Learning Hand Lettering

I wondered if I could be great at hand lettering so I tried it. As a designer, I often have to learn new software programs and keep up with new technologies. Learning to adapt quickly is a necessary requirement of my profession. I often attend workshops, talks, and take courses on design in order to keep learning.

Recently, I've grown obsessed with handdrawn type and illustration. My interest started long ago when my favorite designer of all time, Stefan Sagmeister, created the poster with the chicken without a head. I didn't start developing my own handdrawn type until 2005 when I took at class at SVA just to get re-inspired. My professor at SVA stressed the need to find your own voice by incorporating some sort of handmade aspect to whatever you desired to do; doing so adds something that cannot be duplicated. In the age of machines, everything looks the same except things we create with our own hands. Yes, it is quite imperfect but it also what makes you unique.

Here's my journey in pictures on hand lettering.

Although this attempt was very raw, I didn't know it at the time. Sometimes, it takes to keep trying to know.

Around 2011, I created a website www.myown9to5.com and basically wrote the text with my own handwriting. As you can tell, I wasn't really trying to be perfect or even close.

Above is more recent example of hand lettering you can see that my letters are choppy and too close together. It looks amateur.

I'm currently attending a class on hand lettering on Skillshare and learned some tips to improve my hand lettering skills. Here's a draft of a project I'm working on at the moment. As you can tell I'm much improved. I hope I can do a lot better in the coming year. I can still see some things than can be improved in the project below. But this is the life of graphic designer.