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
Reverse Stress Lettering
So our next prompt is going to be doing a word with reverse dress um reverse dress was something we talked about at the beginning and typically as I said before the wait is gonna fall within the um within the vertical strokes but with reverse stress it falls within the horizontal stretch the horizontal streaks so while an h might typically look more like this and h with reverse dress looked more like this um I chose to actually do this version with a sarah of typeface er rather than sand saref crime sorry with this sheriff style letter form rather than this letter form um simply because it's a lot easier to see the river stress when you have when you have lines that are following along the baseline in the cap fight and there there are more horizontal strokes that you'll find ah and a sarah flutter form than you will in a sand secret um uh something like the o can end up looking a little bit wonky and funny normally you would see the weight falling on the sides of the oh but if we're do...
ing something with reverse stress there's gonna be more weight in the top and the bottom so you can pick a word with um santa f or sarah if it's it's your choice um but just remember that the wait is gonna be a little bit off so because I've got this sort of bizarre o space here uh, that I'm going to be writing a b c's in, uh rather than stack the letters on top of each other, like I did here, I actually turned my papers sideways, which is something a little sort of goes against the fact that I'm doing over stressed. Um and I'm going to do a b c's uh, going this way in a tiny little asked in there, and I think that in part it's going to be interesting because when I turn it back to be the cracked way, the weight is still going to be falling in what it appears to be the verticals, even though in actuality it's going to be the horizontal sze okay, so now that I have my a b c's, I think remind me I should maybe tell you a little something about ss um so normally with an s you're gonna want to see all of the weight in the spine, same thing with z s so when we're doing something that's reverse dress, the spine itself is going to get really late on the top, and the bottom of the s are going to get really heavy. Keep in mind, this is the only place that you want to do that normally you're going to want to make sure that the spine is the heaviest part of the s the spine also, unless your ass is getting recess, is pretty wide. Um, the wider your baskets, the more horizontal the spine becomes. But typically you don't want your spine to be very horizontal. You want your spine to be pretty up and down, but it is a little difficult when it gets wider and you can start to flatten it out more. Um, if you're ever having a lot of difficulty with your ass, you can always like this one is way tio top heavy. Um, you can always drop two ovals. Two oval should fit any spaces, so I could be a really good place to start. Um, just something to keep in mind. Um, none of that really matters is you go ahead and you saw your next prompt, which is reverse stress. Uh, so I will see you in a minute.
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.
Student Work
Related Classes
Design Projects