Modern man is surrounded by advertising literally from all sides: these are posters and banners, advertising on TV and radio, and many other native methods used by experienced marketers. One of the latest fashion trends that designers are very fond of is called lettering. What is it and why is it gaining more and more popularity every day? Let's figure it out.
Interesting from history
Everyone is familiar with the concept of calligraphy, because it arose a very long time ago and accompanies a person throughout history. Now calligraphy is considered an attribute or even a whole separate art form. However, in the distant past, the art of writing beautifully had a practical basis. The monks copied huge manuscripts and created real masterpieces using the most sophisticated calligraphy techniques.
Calligraphy originated in ancient Greece, in translation this word means "beautiful handwriting". Greco-Roman writing had its own characteristics and distinctive features from the East Asian alphabet. When writing texts, they even used different tools, for example, the Greeks wrote with a pen, while the Chinese used ink and brushes.
Unlike calligraphy, lettering (what it is, we will analyze below) arose in the last century as a bright and effective tool for advertising any product. However, now it has managed to become a current of modern art, which is being used by an increasing number of designers, type and art artists.
Differences between lettering and calligraphy
Many mistakenly assume that these two concepts are the same in meaning. However, lettering, which is drawn by designers, and calligraphy are two completely different ways of writing letters. If there are certain rules and restrictions in calligraphy, then in the second case there are no boundaries, the artist has the right to create any masterpieces and embody his most daring ideas.
The very word "lettering" in English means "to write a letter". The main feature of this direction is that it is a whole drawing, which consists of letters and other graphic characters.
Features of lettering
The alphabet written in this style has no analogues, so in no case should lettering be considered a font. After all, a font is a ready-made set of letters written in a certain way, which are reused many times. In lettering, each letter has its own unique slope, thickness and dynamics.
Perhaps, another difference between calligraphy and lettering (we consider fonts as a separate tool) is that only capital letters are present in calligraphy, no additional lines are allowedand any small drawings. And in the latter, each letter is designed in a unique way, complemented by a variety of pictures and signs.
Who's doing this?
So, we have analyzed the basics of lettering: what it is and how it differs from the usual calligraphy. However, there are still many questions left, such as what profession is lettering?
Theoretically, absolutely anyone can do this, and no matter for what purposes. There are many speci alties associated with lettering. Here are the most famous:
- typographer who develops not only fonts, but also design styles in general;
- marketing designer who creates real masterpieces of advertising;
- an artist who creates for the sake of art;
- tattoo artists who are the youngest professionals in this niche.
All these people are united by their love for magical lettering, the alphabet (Russian or foreign - it doesn't matter at all, because a text written with love will be beautiful in any language).
Creative Tools
Ancient calligraphers wrote with pen and ink. I wonder if modern artists could create masterpieces using only this primitive? Let's see what devices the 21st century of high technologies has pleased specialists with.
There are a huge number of different "strays" for creative people who decide to do lettering. For beginners and professionals, there areinstruments. So, here are the most popular stationery that will definitely come in handy for us:
- Brushpens are cartridge-equipped tools. They resemble an ordinary brush, only they do not need to be dipped anywhere. They have many different nozzles, shapes, even the tip material can be different. The color scale is presented in wide assortment. According to the type of brushpen, they are divided into three types: water-based, alcohol-based and gel-based.
- Reifseders, colapens - these are all instruments resembling an ordinary piece of iron with a sharp end. They usually come with a drafting station. They are very convenient to draw graphic lettering. Fonts are obtained in the Gothic style.
- Markers and electronic pens from the Molotow manufacturer are the most advanced products for graffiti design and drawing.
- Pen Parallel is a metal pen with a replaceable cartridge. Its distinguishing feature is that it has an original design: instead of a flat pen, it has two plates. Thanks to them, a more saturated outflow of ink is obtained.
There are many more drawing and lettering tools. The Russian alphabet suggests a greater variety of writing letters than the Latin one, so domestic artists have a wider range of tools and auxiliary gizmos.
What is lettering used for?
Perhaps the most useful and practical side of lettering is its use in logos and advertising banners. Agree, bright design and original text made byhandmade with intricate letters and lettering, sure to catch the attention of most people.
Of course, in addition to advertising and marketing, lettering has many other directions. Many artists draw texts for aesthetic pleasure, some even organize entire exhibitions of paintings in lettering style. In the Russian and Russian-speaking freelance services market, there is a large rating of the best designers who are engaged in the design of any thing in the style of lettering.
In the past century, many entrepreneurs have used this technique. For example, bright and unusual signs were hung in front of bakeries, butchers and other various shops, on which the text was drawn by hand. Thanks to this reception, more people became regulars of this institution. Something similar is happening in today's world. For example, you can often find a chalk board in a cafe, on which the text and its design change weekly. It is believed that calligraphy and lettering "enliven" any brand, and make the room more comfortable and pleasant.
How to learn lettering?
The art of beautiful writing is not an easy task, requiring a lot of patience and time. Training can take from a couple of weeks to a whole year, in general, it all depends on the initial skills and talent. In any major city, there are lettering courses for beginners, where all the subtleties of this direction are studied in great detail. The ideal option is just courses or an individual master trainer who will teach you the most basicdrawing techniques.
Many beginners who are now professionals in the industry have learned lettering on their own. Thanks to the huge number of informational articles, master classes and video tutorials on the Internet, you can easily learn a new profession. The main thing would be the desire!
Lettering Basics
What is it, what is it used for? We have already analyzed these questions, now it is worth separately studying the basic techniques and drawing techniques. So, the basic principle of lettering is that before you start drawing, you need to think about the future picture. It is best to imagine the finished image in your head and follow it.
After creating a sketch or sketch, you can start designing and drawing the smallest details. It is they who make the whole picture complete and original. Here are the very first steps to learning lettering:
- Apply the rules and principles of drawing in practice. Practice drawing small fences, swirls and just straight lines with and without slopes.
- Having mastered one rule, you need to immediately proceed to the next. Many craftsmen say that success in lettering and the alphabet can only be achieved through diligent and painstaking work. We will only add that you need to draw every day, even if only a little.
- Try new tools every time, master a variety of stroke techniques.
- Be sure to visit the forums, exhibit your work. It is the collective discussion that makes it clearer where mistakes were made. Besides,if you plan to earn a living lettering in the future, you need to make acquaintances with the right people. They just often appear at various exhibitions, art meetings and forums.
Creative Gadgets
Technology lovers should try to draw in special tablets that are designed specifically for creativity. They are equipped with all the necessary tools, they are programmed with a variety of auxiliary functions.
Perhaps the best gadget is Wacom's graphics tablet. The brand has a whole series of such "toys". Everyone chooses a model that is convenient for him. In any case, the tablet makes the work less painstaking, because the editor programs built into it facilitate and speed up the drawing process. In addition to tablets, a professional logo designer will need a computer, photo editing programs (Photoshop), a scanner, a printer, and, of course, paper. It can be either matte or glossy. Some even draw on thick paper (cardboard, wallpaper).
