Lesson Info
2. List of Words & Creating the Map
Lessons
Intro & Sample Projects
09:40 2List of Words & Creating the Map
03:32 3Low Contrast Sans Serif with Width Variation
10:06 4High Contrast Serif
13:56 5High Contrast Script
16:59 6Any Style You Like Using Only Straight Lines
06:06 7Unicase with 3D
12:30 8Serif with Inline Stroke
08:13Chiseled or Beveled Sans Serif
16:49 10Slab Serif with Drop Shade
08:08 11Representational Letters
04:09 12Heavy Weight with Pattern
03:48 13Light Weight Script: Italic or Upright
06:48 14Reverse Stress Lettering
06:49 15Varied Baseline or Cap Height
03:19 16Bifurcated Tuscan With or Without Spurs
08:55 17Varied Weight Strokes
04:17 18Final Embellishments
11:00Lesson Info
List of Words & Creating the Map
So the first thing we're going to want to dio is come up with a list of different words that you're going to work from your words could be absolutely anything they could be your grocery west they could be the titles of your favorite songs right now could be your favorite ice cream flavors or you know, maybe it's the middle of summer time and you want to do all beach themed words I recommend we're going to do fifteen words today in the class but I recommend with you that you start with perhaps twenty words so that you have a little bit more to play with something this might fit in a little bit better than others um so first things first is going to be pick a theme and come up with your list of words so once you thought your list of words sorry once you've got your list of words we're going to start to work on uh map for how these are all gonna fit together so your map could be super geometric. Um you could just have a grid almost like stacked bricks going across your paper or you could ...
have something a little bit more organic um I find that organic is a little bit more fun to work on, but if this is you know the second or third time you're doing this class maybe you'd like to go ahead and start to try something different so if you've done all organic before try something geometric um you know you could even start with almost like a circle in the center with words all radiating out from it um anyway so get started on your map and take your list of words and you're going to start to assign your words to different spaces within your map so what I've done here is I've made all of my different shapes and I took my initial list which was all words that are about my date today um and I've assigned them to different spaces um I recommend you start working a slight issue posse so we can in pencil as you move things around don't worry too much at this stage because we're not going to be working on this piece as we get going um so don't worry too much about at this stage if you're you don't need to erase or make anything look perfect at no point in this class uh do you need to worry that this is simply a a final piece it's going to be about playing and it's going to be about having a good time and so you don't need to get too caught up in making sure everything looks perfect um once you have all of your your space is mapped out and you have all of your words assigned to it I suggest you take um, you take a sharpie and you go over the spaces. So I actually did that already here on another sheep. And now that I have thes spaces mapped out in a sharpie, I can use this paper behind another sheet of paper, and you're gonna want teo either work. If you have a thicker paper, you might want to work on a light table. But if your paper is thin enough, you should be able to see those lines at least a hint of those lines from the sharpie through on your next sheet of paper. So once you've got your words in place and your map traced with a sharpie, um, we're going to get started, and I'm going to call out your first prompt.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
DOlores RUsso
I like the way Annica tells you what you are going to do, then she demonstrates it and then you do it yourself. She knows her subject well and her lesson objectives are clear and to the point. How do I know.?..I'm a teaching mentor also an art teacher and sign painting/lettering artist. I watched this hand lettering class in order to review and to learn how someone else approaches this "not very interesting subject" as some previous reviewers have suggested . I happen to find it most interesting. I love being able to write and communicate using my art and teaching skills. One reviewer criticized the way Annica instructed with "um" and a clicking noise. But the one criticism that really stood out was the F-word which unfortunately seemed to take precedence over all else for some. Granted you wouldn't want to illustrate a word that children or parents might interpret as being acceptable. A good teacher would not demonstrate that but observing Annica I can see she is a beginning teacher who might need a little guidance. So consider this "guidance" Annica - you are a teacher and you represent all of us teachers. We aren't in our 20's or even 40's - we've been in the trenches and we know that beginning teaching is very challenging. But you must remember that you are a model for children that we hope you expect to grow up to be good decent human beings. Some adults need that guidance as well. And yes, children will already know these words (pay attention parents) but it is not up to you to teach it to them. You, the teacher, are to teach to the highest professional level. As for the "um" and the clicking noise at the end of a sentence - that is something you can correct easily - try to record your lessons and listen. Remember - you represent the most respected of professions, your language must be accurate, acceptable and reflect the knowledge of your subject area, You did a good lesson in hand lettering and covered the most important concepts for a beginner to know. It's a shame that some of the reviewers refused to watch the rest of your lessons and some of them even complained about your silence as you did the letters. Perhaps a little more understanding on their part could have been more beneficial, particularly since one of them was a gifted educator (my Masters also), and did not recognize the cognitive mind working and literally submerged in your lettering skills. This is a fine class and I hope you continue to do more. You are organized, give a lot of information and demonstrate impeccably. Good luck...from your Mentor Teacher.
Heidi
This class was exactly what I needed to re-gain confidence in hand lettering. I majored in illustration 10+ years ago and while I did take a typography class in school, it's been many years and I was feeling rusty and nervous about hand lettering. This class refreshed my memory on various typography principles and gave me ideas on various styles I can reference to create my own lettering. I love the format where I can watch her example and then try it for myself - it's like training wheels and works perfectly for me as a visual learner. Annica is obviously a pro at what she does and she's also really good at explaining what she's doing and why. I am really happy with this class and thankful to Annica for sharing her knowledge and experience.
a Creativelive Student
Rating this is difficult because there are positives and negatives. I watched the course and enjoyed it, but there isn't enough information and education to validate purchasing it. For a graphic designer or someone who knows typography and wants to have a fun challenge around hand drawn lettering, it's fine. However, it's not a course for absolute beginners because the presenter speaks about typographic principles and assumes the audience knows the names of the parts of type when giving directions and doesn't provide enough explanations. There is no history given as to why letterforms are drawn the way they are, whether as traditional hand lettering, calligraphy or even in sign painting, other than the passing recommendation for viewers to research this. All of the comments here are correct. I too was surprised to see the F-word in a featured piece and the lack of contrast when watching her draw was a problem. CreativeLive needs to vet new presenters and perhaps have them do a dry-run of the lessons to critique them. Additionally, her"umms", "super" and "super fun" fillers are tiresome. I think the presenter is talented and has a lot to offer but this felt more like a design challenge rather than an educational course. It would have been useful to primarily show professional applications rather than so many self-directed projects. There is another hand lettering /calligraphy course I watched part of previously that was a better "101" course, to which this course would be an appropriate follow-up.
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