ILLUSTRATED WORDS TO LIVE BY
Lettering created on paper or digitally is a rewarding and invaluable tool for an illustrator. And it can be fun too – eventually.
learning to love lettering
Lettering is fun if you think of it as another type of drawing. And just like other types of drawing, getting comfortable with lettering involves purposeful practice.
Viewed from the proper perspective, lettering is a bridge between design and illustration.
But lettering and typography are not the same. Lettering is hand drawn letters and words, whether created traditionally or digitally. Typography describes arranging type using fonts and forms.
For illustrators hand drawn lettering is a gateway to type. By working with lettering in a form that an illustrator is comfortable with, by drawing and painting letters and words, it can be easier to get interested in type.
Conversely, hand drawn lettering, digital or otherwise, can be a portal to illustration for graphic designers. By drawing with type, a designer can learn drawing through a medium they are more comfortable with.
While serious study is important, it is equally important to allow yourself to play. And purposeful play will help an illustrator appreciate that having fun will facilitate learning.
get to know your letters
Learning to love lettering begins with looking at how illustrators use illustrated words. Take a deeper look, and you might be surprised by how often hand drawn lettering is used in illustration. Below are some examples to get you started.
Block Letters- Drawing block letters is a way to start learning to control line weight, spacing, and proportions related to type.
Decorative Lettering- Traditional lettering like a drop cap, is a fun way to study and familiarize yourself with illustrated type.
Hand Lettering- Calligraphy and hand writing can be pretty rough at first, but will improve when included in daily sketching.
Illustrated Letters- Who doesn’t have fond memories of ABC books. Creating characters out of letters is super fun.
Words in Pictures- Add text to your illustrations any time you can. Classics such as comicbook sound effects are good practice.
Emotive Lettering- Draw how a word feels.
Dimensional Type- Can be engaging and a way to practice spacial form, and perspective.
NOT MY TYPE
I bet you’re saying to yourself “I’m not good at drawing type.” We all say that in the beginning, but working with typography from an illustrative perspective is no different than drawing a person, a tree, or a shoe. It’s just drawing stuff. And as with all drawing, you get better at it by doing it a lot. Sketchbooks are a great place to start. Quick and nonthreatening, it’s a place that you can play and make a bit of a mess. It’s all helpful if it is done with purpose. Consider what hand drawn type can do for you? Maybe your word mark, or a character’s sigil, or a business identity. Could be for a greetings card, or for a poster for your favorite movie. Or a band. How about a new cover design for a favourite book? Find stuff to apply illustrated lettering, and before you know it, you will be good drawing with letters, I guarantee it.
