Hand Lettering Basics Workshop
I can’t wait to teach it again. We went over how to approach lettering, the passion that you need to have about WHAT you are lettering… Short quotes, longer quotes, design solutions, etc.
I’m supposed to be teaching it again on May 2nd at a local library but with the social distancing that’s going on right now, I’m not sure if that will actually happen. Fingers crossed! I’ll also be releasing some freebies from this resource soon its so jam packed with info!
Ahhh, a labor of LOVE! I taught my first (well really second) hand lettering class! I taught a holiday hand lettering class right before Christmas last year but it wasn’t laser focused on just lettering it was actually more about the “decor” and design elements that scream “holiday!”
THIS class I really wanted to simply say things that I hadn’t really heard in the classes that I previously audited but thought they should really KNOW! That’s it. That was my goal in putting together the guide and teaching the course.
ImmaBe_Letters: BE SOMETHING!
Ok, so I kind of bumped into a personal project by accident… Lauren Hom of HomSweetHom lore has an online class she opens up twice a year called “Passion to Paid”. Basically turning a passion project into a paid deal. She did this with her book Daily Dishonesty where she turned a Tumblr blog into a printed book. Crazy. She’s got great ideas and great passion.
I haven’t been able to think of anything THAT cool to do, but I DID buy a cheap $3.99 hard bound sketch pad from a discount outlet and I started lettering short phrases. Just a note, I’m a fan of short phrases because they really help you along in terms of composition and becoming a stronger letterer.
Anywho, I got stuck on phrases that began with “Be”. So weird and really nothing behind it except it really gave me a chance to focus on letter construction and a simple declaration. I ended up filling the ENTIRE sketchbook with these phrases and started an IG so that they could be “housed” away from my other lettering!
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Lettering Improvement + New Goals
Are you excited to begin a new year of lettering? I didn’t let my busy calligraphy/wedding schedule stand in the way of things I wanted to accomplish with my lettering and as a result I feel like I’m more confident tackling layouts and creative projects that I would have normally shied away from.
Examples of improvements I’ve been seeing (only TIME and being critical of your work can provide these results):
A collage that I did for Chicago’s South Side. It was tentative, kind of all over the place with a weak focal point. I was proud of some of the letter construction and thought I did a good job contrasting styles.
The re-do! I took another stab at it and really thought it came together in a more cohesive manner. Clear focal point, better sections for complimentary type. Better flow. Just an overall more pleasing creative solution.
Another design solution… Superbowl collage…
2018 Superbowl Sunday collage. I was super proud of this at the time and had been exposed to more and more collage design solutions by some of my favorite letterers. Again just some issues that I immediately identify now that I didn’t before. The complimentary words are done a little tentatively. Need better spacing and clearer sections for smaller type. “Touchdown” competes with “Superbowl Sunday” as a focal point… I could go on!
2020!!! What a difference 2 years makes… Again, I think I just PLAN these layouts better now. My “artist’s eye” is developing! Nothing competes. Clear focal point. Complimentary type has a home…
I want to encourage you as a letterer to simply KEEP GOING. Some things just come with time spent working on your craft and you learn something literally EVERY TIME you letter.
Have great years everyone and I will be back updating you on my progress and projects!
—ct
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Holiday Hand Lettering Workshop
I thought it would be fun to teach a course on hand lettering but make it “holiday” themed. Think wreaths, winter florals, ornaments and MORE! Join me: https://www.eventbrite.com/myevent?eid=73883456407
Using Inktober to Improve Something / Make Inktober Work for You / Inktober 2019
What is Inktober?
Inktober is a month long art challenge created by artist Jake Parker that is focused on improving skill and developing positive drawing habits. Every day for the month of October anyone participating in the Inktober challenge creates an ink drawing and posts it online.
First off let me start by saying I can NEVER keep up with Inktober, no matter what year it is. 2019 is probably the best I’ve ever done with 13 prompts completed. I also did an override with the prompts and did my own thing (a lot of people do this). Kind of boring to actually LETTER the prompts i.e writing out the word “Ring” (a ton of letterers do just that), and I thought about something I wanted to get better at doing and the answer was: ding, ding, ding: Florals.
I usually do the same thing all of the time so this gave me more in my arsenal as far as “go tos” are concerned. I strongly suggest that you do the same for Inktober 2020. It will be here before you know it. 5 months from now, Inktober posts will be everywhere and its a safe bet that you will be caught flat footed…
Why not start thinking about what you will tackle NOW? Forget about the prompts unless you are a super talented illustrator. I definitely encourage letterers to dabble in illustration because high quality “illustration” vs. doodles coupling your lettering will help distinguish you from the pack. I’m still thinking about what I will tackle come October, but I recommend that it should be something you’ve been avoiding practicing.
Hashtags to use: #inktober #inktober2020 #inktoberprompts #inktoberlist #inktoberchallenge #inkonpaper #inktoberring #inktoberart
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21st Night - Morgan's on Fulton Window Lettering
Ahhh! My BIGGEST “lettering only” request that I got this Fall was from Kelly and Blue to do the lettering on the window on Morgan’s on Fulton. Three HUGE panels for September 21st… Based on the Earth Wind and Fire classic “…Do you remember? The 21st night of September?”
I only got one picture of it and it was by one of the guests who asked me to pose with it before the reception started.
I had just recently audited a tutorial by The Happy Ever Crafter on lettering on windows and it was a real eye opener. After lettering countless mirrors I just assumed I would follow a layout and letter what I saw.
The method she provides takes a lot of the guesswork out of it and it led me to actually CONSTRUCT THE DESIGN ON LARGE SHEETS OF TRACING PAPER WITH A GRID PATTERN and affix them to the window the day of the wedding. Genius. This removed the need to add dozens of guidelines and also any erasing that would need to go on if you discover that the design is off in any way.
It was a SUPER windy day in Chicago and thank GOODNESS I brought duct tape. I put the sheets up to the window and came on the inside and lettered the window writing backwards.
I only had 2.5 hours to do this, if I’d had more time I would have DEFINITELY added more detail to the floral motif which was there to compliment a “tiki” theme that the couple had employed. Overall, I thought it was great and it looked much nicer in person. Congrats Kelly and Blue and thanks for the work!
Clair and Michael - Room 1520 mirror
I usually try to keep my calligraphy separate from my lettering since it is an entirely separate journey. THIS particular design solution however should definitely be filed under the “lettering” category as there were NO scripts. Just a clean, serifed solution.
I wouldn’t have been able to do this without having practiced actually DRAWING these letterforms! Just an intersection where weddings and more architectural lettering can meet!
Intro to Brush Lettering at Delish Cakes
I taught an Intro to Brush Lettering class at Delish Cakes in Bloomingdale, IL! Such a wonderful experience, I showed students how to work with both fine line brush pens as well as Tombows!
Alicia and her staff even went as far as trying to duplicate some fonts I wrote out with a piping bag, it was amazing!
Thanks for having me guys, hope to be back soon!
