed, along with a few of my favorite color combinations.

#sanfrancisco #dimsum #design #lettering taken in San Francisco, California by @letterbread

54

2

a year ago

It’s been a wild year at the studio, but you would never know it by how infrequently I share what I’ve been up to. I’m hoping to fix that and share a few projects that were created over the past year or two, starting with this fun “Hel Yea!” project done with my friends at @sovrn for Visit Helena.

I loved the copy the team at Sovrn came up with, and I knew it would lend itself to a fun type treatment the second I read it. The team already had campaign and design elements in the works, so my role was really about exploring the type and creating a fun series of wordmarks. As always, this project began with sketches that later became a series of ultra-clean vector files. But what really got me excited was adding some soul with a gritty analog process after the final vector work was completed. In an increasingly digital world, I find myself craving work that isn’t just sitting on a hard drive, in the cloud, or crapped out of some vile AI pipeline. Work that is real, imperfect, and human. This stylistic approach was a great fit to pair with the spirit of Helena. After creating a suite of vector marks with and without the shape of Montana, I hand-carved the lettering in high-density foam to create a grimy printing plate to run a series of prints. Each print had a unique feel and created a look that is simply unattainable in the digital world—despite what some may tell you. The real deal always looks better. Here are some snapshots of that analog process.

#helenamontana #visithelenamt #montana #design taken in Helena, Montana by @letterbread

74

17

a year ago

Last May marks two years since I made the entrepreneurial leap into the creative abyss. I decided it was high time I got some new headshots that better represent the light-hearted nature of my business and my love of mustard, so I reached out to my good friends at @visionkitstudio. I knew I wanted these to be silly, lean on bold color, and curate props that fit with my art direction and personal style. After a few months of scouring Marketplace for the right furniture, we were ready to roll. As always, Visionkit came through in spades, and I’m thrilled with the results. These are just a few of my favorites.

#photo #photography #hotdog #mustard #lettering #design #boise #idaho taken in Boise, Idaho by @letterbread

278

56

a year ago

Last month, I attended @creativesouthga and it’s safe to say it was a damn good time. As someone who works from home, I really value these creative gatherings. It can be tough to spend the money, especially as an independent contractor, but I’m glad I did.

I met Creative South’s @bucket826 at Lincoln Design’s @intothewoods_conference two years ago and knew I would make it down to the Peach State someday. Though I’m late to the party, I wrote a short post about my experience at the link in my story.

Thanks to my buddies @dannyrosasdesign and @eolson.creative for snapping some photos of the crew. And shoutout to big boss daddy @dristy for kickin’ ass in his workshop.

#creativesouth2025 #creativesouth #design #lettering #georgia #creativity taken in Georgia, USA by @letterbread

93

16

a year ago

🚨 NEW SHIRT DROP 🚨 Work Together, Grow Together (v2)

Shout out to the very talented @letterbread for collaborating with us on this new shirt design! We’re so pumped to add this fresh piece to our collection. Much love to our local creative community that continue to support an approachable, collaborative, permission granting environment for all to thrive in. Wear it proudly - you know we will 😉

Link in bio to snag your own! by @letterbread

3

6

2 years ago

It’s hard to wrap my head around the recent fires in LA. We had a bad fire year in Idaho, but the devastation in LA is unimaginable. It feels like every year, fires keep getting worse. Hopefully, this isn’t the new normal.

If you’re able, join me in donating to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation or one of the other organizations listed at the LA Times link below. And to my friends, clients, and all LA residents affected by the recent fires, hang in there. 🩷

Link in my story and bio
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-08/how-to-help-victims-of-pacific-palisades-eaton-and-hurst-fires

#losangeles #la #love #lettering #type #design taken in Los Angeles, California by @letterbread

31

0

2 years ago

61

13

2 years ago