# Crass Calligraphy Portfolios The Seb Lester Instagram Sketches Reveal His Sense of Humor By Jordy E | Published 2013-03-08 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seb-lester-instagram References: [missmoss.co.za](http://www.missmoss.co.za/2013/03/07/seb-lester/) & [seblester](http://www.seblester.co.uk/) The Seb Lester [Instagram](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/print-collection) sketches provide a virtual window to the artists' portfolio. Lester is a celebrated illustrator based in the UK, praised in large part due to his exceptional knack for [calligraphy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cursive-font-generator). Present within his Instagram account are an assortment of dark, humorous and often perverse messages. Phrases that read "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, you have a lovely arse" and "I never met a calligrapher who wasn't ripped to the tits on drinks & drugs" abound the forum, prompting readers to giggle at the site of the looped letters. Interestingly, while these messages come across as unexpected and quite crass, they are couched in [beautiful and intricately laid out fonts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheetos-other-hand-font). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.8/10 - Popularity: 75% | Activity: 62% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Humorous Calligraphy:** Opportunity for calligraphers to experiment with adding humor to their work. - **Dark/light Typography:** Potential for designers to play with the contrast of using dark or taboo messages with beautiful and intricate fonts. - **Social Media as a Portfolio Window:** Increasing trend of showcasing a portfolio on social media platforms like Instagram for access to a wider audience. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Graphic Design:** Opportunity for graphic designers to adopt a more irreverent style and integrate humor into typography. - **Art/illustration:** Potential for illustrators to merge catchy and dark messaging with calligraphy to create a unique style. - **Social Media Marketing:** Increasing importance of utilizing social media platforms like Instagram as a portfolio to reach potential clients and partners. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Limited Humorous Art Prints](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/david-shrigley-1.md) - [Toddler-Focused Typography Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/my-first-book-of-fancy-letters.md) - [Cheekily Creative Bookmarks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/illustrated-bookmarks.md) - [Artistic Monochromatic Wine Branding](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/krink-x-barossa-ink-limited-edition-shiraz.md) - [Luxurious Writing Instruments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/writing-instruments.md) - [Unique Writing Instruments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/graphite-paintbrush-writing-instrument.md) - [Sculptural Writing Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/experimental-pencils.md) - [Vintage Calligraphy Pens](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/meisterstck-great-masters-calligraphy.md) - [Artistic Rum Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artists-of-the-abyss.md)