Typographic Portrait: The Voice of Tupac Shakur

Overview & Initial Challenge

Client/Context: Academic Project (GIT 540: Cross Media Design Solutions), Arizona State University

Project Timeline: Fall 2025

Role: Student

Grade Level: Graduate (MS)

The objective of this project was to create a compelling, high-fidelity portrait of a chosen subject, Tupac Shakur, using typography as the sole visual medium. This assignment intentionally restricted the tools, forbidding raster images and illustration, to push the boundaries of typographic control and composition entirely within Adobe Illustrator.

The core challenge was translating the iconic, high-contrast, and deeply expressive features of Tupac into a cohesive visual form where both the image (the portrait) and the information (the text) remained legible and impactful. The portrait had to be constructed entirely through variations in font size, weight, leading, tracking, and orientation to achieve the necessary effects of shading, depth, and three-dimensional volume, adhering strictly to a black background and grayscale color palette.

The Final Submission

Outcomes and Reflections:

This project was a compelling introduction to Adobe Illustrator, revealing its power for complex visual design and vector asset creation. The meticulous application of typographic tools, specifically Type on a Path for structural contouring and Area Type for density, required a high level of focus and intentional execution. I am motivated to deepen my proficiency with Illustrator during my winter break and throughout the UX Design program, viewing it as a core asset for creating and prototyping visual design assets. It was also a meaningful experience to pay homage to the enduring legacy of Tupac Shakur.

The Initial Trace

Using Adobe Illustrator, key features and tonal sections of the Tupac reference image were traced.

The First Draft

Feedback prompted a refinement of the vector paths, requiring closer attention to contouring and application of the type on a path tool.