Take a Lettering Journey
I never thought I had a book “in me” because I figured I didn’t have anything unique to contribute. Until now.
When we left Washington, D.C. shortly after the inauguration in 2017, little did we know the journey that was ahead of us. Yes, we knew we had a couple of month-long artist residencies planned and that we were going to pull Flo, a 1947 Tourette teardrop trailer, but where would we go, what would we see? We had no idea.
The road ahead was more than just a cross-country trip, it was an adventure in discovery, survival and lettering.
A synopsis of the book... Take an adventure to power up your lettering! Designed with the visual practitioner in mind, Lettering Journey is a how-to, exemplar book inspired by a cross country road trip and the letters found along the way. This practical guide gives you the freedom to be fast. It includes eight lettering styles that are designed to be learned quickly and used to letter with markers on paper in realtime in front of your client. Each chapter of Lettering Journey starts with a short story of how the lettering style was inspired, a list of suggested markers to use, the best use of the style (when and where), and attributes of each style. Some styles include a ductus—showing the direction and order of each stroke, written at 100% and in grey so that you can see how the strokes join and cross. Each chapter includes examples by visual practitioners in the field and how they use these styles in their work. The book also includes foundational tips and best practices when lettering.
The lettering journey started before we hit the road. Lettering became important to me when I moved to DC to help build the Visioneering team. I realized that I needed to find a strength to serve as a foundation in my work. Honestly, at the time, I didn’t have one. So by accident, I just chose lettering. In 2016, I dedicated all of my professional development resources to lettering. I spent that year taking workshops from master calligraphers, sign painters and graffiti artists. I learned that all of the tools they used could be translated into the tools we use as visual practitioners.
Tina Abert and Amy Sparks help me celebrate my new book. They have been on the Lettering Journey with me since the beginning. They both took breakout sessions from me at the IFVP conferences and they were the first to sign up for my online, Level Up Your Lettering course.
The virtual book launch on June 27 was a hit! We aired three times that day to talk about the book, interview contributors, and celebrated the success of all those involved. You can watch the sessions on Neuland’s Facebook page here.
The book itself is full of lettering styles and techniques designed with the visual practitioner in mind. I cover how to hold the marker, which markers to use for which styles, the angle and direction of the nib, a ductus, and most all of the letters are written with a grey marker so you can see where the strokes overlap.
And with me, there is always more. And more to come! For those who already have the book, there is a free resources portal available on my website www.LetsLetterTogether.com. And I’m putting together a full course offering step-by-step videos for each lettering style.
Because I am so very practical, I originally designed the book in greyscale. And because Neuland is so very generous and loves color, they chose to offer a color version, along with a Handlettering Kit to get people started on their lettering journey. You can find the book and kit here.
For those who just want the book, I offer an Author’s edition. It’s greyscale interior gives you everything you need to get started. And regardless of where you purchase the book, I will send you a signed bookplate and bookmark to go with your book. Just email me your mailing address and I’ll get it to you right away!
I have enjoyed this lettering journey and look forward to the next! I’ll be traveling to Australia, Latin America and Europe over the next year to present and teach. I hope our paths cross and we can letter together. Who knows, perhaps I’ll feature your work in my next book!
Happy lettering!