There is a tool – inspired by football – that allows illustrators to create interactive illustrations using the formal qualities of variable typefaces. It’s called F.C. Variable and it was invented by the Dutch creative duo Rob en Robin, who transitioned from graphic design to the world of illustration. However, this tool demonstrates how it is possible to borrow some features of graphic design in favor of illustration. Let’s see how.
The football inspiration behind F.C. Variable is nothing more than a look at how the clients of the two illustrators can manipulate the exported images through a series of prompts and commands. Just like in the world of graphic design, there is also a vector component in illustrations. With the help of variable typefaces, animation becomes interactive. All this arises from the difficulty the two creatives faced in exporting some 3D manipulation experiments. Hence the invention of F.C. Variable. If initially the plan was to think of only one variation, the two immediately found themselves having to accommodate many more. Throughout this process, ChatGPT also provided assistance.
Rob & Robin don’t like drawing faces but rather objects, and football is associated with many elements and associations. However, the case of F.C. Variations teaches us that today the boundaries between graphic design and illustration are becoming increasingly blurred, just as in other areas of creativity. The world of typography has certainly changed after the arrival of variable fonts. Rob & Robin have therefore decided to transpose this technique into the world of illustration.
