About Gaston

"Gaston thrives on the art of self-discovery. His journey as an autodidact, a self-taught artisan of diverse creative domains, has been instrumental in shaping his career and worldview. In an age where traditional education paths are increasingly questioned, Gaston embodies the ethos of self-mastery and multidisciplinary learning.

This About Me page and its Bibliography section provide insight into Gaston's autodidactic journey, highlighting the books that have been instrumental in shaping his creative path and philosophy.

Bibliography

I take self education seriously. To be an autodidact in this day an age is a testament to compromise in uplifting the craft. Here is a compendium of books that have shaped my knowledge in relevant fields.

Calligraphy

• The Stroke – Gerrit Noordzij
• Inside Paragraphs – Cyrus Highsmith
• The Complete Manual of Typography – J Felici
• Rhythm in Type Design – Alejandro Lo Celso
• Meggs History of Graphic Design
• Thinking with Type – Ellen Lupton
• The Elements of Typographic Style – Robert Bringhurst
• Designing Type – Karen Cheng
• Detail in Typography – Jost Hochuli

Signpainting

• Mastering Layout – Mike Stevens
• Gold Leaf Techniques – Kent H. Smith
• Sign Painters – Faythe Levine & Sam Macon
• A Brief Guide to Sign Painting – New Bohemia Signs
• Signpainter’s Sketchbook – Noel B. Weber
• Sign Painting – Mike Meyer & Friends
• Sign Painting Course – E.C Mathews

Typography

• Inside Paragraphs – Cyrus Highsmith
• The Complete Manual of Typography – J Felici
• Rhythm in Type Design – Alejandro Lo Celso
• Thinking with Type – Ellen Lupton
• The Elements of Typographic Style – Robert Bringhurst
• Designing Type – Karen Cheng
• Just My Type – Simon Garfield
• How Typography Works – Fernand Baudin
• Detail in Typography – Jost Hochuli
• Glyphs*
• An Essay On Typography – Eric Gill
• Letter By Letter – Laurent Pflughaupt

Philosophy

• The Sovereign Individual – Rees-Moog,
• A Hunter Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century – Heying, Weinstein
• Consolations of Philosophy – Alain de Botton
• Beyond Good And Evil – Friedrich Nietzche
• Meditations – Marcus Aurelius

Lettering

• Lettering Manual – House Industries
• The Process Is The Inspiration – House Industries
• The ABC of Custom Lettering – Iván Castro
• Shadow Type – Heller, Fili
• Scripts – Heller, Fili
• Flip The Script – Christian P. Acker
• Urban Calligraphy and Beyond

Psychology

• How to Make Friends And Influence People – Dale Carnegie
• Show Your Work! – Austin Kleon
• The Myth of Normal – Gabor Maté