Overview

Custom Handlettering, the second installment in The Complete Typographer program, covers unique and beautiful handlettering used across a wide spectrum of design disciplines. The practice involves drawing letterforms already composed into words, rather than creating characters for an entire alphabet and combining them. Generated for specific uses rather than assembled from a kit of parts, handlettering provides infinite variety for type designers. Students will explore ways to build out digital variations on their handlettered characters.

Tools, methods, and techniques for creating expressive lettering using traditional tools and media such as ink, pen, paint, and brush will be demonstrated. Digitizing hand drawn type into vector designs, and combining handwork with digital design within projects will be explored.

What Students Are Saying:

"This is a very interesting course for beginners (true beginner level here). I loved taking it. It was a good way to jump back in lettering after more than 20 years of not touching it. This is really great course if you need an update on [digital] techniques or to gain regularity."

Syllabus

From Analog Sketches to Digital Designs

In our final session, we'll import some of our sketches into Adobe Illustrator and turn them into bold digital letterforms. From there we'll use a variety of simple techniques to create diverse variations on our original designs.

Developing Your Technique: Lines and Letters

In this session, we'll go over some basic exercises that will help you begin to develop your technique and general comfort with lettering by hand. After working on lines and curves, we'll begin creating some letters, and incorporating those letters into text.

Developing Your Technique: Sketching and Creating Letters

In this session, we'll continue with the exercises from the previous lessons by creating letters and words and experimenting with the wide variety of lettering tools that we have on hand. We'll also explore some sketching techniques as an alternative approach to creating letters by hand.

Basic Shapes and Materials in Handlettering

In our first session, we'll begin by looking at some inspiring examples of hand lettering, both historical and more contemporary. Next, we'll look at the roles of contrast and basic geometric forms as foundations for making letters. Finally, we'll preview the various tools that we'll be working with in this course.

Taught by

Yomar Augusto

Reviews

4.5 rating, based on 2 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Custom Handlettering

Nadège Christine Moyon

This is a very interesting course for beginner (true beginner level here). The flow is a bit slow for me. Some passage should have been put in a faster mode motion and there is a bit of "too much talking". But this is very regular and professional.

I loved taking it. It was a good way to jump back in lettering after more than 20 years not touching it. So this is really great course if need and update on the computer technique or to gain regularity.

The chopstick made it really fun to draw with and make us love even more the advanced tool called "a pencil".

So thank you for the sharing. I had a nicer time than I thought !
Anonymous

Por curiosidad me fui involucrando hasta sumergirme totalmente en este curso, el arte de graficar y dibujar letras es maravilloso, la pulcritud, creatividad y diseño infinito es lo que mas me gusta. Agradezco de ante mano el espacio que con dedicacion y paciencia contempla Kadenze, y si! poco a poco iras mejorando de una manera asombrosa hasta lograr que vuele tu imaginación a traves de tus diseños y marcas personales propias.

What Students Are Saying:

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