Hand Lettering Posters
Inspiring Words, Inspire Action
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. — Aesop
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Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. — John F. Kennedy
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Even if "everyone is doing it" wrong is never right. — Russell M. Nelson
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I have always loved calligraphy and handwriting, so I challenged myself to create quote posters. I gave myself a little over a week to research I used Von Glitschka's Course titled "Drawing Vector Graphics: Hand Lettering" and then another week to just create something. The following designs are the result of that time.
Rough Sketches
There are over a hundred sketches for these three quotes. I began the sketching process on scrap paper, then transitioned to lined paper to take a closer look at leading and kerning. I sketched in pen to keep the ideas on the page and avoid getting caught up in perfectionism too early.
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These are some of the sketches that I tried out on lined paper.
Moving on to digital sketches, I took my favorite concepts and transferred them into Procreate. This allowed me to clean everything up while still maintaining an organic feel. I experimented with different flourishes and styles to explore various visual directions.
Digital Sketches
Digital Refinement
One of the most challenging parts of this process was choosing the color. The design needed to work well both digitally and in print.
This stage was also about evaluating what worked in the digital sketches and identifying what needed to be refined. It was the point where I had to commit to a direction.
Final Result
I’ve learned to give much more credit to people who specialize in hand lettering. I spent most of my time focusing on alignment and creating harmony between the shapes, but when it came time to print these pieces, all the small imperfections in the line quality stood out. Normally, when working with vectors, the lines are sharp and smooth: but drawing on a tablet gave the work a fun personality. It felt more personal and unique, rather than generic.
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I really enjoyed working with type in this way, but I know I’ll need a lot more practice before I feel confident using it professionally.