lettering process
Scroll below for a quick peek at my lettering process for my recent passion project Silly Salutations.
Step 1: Creative Brief
Set a creative brief. In client projects, the client usually defines the creative brief. Having a framework even for passion projects is crucial for me to stay on task and not spiral into 80 different directions.
Step 2: Colors
Choose a color palette. Defining this up front also keeps me from spiraling into different possibilities. Plus, it sets the tone and keeps the each lettering pieces cohesive.
Step 3: Thumbnail Sketches
Sketch with pencil and paper! This is a very specific rule I set for myself on this project because it gets me away from the screen and challenges my brain in a different way. I also am a bit old-fashioned and like pencil and paper because it doesn’t really feel like work. I also tend to sketch faster on paper and explore more layout options.
Step 4: Digital Sketch
After the thumbnail sketches, I choose one to re-sketch on my iPad. I usually photograph the thumbnail, scale to size, and trace on my iPad, making changes as I go. This is still a very loose sketch. I’m basically transferring my thumbnail into the correct size.
Step 5: Tight Sketch
After I have a loosely sketched digital image, I’ll re-trace again. This time around I really focus on crisp lines and getting a really clean black and white drawing.
Step 6: Finalize
Add color, texture, and details. If the piece needs to have high-resolution scalability, I’ll usually bring the sketch to a computer to make a vector. Since this was a small-scale passion project, I kept it as pixel based Procreate artwork.
