Today I am going to share with you the number one tip to getting started to hand lettering. The number one thing you need to know before you start to practice hand lettering is that practice makes perfect.
Just as you wouldn't show up the day of a 5k race to win without a day of practice, hand lettering also takes time and practice before you can get good. Don't expect your very first piece to be a product that you can sell. If you share and post your practice pieces to Facebook or Instagram, don't expect to have fifty likes. Rather, be ready to practice, be open to criticism, and be willing to receive feedback on the ways in which you can improve. Remember not to take suggestions personally and learn how to sift what you should keep and let the rest fall off your shoulders. Everyone has a different way of learning, a different technique and a different approach. It doesn't mean that one way is right and the other is wrong. Know that it takes time to see the improvements.
Some people will learn by copying, some people will learn by tracing, others will learn from books, videos and other materials - at the end of the day, you have to put pen and paper together and practice. Simply watching a video doesn’t mean you learned how to draw a straight line. Often times you may feel that you accomplished much by scrolling through other people's work. Don't let that deter you from getting your practice sessions in.
Here’s my suggestion as you start, learn the anatomy of type - the bare bones that make up the structure of the alphabets. All typefaces have a commonality and hand lettering is derived from that. You can choose a font that you are interested in learning to hand letter. As you practice I would recommend studying that type style in its entirety. Some questions to ask yourself, "Is it a Roman Letter? A Serif? Sans Serif? Does it look better bold? Thin? Condensed?” These will all help you to be more knowledgeable in the study of hand lettering.
I am working on a guide to get you started on hand lettering. My newsletter will be launching in July. You can sign up below to stay informed on the journey and to receive free resources to get you started.