House Industries Lettering Manual


Book Description

Learn the history and techniques of hand lettering from a renowned design studio. This practical and visual guide features exercises, case studies, and typographic models for letter styles such as serif, sans serif, brush, and script. Known throughout the world for its eclectic typeface collections and far-reaching creative exploits, from fonts and fashion to ceramics and space technology, House Industries has been a standard bearer for American graphic design for more than twenty-five years. The House Industries Lettering Manual is an accessible hands-on guide to drawing letters from Ken Barber, House's head letterer and type design director. Modeled after a series of sold-out lettering workshops that Ken has conducted around the world, this highly illustrated handbook outlines the history of lettering, various methods and techniques, common letter styles, and best practices for getting paid for your work. This handy how-to guide also provides lettering models to help sharpen your drawing skills and offer departure points for further experimentation. Designed by House Industries and including copious examples, exercises, and opportunities to practice what you've learned, plus photographs of works-in-progress and finished projects, this instructive and visually engaging book will help you master the dynamic art of lettering, whether you're a budding artist or an experienced designer.




House Industries


Book Description

CD-ROM contains: "five original fonts ... created exclusively for this book plus a few ... sound bites."




House Industries: The Process Is the Inspiration


Book Description

A standard-bearer of American design since 1993, House Industries answers the burning question, “Where do you find inspiration?” with this illustrative collection of helpful lessons, stories, and case studies that demonstrate how to transform obsessive curiosity into personally satisfying and successful work. Presented in House’s honest, authentic, and often irreverent style, and covering topics ranging from fonts and fashion to ceramics and space technology, this beautifully useful 400–page volume offers a personal perspective on the origin of ideas for creative people in any field. Most important, this book shows that there’s no sense in waiting for inspiration because inspiration is already waiting for you.




In Progress


Book Description

This show-all romp through design-world darling Jessica Hische's sketchbook reveals the creative and technical process behind making award-winning hand lettering. See everything, from Hische's rough sketches to her polished finals for major clients such as Wes Anderson, NPR, and Starbucks. The result is a well of inspiration and brass tacks information for designers who want to sketch distinctive letterforms and hone their skills. With more than 250 images of her penciled sketches, this highly visual ebook is an essential—and entirely enjoyable—resource for those who practice or simply appreciate the art of hand lettering.




The Lettering Workshops


Book Description

In The Lettering Workshops, you’ll learn all about the art and practice of drawing letters using hands-on techniques in 30 lessons across five workshops. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional graphic designer, you'll quickly learn how to develop and advance your lettering skills.

In this richly illustrated book of lessons and exercises, you’ll find:

    5 Workshops to learn the art of drawing letters—from an introduction to brush lettering and lettering script to the decoration of letters; from the secrets of good composition to the process of digitization and vectorization of your type
    30 Exercises that gradually develop from beginner through intermediate and advanced levels
    16 Analyses of lettering samples to understand what makes good lettering
    52 Inspirational contributions in featured galleries from international letterers and brands
    160 Pages for all skill levels
    26 Letters to learn and explore

TABLE OF CONTENTS

    What Is Lettering?
    Why This Book?
    First Lesson
    Lettering, Calligraphy, or Typography?
    Basics and Technical Vocabulary

WORKSHOP 1: DISCOVERING BRUSH LETTERING

    Exercise 1: Finding the Right Position
    Exercise 2: Setting Up a Grid
    Exercise 3: Carrying Out the First Motions
    Exercise 4: Drawing the Letters
    Exercise 5: Connecting the Letters
    Exercise 6: Reworking Your Drafts
    Analysis of Lettering Samples
    Gallery

WORKSHOP 2: INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPT LETTERING

    Exercise 1: Discovering the Skeleton Technique
    Exercise 2: Drawing an Alphabet
    Exercise 3: Drawing a Complete Word
    Exercise 4: Lettering in a Classic Script
    Exercise 5: Leaving Your Comfort Zone!
    Analysis of Lettering Samples
    Gallery

WORKSHOP 3: USING TYPOGRAPHIC CHARACTERS

    Exercise 1: Embellishing a Letter
    Exercise 2: Practicing on a Complete Word
    Exercise 3: Going Further with Vintage Style
    Exercise 4: Discovering Interlock
    Exercise 5: Practicing Interlock with Serifs
    Exercise 6: Producing a Complete Interlock Lettering Project
    Analysis of Lettering Samples
    Gallery

WORKSHOP 4: THE SECRETS OF GOOD COMPOSITION

    Exercise 1: Thinking in Terms of the Block
    Exercise 2: Completing the First Sketches
    Exercise 3: Choosing the Styles for Each Word
    Exercise 4: Drawing the Skeleton
    Exercise 5: Developing and Finalizing Your Path
    Analysis of Lettering Samples
    Gallery

WORKSHOP 5: DIGITIZATION AND VECTORIZATION

    Exercise 1: Digitizing and Preparing Your Lettering
    Exercise 2: First Steps in Vectorization
    Exercise 3: Testing the Vertex Theory
    Exercise 4: Vectorizing the Entire Lettering Project
    Exercise 5: Critiquing Your Vectorized Lettering Project
    Exercise 6: Preparing Your Lettering Project without Vectorization
    Exercise 7: Isolating the Lettering
    Exercise 8: Adding Texture to the Lettering Project
    Exercise 9: Finalizing the Composition
    Gallery
    Artists Represented in this Book
    Resources
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Typography Sketchbooks


Book Description

Arranged by designer, it reveals how nearly 120 of the world's leading designers and typographers continually strive to find new and exciting ways of communicating through letters and words, and provides fascinating insights into their work.




The History and Technique of Lettering


Book Description

This comprehensive, well-illustrated volume ranges from the earliest pictographs and hieroglyphics to the work of 20th-century designers. Subjects include early writing forms; Roman lettering; runes and medieval hands; the Carolingian minuscule and derivative types; humanistic writing and derivative fonts; and much more. 89 complete alphabets and more than 165 additional specimens.




Sign Painters


Book Description

There was a time, as recently as the 1980s, when storefronts, murals, banners, barn signs, billboards, and even street signs were all hand-lettered with brush and paint. But, like many skilled trades, the sign industry has been overrun by the techno-fueled promise of quicker and cheaper. The resulting proliferation of computer-designed, die-cut vinyl lettering and inkjet printers has ushered a creeping sameness into our visual landscape. Fortunately, there is a growing trend to seek out traditional sign painters and a renaissance in the trade. In 2010 filmmakers Faythe Levine, coauthor of Handmade Nation, and Sam Macon began documenting these dedicated practitioners, their time-honored methods, and their appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. Sign Painters, the first anecdotal history of the craft, features stories and photographs of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the United States. With a foreword by legendary artist (and former sign painter) Ed Ruscha, this vibrant book profiles sign painters young and old, from the new vanguard working solo to collaborative shops such as San Francisco s New Bohemia Signs and New York s Colossal Media s Sky High Murals.




The Art of Lettering


Book Description

From whimsical to elegant, and old-school influences to new school—Goodtype’s The Art of Lettering showcases dynamic hand lettering from today’s young and sought-after typographers and calligraphers, stoking creative inspiration for graphic designers, artists, and type enthusiasts alike. Hand lettering is making a comeback, bursting out of its graphic-design bubble and finding a mainstream via collecting social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest. The avid interest in hand lettering seemingly goes hand in hand with the weariness audiences feel with constant slick digital presentation of the information they consume. The Art of Lettering collects myriad new and established graphic designers for whom hand lettering is a time-honored art that has modern applications. Showcasing more than 100 artists from all over the world, the book displays their typographic takes and illustrates their perfectly imperfect handcrafted art, from beautiful photographs of concept sketches to the end result. Straying away from traditional pen calligraphy, artists today employ new and creative approaches, including building type with coffee grounds, watercolors, and combinations of different hand tools, resulting in a dynamically fresh approach to creating type.




The Art of Hand-Lettering


Book Description

Step-by-step instructions lead readers from beginning to advanced skills, covering both pen and brush lettering. Scores of examples illustrate chapters on italic, gothic, script, and block styles of lettering.