Hello Beautiful!
Today I’m doing something new on my blog! I did not write this post; Claire did! Claire and I met as SkillShare teachers, and I'm so excited to collaborate with her! We thought sharing our skills with each other’s blog followers would be valuable. Claire and I have common skills/interests, and unique skills/interests. One of her skills is lettering; I thought you would be interested! Please read below to learn about Claire and get some excellent lettering tips!
Thank you Claire!!
Take Care and Stay Positive!
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I’m Claire, or Claire Makes Things, and I’m an illustrator and lettering artist, based in Spain. I create things digitally and by hand. I’m a big fan of puns and wordplay that can be illustrated on greeting cards, stickers, menu designs, and more. Puns are usually short, which makes them memorable and easier to illustrate than longer quotes or sentences. This also allows you to add a little more flair to your letters; plus, it’s a great way to practice your lettering skills. I’ve made a lot of lettering pieces over the years and learned a few things in the process. Here are a few do’s and don’ts for creating short lettering artworks!
Think About Hierarchy
Hierarchy in design is crucial for creating effective lettering pieces. Which words in your sentence are more important? Think about composition, balance, and how the text interacts with any accompanying illustrations. Think about how people read and see visuals and which parts of your illustration need to be bigger. Even with short lettering pieces, parts of your text always take priority over others. Learn how to arrange and prioritize letters, words, and phrases to guide the viewer's eye and convey the right message.
I like to start my sketches thinking of all the parts of my illustration as blocks. You then use these blocks to build up your illustration into a composition that works well. Especially when working with text, this makes building your compositions much easier and helps with cohesively combining illustration and text. In most digital drawing apps (my go-to is Procreate), you can use guides, templates, and assisted brushes to make building strong compositions a bit easier.
A lettering piece I illustrated in Procreate in a recent Skillshare class, which I built up using shapes.
Don’t Skip The Rules
Learn the basics of typography, different lettering styles, and the anatomy of letters. This knowledge will help you create better letters and pleasing lettering compositions. When you understand the rules of typography, you can maintain uniformity in your lettering work, ensuring that all letters and characters look cohesive and harmonious. Learn about historical context, kerning, and more to figure out what lettering styles you enjoy. Some might be totally your jam, some not! Once you know the rules, it’ll be much easier to create your own letters. I like to collect ideas on Pinterest boards and look at historical letters and fonts in books. Create a collection of references you like.
Pinterest is a great place to look for inspiration and save ideas you found elsewhere on the web.
Other helpful links:
-The Internet Archive has a big collection of older books (search for ‘lettering’ or ‘sign-painting’!) that you can check for free: https://archive.org/
-A collaborative post I wrote that highlights some of my favorite inspirational books, podcasts, films and more (including for letters): https://www.codyalicemoore.com/blog/10-must-listen-podcasts-blogs-books-films-for-creatives
Practice Regularly
As I mentioned above, seek inspiration from lettering artists and typography trends. When you understand letters a bit more and have looked at other people’s work; find what you like and learn how these pieces are made. Practice what other people do and how their creative process works. Dedicate time to practice different lettering styles regularly and experiment with creating your own. You’ll start to figure out what works best for you; what you like, and what you don’t like. Doing it more than once will turn your experiment into a habit. I like to check Youtube tutorials and Skillshare classes to brush up on my lettering skills and learn about other artist’s creative processes. Consistent practice will help you improve your skills and develop your own unique style.
A few Skillshare classes that have helped me improve my skills:
https://clairemakesthings.es/10-classes-that-have-helped-me-become-a-better-illustrator/
Design for a Valentine’s day card, made in Procreate
Don’t Overcrowd Your Letters
Don't fill up your design with too many words or decorative elements. Don’t occu-pie your canvas too much (get it?). Keep the composition balanced and uncluttered, and keep the textures and filters to a minimum. Remember that your letters have to be legible; don't overcomplicate your lettering to the point that it becomes difficult to read. Even though the options in apps like Procreate are endless, it’s easy to overdo it. All the different brushes and textures are there to guide your creative process and complement your work (it’s tempting to use ALL the brushes, filters and blending modes when you start using the app. That’s totally fine; but over time, learn to strip down and focus on your shapes and lines instead). Even though I love using textures, I stick to just 1 or 2 different textures or texture brushes in my illustrations simultaneously. You want to make the letters shine.
When you’re not feeling confident about your letters yet, or want to make your illustration the star; keep those letters simple!
Start With Thumbnails
Plan your designs starting with small sketches. This helps with planning your layouts and allows you to try out different options. Working on a small scale helps you put shapes and composition into place without being able to add too many details. Seeing your artwork on a small scale with little details also helps to keep your lettering legible and to the point.
I always start with a few thumbnail sketches, especially when working in a series. This way, I am able to place the sketches next to each other and see how to interact and work on the initial sketches side by side, to create consistency and a uniform theme.
A few thumbnails, which I turned into full illustrations for a collection of greeting card designs.
Don’t Erase the Imperfections
Remember that your audience wants to see your point of view. Things do not need to be perfect. Imperfections add personality and will help your work stand out. Make mistakes! When I started out with digital lettering, I had no idea how Procreate worked and didn’t realize I could easily fill in shapes and my letters. I colored everything in by hand roughly, because I had no other choice. I ended up liking the effect it created. Now, I prefer coloring in shapes roughly, and has become part of my personal style.
The first lettering piece I created digitally.
Find the Tools that Work For You
I mentioned Procreate, but digital apps might not be for you, or you simply haven’t found a process that works for you yet. Experiment with different tools and techniques, including techniques by hand. You also use a combination of both, by starting by hand and scanning in your work. Over time, you’ll find something that works for you.
Lauren Hom does a lot of lettering with food, which I love:
‘Netflix & Chili’ lettering in chili peppers and sesame seeds, created for a hand-lettering competition.
Don't give up if the first thing you try isn’t for you! I was first introduced to lettering by using a calligraphy brush and drawing letters by hand. I’m left-handed, so I immediately made a mess and spilled ink all over my page, and my letters were a disaster. I was ready to give up on lettering, and I did for a few years because I thought it just wasn’t for me. Now I just stick to pencil and paper, and digital apps, and I’m happy with that.
A few tools you could try that are excellent for lettering:
-Procreate
-Adobe Fresco
-A simple sketchbook
-Linearity Curve
-Tombow brushes
-Food! (I love Lauren Hom’s lettering with food)
Other useful tools for creatives:
https://clairemakesthings.es/10-must-have-resources-for-illustrators-creatives-and-surface-pattern-designers-part-1/
Remember, your lettering doesn’t need to be perfect, or rather, pie-fect (that’s the last pun, promise!). Your ‘mistakes’ make your art unique, so don’t forget to stay true to what makes you, you. And never, ever throw away your sketches. You might want to use them later when you’re looking for inspiration, or want to look at how much progress you’ve made over time. Good luck with your creative journey!
Do you want to learn more about short & sweet lettering in Procreate? This free tutorial gives you an insight into my lettering creation process, and essential tips on how to build up your lettering for a greeting card design. Plus, you get the free brush set for Procreate and color palette to follow along! Subscribe to get started here:
Free Procreate Class: Step-by-step Pun Illustration
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