10 Step Introductory Guide By Seanwes V1
So you want to learn hand lettering?
I’m often asked for tutorials on how to create hand lettering, or where one can go to learn hand lettering. Personally, I learned to make lettering by observation and experimentation. I hope what I share here will serve as an invitation for you to explore the hand lettering techniques, methods, and styles that work for you so you can develop your own process. Don’t take what I share here as gospel, but rather view it simply as my story, and then hopefully take the inspiration to create your own.
General tips for getting into lettering
Well first off, there’s nothing new under the sun—and type is no exception.
There are only so many ways a letter design can be expressed and still remain recognizable. You want to familiarize yourself intimately with each of the groups of type (serif, sans serif, script, blackletter, calligraphy etc.)
and then understand the characteristics of the type that are in these groups and how they are designed. This understanding will influence your hand drawn lettering. You want to eventually be able to draw letters with the proper weight and stroke contrast without reference material so you can develop your own style. The best way to do this is to focus on one thing at time. For example: say you pick serif to work on first. You’ll want to study the history of that style, learn how it originated, how it evolved, what it was used for, what’s different or the same now compared to a few hundred years ago.
A foundational understanding is very helpful, but of course the best way to solidify this is to draw letterforms and LOTS of them. Pick some reference material and recreate it. Start with just a single letter and pay attention to all of the subtle intricacies and attempt to replicate it. Trace the letters even. Whatever helps you become more familiar. Of course, make sure you’re not sharing copied work. This is strictly for practice.
More on that here: On Copying.
What pens are best for hand lettering?
I’m often asked for tutorials on how to create hand lettering, or where one can go to learn hand lettering. Personally, I learned to make lettering by observation and experimentation. I hope what I share here will serve as an invitation for you to explore the hand lettering techniques, methods, and styles that work for you so you can develop your own process. Don’t take what I share here as gospel, but rather view it simply as my story, and then hopefully take the inspiration to create your own.
General tips for getting into lettering
Well first off, there’s nothing new under the sun—and type is no exception.
There are only so many ways a letter design can be expressed and still remain recognizable. You want to familiarize yourself intimately with each of the groups of type (serif, sans serif, script, blackletter, calligraphy etc.)
and then understand the characteristics of the type that are in these groups and how they are designed. This understanding will influence your hand drawn lettering. You want to eventually be able to draw letters with the proper weight and stroke contrast without reference material so you can develop your own style. The best way to do this is to focus on one thing at time. For example: say you pick serif to work on first. You’ll want to study the history of that style, learn how it originated, how it evolved, what it was used for, what’s different or the same now compared to a few hundred years ago.
A foundational understanding is very helpful, but of course the best way to solidify this is to draw letterforms and LOTS of them. Pick some reference material and recreate it. Start with just a single letter and pay attention to all of the subtle intricacies and attempt to replicate it. Trace the letters even. Whatever helps you become more familiar. Of course, make sure you’re not sharing copied work. This is strictly for practice.
More on that here: On Copying.
What pens are best for hand lettering?