About Maria Montes: Calligrapher, letterer, type designer & illustrator.

About
Maria Montes

I’m in love with creativity and letterforms. For the first ten years of my career, I worked as a full-time graphic designer. My first contact with calligraphy was in 1996 —that it last century! In 2011 I went back to study typeface design where I grabbed a calligraphy pen and ink and I haven’t let it go again!

I have been teaching calligraphy independently since 2014. My favourite way of learning is by teaching others. I offer in-person and online calligraphy and lettering courses, corporate in-house workshops, as well as private one-to-one tuitions.

I educate students worldwide on broad-edge pen Roman Capitals, Modern Carolingian, Italic, Neuland, Blackletter, Copperplate and Script Brush calligraphy for beginner and intermediate students. I specialise in Script lettering and connected alphabets.

I have studied a Postgraduate Course in Advanced Typography and a Condensed Program in Typeface Design at Type@Cooper in NYC. In 2018 I released my first independent display chromatic font family called Green Fairy.

Special thanks to the following educators for sharing their knowledge with me: Keith Adams, Amanda Adams, Oriol Miró, Laura Meseguer, Josema Urós, Jean François Porchez, Sumner Stone, Ken Barber, Jessica Hische, Marta Cerdà, Nina Tran, Suzanne Cunningham, Luca Barcellona and John Stevens.

And a special mention to a curious mind who has never been my teacher, but I would have love to meet him in person: “I like to design type. Like to jiggle type around and see what comes out. Like to design ornaments. Like paper. Like ink on paper. Like bright colors. Handicapped by clock” W.A. Dwiggins.

Custom Services

I help cultural and luxury brands to stand out through truly unique and beautifully-crafted design assets.

With ten years’ independent professional experience, I specialise in premium identity design developing the means for brands to connect deeper with their audience.

I have worked in partnership with leading design studios around the world, helping them craft their identity systems with emotionally charged branding assets including logo design, monograms, brandmarks, custom type, lettering, illustration, patterning and packaging design.

Selected Clients

Brand Design Firms

Porto Rocha (US), Pentagram (US), Inaria Luxury Brand Design (UK), Windsorborn (AU), Brand Lounge (UAE), McCANN Agency (AU), Ama Foundry (NL).

Editorial Design Firms

Black Inc. Books (AU), Biennale of Sydney (AU), Bloomsbury Publishing (UK & US), Design Feast (US), Hardie Grant Publishing (AU), Hodder & Stoughton Publishing (UK), Art Centre Tinglado 2 (ES), Art Centre La Panera (ES).

Luxury Clients

The Biennale of Sydney (AU), L’oscar Hotel London (UK), Sitara Himalaya (IN), One Spa World (UK), The Calligraphy Co (AU), Makarem (UAE).

Packaging & Merch

Sony Music Entertainment (JP), Nexba (AU), Goodness Group (AU), Charlie’s Fine Food Co. (AU), Whistle Post (AU), Simone Keane (AU), The Big Hill Group (AU), The Letterets (AU), Typo (AU).

Fashion

Megan Park (AU), Country Road (AU), Zara (ES), Mango (ES), Massimo Dutti (ES), Bimba Y Lola (ES), Esprit (AU), Chorus (AU), Rare Bird (AU), Dreamfable (CH), Hew Clothing (AU), Target (AU), Marcs (AU), One Moon (US).

Do and Don’ts

Branding assets including custom type, logo design, monograms, brandmarks, lettering, illustration, patterning and packaging design.

Guest lecturer; In-person and online calligraphy courses; Corporate workshops, as well as private one-to-one tuitions.

Public speaking engagements at design conferences, in-house agencies and universities; RMIT University mentor.

For over ten years, I’m the author and editor of a bi-monthly email newsletter announcing calligraphy courses, community events, type related matter and other topics which often include creative mental health and fostering women in the industry.

Awards & Publications

• 2025. Alphabettes Book
• 2024. Communication Arts (CA) Magazine | Typography Winner
• 2024. Type Directors Club NYC | Typography Winner
• 2024. Typism Book Ten, Australia
• 2023. The Year Book of Lettering, Part One
• 2023. Typism Book Nine, Australia
• 2022. Type Specimens. A visual history of typesetting and printing by Dori Griffin
• 2022. Lettering Artwork. Typism Book Eight, Australia
• 2022. Change Starts in the Classrooms, “Belonging” report by We Are Tank
• 2021. Lettering Artwork. Typism Book Seven, Australia
• 2020. Escriptura i sensibilitat by Jordi Ribas
• 2020. Lettering Artwork. Typism Book Six, Australia
• 2019. The Heroine’s Journey Website by Peter De Kuster
• 2019. L’univers de Maria Montes by Anna Vilamú Bosch, surtdecasa.cat, Spain
• 2019. La lletra esdevé art by Gloria Aznar, Diari de Tarragona, Spain
• 2019. Interview with Maria Montes. Type@Paris, France
• 2019. Green Fairy Font. Typism Book 5, Australia
• 2019. Lettering Artwork. Typism Book Five, Australia
• 2018. Interview with Maria Montes. Design Feast by Nate Burgos
• 2018. Stop Feeding The Beast. Nibster Mag, Spain
• 2018. Ten, Skateboard Design. Typism Book 4, Australia
• 2018. Letterpressed Illustrated Cocktails. Scripted Book, China
• 2018. LOVE. Good Type The Book Volume Two, USA
• 2018. Green Fairy Font Family. Available commercially at MyFonts
• 2017. Green Fairy Font. Typodarium, Germany
• 2017. Cocktail Cards That Pack A Punch. Neenah Papers, USA
• 2017. Entrevista con Maria Montes. Puentestudio, Argentina
• 2017. Fresh Illustration by Maria Montes. Communication Arts, USA
• 2017. Lettering and Illustration by Maria Montes. The Design Files, Australia
• 2017. Scare Shitless: Facing fear and getting out of your comfort zone. Alphabettes
• 2017. Interview with Maria Montes. Typerie, Australia
• 2017. Five Typographers Share Their Treasured Finds. Communication Arts, USA
• 2017. Shit Just Got Real with Maria Montes. Typograph.her, Australia
• 2016. Hidden Gems in Melbourne: Renaissance Bookbinding, Alphabettes
• 2016. The Richardson Family. Good Type The Book Volume One, USA
• 2016. Introduction to Calligraphy. Lettering Hub, Australia
• 2016. Profile Interview. Lettering Hub, Australia
• 2015. Lettering Artwork. Typism Book Two, Australia
• 2014. Profile interview. Baronmag
• 2014. Our First Six. The Loop, Australia
• 2014. Profile interview. Magic Timeout
• 2013. Homage to JMP Lettering Artwork. Typism Book One, Australia
• 2011. Miłosz Italic Typeface Design. Desktop Magazine, Australia

Corporate, Academic, Public and In-house Courses

• 2025. Typography and Type Design. Beyong Branding Masters Elisava, Barcelona
• 2024. Intro to Italic Calligraphy at City of Yarra Libraries, Melbourne
  
• 2024. Script Alphabets: Grow, branch out and flourish! at Tipo-g, Barcelona
• 2024. Type design critique guest lecture at Type Design Asia
  
• 2024. Latin One: Calligraphy mechanics guest lecture at Practica Program
• 2024. Intro to Script Brush Calligraphy at City of Yarra Libraries, Melbourne
  
• 2023. Script Alphabets: Grow, branch out and flourish! at Tipo-g, Barcelona
• 2023. Intro to Copperplate Calligraphy at ATypI, Paris
• 2023. Brush Calligraphy Workshop at Stunnington Libraries, Melbourne
• 2023. Brush Calligraphy Workshop at City of Yarra Libraries, Melbourne
• 2022. Copperplate Calligraphy at L’Escola per l’Art i la Cultura, Tarragona
• 2022. Brush Calligraphy Workshop at Hume Libraries, Melbourne
• 2022. Brush Calligraphy Workshop at Darebin Libraries, Melbourne
• 2022. Brush Calligraphy Workshop at City of Yarra Libraries, Melbourne
• 2022. Brush Calligraphy Workshop at Glen Eira Libraries, Melbourne
• 2021. Copperplate Course at Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
• 2021. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at the Western Sydney University
• 2021. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at McKinnon Library, Melbourne
• 2021. Brush Pen Calligraphy Workshop at Darebin Library, Melbourne
• 2021. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Murray Art Museum Albury
• 2020. Brush Calligraphy at MPavilion, Melbourne
• 2019. Calligraphy Workshop at St Columba’s College Essendon, Melbourne
• 2019. Lettering and Typography Semester at RMIT University, Melbourne
• 2019. Corporate Calligraphy Workshop at Mind Australia, Melbourne
• 2018. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Griffith University, Brisbane
• 2018. Corporate Calligraphy Workshop at Carnegie Library, Melbourne
• 2018. Corporate Calligraphy Workshop at Moose Toys, Melbourne
• 2017. Carolingian Calligraphy Workshop at Emmanuel College, Melbourne
• 2017. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Griffith University, Gold Coast
• 2017. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Shillington College, Melbourne
• 2017. Art Deco Calligraphy Workshop at Rippon Lea House, Melbourne
• 2017. Brush Calligraphy Workshop, Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre
• 2017. Italic Calligraphy Workshop at Moose Toys, Melbourne
• 2017. Gothic Calligraphy Workshop at Work-shop Melbourne
• 2017. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Como House, Melbourne
• 2016. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Tractor Design School, Melbourne
• 2016. Brush Calligraphy Workshop at Reed Gift Fairs, Melbourne
• 2016. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Work-shop Sydney
• 2016. Carolingian Calligraphy Workshop at SAE Quantum Institute, Melbourne
• 2016. Italic Calligraphy Workshop at Work-shop Brisbane
• 2016. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Como House & Garden, Melbourne
• 2016. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Labassa House, Melbourne
• 2016. Fraktur Calligraphy Workshop at Work-Shop Melbourne
• 2015. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at Work-Shop Brisbane
• 2015. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop at CATC Design School, Melbourne
• 2015. Calligraphy Workshops at Work-Shop Melbourne
• 2014. Introduction to Neuland Script. Imagination Industry, Melbourne

Featured Talks

• 2025. In-person talk at Controforma in Barcelona
• 2024. Principles of Script Lettering, Typism Summit 2024
• 2023. Latin One | Calligraphy mechanics, Practica Program
• 2023. Thriving as an immigrant artist, Open Studio Podcast with Martina Flor
• 2023. Nine parameters to understand, curate & design script alphabets, Typelab EU
• 2022. Type Design Education for Graphic Designers, Type@Copper NYC
• 2021. Keynote speaker Finding Your Inner Compass, ATypI All Over
• 2021. Letter Now! Podcast w/ Martina Flor on Learning & Teaching
• 2021. Three outcomes to Script Brush Lettering, Typelab Asia, Typographics
• 2021. Guest Lecturer at Monash University, Type Design Department
• 2021. Guest Lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Type Design Department
• 2021. Guest Lecturer at the LCI Melbourne, Art and Design Academy
• 2021. Finding Your Inner Compass, Typism Podcast, Australia
• 2021. TypeLabs Asia Channel, Typographics NYC
• 2021. Ten Years in Ten Minutes, Intentional 10th Anniversary Event
• 2020. Alphacrit with Isabel Urbina Peña and hosted by the Nicole Dotin
• 2020. Podcast Interview with Ema Hewitt from HEW
• 2019. Live Streaming Interview at Adobe France 
• 2019. Love for Letterforms. Type@Paris Talks, France
• 2018. Keynote speaker TDCBNE Conference, Australia
• 2018. What a Shitshow, Catalan Interview at the Art Centre La Panera
• 2017. Keynote speaker Typism Conference, Australia
• 2017. Drunk on Lettering Podcast, USA

Professional Development

• 2024. Lettering Foundations with Ken Barber
• 2023. Brush Casual Lettering Workshop with Ken Barber
• 2023. Modern Blackletter & Italic Variations with John Stevens
• 2021. Swash Lettering Workshop with Ken Barber
• 2020. Copperplate Flourishes with Nina Tran and Suzanne Cunningham
• 2020. Advanced Blackletter with Luca Barcellona
• 2020. Powerful Gothics with Oriol Miró
• 2016. TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training & Assessment, Melbourne
• 2018. Copperplate and Insular calligraphy with Amanda Adams
• 2014 – 2017. Fraktur, Italic and Brush Roman Capitals with Keith Adams
• 2012. Typeface Design Condensed Program at Type@Cooper, New York City
• 2011. Copperplate Calligraphy Workshop with Amanda Adams and Oriol Miró
• 2011. Postgraduate Course of Advanced Typography. Eina, Barcelona
• 2003 – 2004. MA in User Interface Design (UI). Elisava, Barcelona School of Design
• 1996 – 2000. BA (Hons) Graphic Design. Eina, School of Art & Design, Barcelona