Introduction to Hand Lettering Workshop
Are you ready to dive into the wonderful world of hand lettering?
I am super excited to see everyone on Saturday, September 18th! The workshop will run from 10am to 3pm. The Zoom conference will start a bit earlier around 940am - you can join then to say hello and make sure that everything is running smoothly. On Saturday, use the button on the right to join the workshop. See you all there!
Workshop Overview
In this Introduction to Hand Lettering workshop, you will learn the basics of hand lettering using everyday writing tools such as pencils and markers. If you’ve never drawn letters before - no worries, as this workshop is tailored for beginners! We will break down the entire process from start to finish - overview of typographic anatomy, ideation, inspiration & research, composition structure, and sketching type, including several warmup exercises. Afterwards, you will apply the process you just learned to a short phrase, learning how to draw inspiration (no pun intended) from various lettering examples. You will also receive a PDF handout with useful tips & tricks that can be applied to future lettering projects.
Before the workshop
During the workshop, we will be using Zoom for the live lecture/discussion and Slack for sharing the work and feedback. If you've used Zoom and Slack before - that's great! If you haven't - no worries, as I will do a quick overview before the workshop begins. However, I will ask that you sign up for a Zoom account and the workshop's Slack workspace using the instructions below. Please do this before Saturday morning so we can hit the ground running at 10am! If you encounter any technical issues, you can reach out to me via the contact page on my website, but please do so before the start of the workshop.
Zoom
Zoom is fairly easy to use! Sign up for a free account, log in at the designated time with the workshop link, and then just sit back and let the fun begin!
Use this link to sign up for a Zoom account
Slack
Slack will require a bit more interaction from the workshop participants. There will be designated channels for exercises, inspirational links, and any other resources that may be provided.
First, you will need to download the Slack desktop app and install it. Go to the link below to download the app and get an overview of Slack. While you can use the web-based Slack interface, I've found that it is much easier and quicker to use the desktop app - so that would be my recommendation.
Getting started for new Slack users
Once you join our Slack workspace, you will see a list of channels in the left sidebar. In the 'introductions' channel, say hello to the group! You can post something similar to my introduction or something completely different - entirely up to you! In the 'pre-workshop-test' channel, you can post a message, upload an image from your computer and/or your phone/tablet, or share a funny GIF - get comfortable with sharing content, as you'll be doing it frequently on Saturday!
Click the image to see a larger version of our workshop Slack workspace.
Photographing and sharing your work
Please yes! You can see the sketch in its entirety and the photo isn’t out of focus. The little bit of shadow in the bottom right adds character!
Please no! The photo is at an angle, it is a bit blurry/out of focus, and you can’t see the entire sketch.
But, I am not a photographer...
...and you don't need to be for this workshop! :) All that I ask is when you photograph your work, take a straight close-up aerial shot of your work so any work is clearly visible. I will be giving you feedback on your work and will most likely make comments directly on your sketches. See the examples on the left for references.
Transferring your photos from a phone to a computer
Throughout the workshop, you will be sharing photographs of your work on Slack. As everyone has different setups at home - Mac/PC/iPhone/Android/etc. - everyone should out what is the best way to send a photograph from your phone to your computer before the workshop. Important note: Once you join the Intro to Hand Lettering Slack space, please use the 'pre-workshop-test' channel and upload an image/photograph from your phone and/or computer to make sure you are able to do that. There will not be time during the workshop to figure out technical issues.
Workshop materials
For this workshop, you were asked to obtain certain supplies. Here is a recap of what you might need.
Pencils, ruler, and eraser
Standard #2 pencils and a pencil sharpener are a great combination, but you can also use mechanical pencils. Have an eraser and a ruler handy as well.
Paper
For initial sketches and exploration, standard 8.5in x 11in printer paper will do just fine. For refining sketches, tracing paper is ideal. For your final lettering piece, you may want to use thicker paper. This paper is ideal for pen or marker work. You can buy tracing paper or thicker paper at any local art supply store or at the links below.
These are some of the materials I use.