Articulating is. Pencils: mechanical or lead

Lettering is a charming hobby. It is worth mastering letter magic - and you can paint mugs, make postcards, posters with your favorite phrases, T-shirts with quotes and other magical things. We tell you how to master this secret knowledge and draw your first letter and phrase

Letter to letter

You can learn lettering yourself. Opening the tutorial, which, by the way, we have recently appeared. "Letter to letter" - a copybook. It was written by Tatyana Chulyuskina, illustrator, art director of the Seasons magazine and festivals, and creator of the Sherry Bobbins home decor brand.

"Letter to Letter" is filled with design tricks: silk-screen printing, cardboard, threads... It's even nice to just flip through!

In the book, theory made good friends with practice: next to each topic there are several clean sheets so that the reader immediately performs the exercises and hones his skills. Selected a few useful tips from Letters to help you draw your first phrase.

The structure of the letter

The main thing to remember: font is a system. Letters are uniform and consist of many elements, many of which are repeated. Here are important designations, without which lettering is nowhere.

• Bold vertical and diagonal strokes are called main. They should look the same.
• The influx of ovals and semi-ovals should be visually the same thickness as the main strokes.
• Additional strokes are called connecting, they are thinner if the font is contrasting.
• Letters, like birds on a branch, sit on the baseline.
• The parts that go beyond it are called top and bottom callouts.

From the book "Letter to Letter"

• Holes from semi-ovals and ovals - intraletter.
• Beautiful plastic element - a drop- is not found in all fonts, it decorates letters very much.
• There are special elements in antiqua - serifs They are single sided and double sided.
• Aproshi, letter spacing, - the distance between adjacent letters - should also be visually balanced.

Exercise number 1. Redraw the diagram and label the elements of the letters for better memorization.

How to draw letters

There is a global drawing principle in lettering - from the general to the particular.

• First, note the dimensions of the letter (the ratio of width to height).
• Then we designate the main and connecting strokes.
• Draw the outer and inner ovals, if any.
• And we add details to the resulting structure.

Letter spacing

Did you notice what's wrong? If we make the distances between the letters the same and do not take into account the difference in shapes, then we will get an uneven inscription. To solve this problem, you need to remember a few simple rules.

• The longest distance- between adjacent vertical strokes.
• Slightly smaller the distance will be if the vertical stroke of one letter borders on the rounded stroke of another letter.
• Even less distance - between two rounded elements.
• And even less, if straight and rounded strokes meet with diagonal neighbors (A, U, Zh, and also G, T, if you mentally connect their extreme points).
• One of the favorite tricks of Tatyana Chulyuskina- reduce the letters adjacent to G and T, and move them closer under the horizontal bar. This solves the problem of letter spacing and brings interesting detail to work.

We write a phrase

From the book "Letter to Letter"

Exercise number 2. Draw the phrase "Eat some more of these soft French rolls, but drink some tea!" with this font. This is a pangram - a phrase that uses all the letters of the alphabet. Try to understand the structure of the letters and see similar shapes in different letters. So in practice you will make sure that the font is a constructor consisting of a small number of elements.

From the book "Letter to Letter"

Do not draw the letters perfectly even. Liveliness and man-made - the very charm of hand-lettering, for which they love it.

Lettering skill improves with each work. Try to make a few sketches and you will see how smoothly and well everything will turn out - letter by letter.

You can see lettering everywhere, from street signs to billboards. But it also scares those who are just starting to learn lettering. It takes practice, so luckily we have two experts, Annika Lydenberg and Roxy Prima, to give us some advice.

1. Choose pens and pencils

Having the right supplies will make lettering easier, but you don't have to go out and spend a fortune on pens, pencils, or brushes. There is a wide range of accessories to choose from, depending on what style you are going to use in your lettering.

Pencils: mechanical or lead

Prima notes: “I like using mechanical pencils because they always stay sharp. My favorite is Koh-l-Noor Mephisto."

Lead in pencils can be hard or soft, ranging from 6H (hard pencil) to 6B ( soft pencil), with HB in the middle. Lydenberg says, "I usually draw with lighter pencils first, which means they have more lead, and then move on to darker pencils as soon as my design takes shape." Familiarize yourself with the pencil hardness scale. If you are just starting out, you can buy just about any set of pencils from your local art store.

Pens

Handles have many more varieties. “I like to work with thin nibs, but I have a lot of friends who prefer thicker nibs,” says Prima. You need to understand what works for you. She also points out that a good starter kit with thin-bladed pens is the Micron. “The set includes pens with very thin nib (for small details that complement your work) and pens with thick nib, with which you can paint over the letters. The set is ideal for crisp, detailed letters,” says Prima. For a looser style, she recommends Tombows pens.

“The most important thing is to practice and find instruments that work well for you and your style,” says Prima.

2. Choose paper

There is a huge choice, where everyone acts differently. Sketchbooks or lettering pads are always great, and one of Prima's favorites is the Canson Multi Media pad. “I like it because the paper is thick enough so the ink won't bleed through,” she notes. For beginners, drawing paper is suitable, which "has a nice smooth surface for practice."

Lidenberg suggests using graphic paper. "This will help you keep the base as well as the height of the lowercase letters and the thickness of the uppercase letters."

After you choose the paper, you can also choose the final paper. Prima uses Bristol paper for her final drawings.

3. Do warm-up exercises

We have chosen the tools, so let's start trying different lettering styles.

Prima begins each work with a simple warm-up. Using a ruler, draw lines on paper. Start creating angled straight shapes, progressing to more complex curved shapes. Try to keep them the same and uniform. “It will help you with balance in future works. And don't rush - it's better to be slow and precise than fast and erratic," she notes. “Shapes and lines are the building blocks of letters, so they are really good for practice. I draw straight and curved lines to practice spacing and pen control. it's the same good way get to know the new pens and pencils and see how they work.”

4. Let's start!

When you feel comfortable, it's time to start! “Lettering gives you freedom in everything, so experimenting really helps to come up with new ideas,” says Prima.

Take a short word or just a letter and draw it. Fill out an entire page or multiple pages and don't overthink it. Don't worry if you did well. The most important thing is to practice and try to do it every day. This is just an attempt to try and see something new! “I practice regularly and often the letters come out ugly. But in these ugly sketches, sometimes I find something that inspires me to create something great, ”says Prima.

As with any genre of art, you need to look at what works and what doesn't, and what styles you like. Lidenberg says, “Start by learning a lot of fonts. In particular, look at the empty space created by each letter. It is as important as what you draw." In the work, she begins painting the letters from the inside, noting, “Sometimes it helps to create a skeleton and then assemble the body of the letter around it.”

5. Finishing the job

Take a short phrase and draw it. Take a look at the result from the previous exercise and pick a few styles that you really like. Pay attention to the words that are most important and should stand out the most. Draw each word in different style Don't be afraid to mix them up.

“I always start with a very simple style knowing that I have enough space for every word,” says Prima. “Then I sketch out the words and make sure they fit and are even. Don't be afraid if your letters go over the edge of other letters. Then I trace them with a thin pen and erase the pencil. Finally, I add all the details and shading."

Be sure to check out the Lettering 101 with Annika Lydenberg guide for a complete introduction to this drawing technique.

Lidenberg advises: “Take any lettering, take a picture of a sign, advertisement, or cool packaging. Then choose a short word. It can only have five letters. Try to make other words and maybe even add numbers and punctuation if you like!”

Lettering takes a lot of practice, so don't give up. Keep drawing letters with these exercises and you will see great progress in the end.

Watching films about the future, we very often see this picture: the same, as if cloned, people in the same clothes. They are surrounded by the same cars and houses on the same streets. People work for the benefit of huge corporations, carrying out monotonous gestures in front of computers or shifting pieces of paper from place to place. Everything around is soulless and dull, dominated by blue, gray and white shades with small inserts of bright colors for key characters movie. This was probably done to add more irony to the plot of the film. And, of course, I am aware that this is a utopia and this will not happen in the foreseeable future. But one thing I know for sure. I and the vast majority of people would never want to live in such a world.

But some echoes of this picture can be observed today. When solving many problems, we use templates: frameworks, constructors, template sites, interfaces, logos, household items, and so on. Everything is aimed at reducing the cost of production and a quick entry into the market. The benefit from an economic point of view, of course, is obvious. But on the part of the consumer, it becomes boring and monotonous.

There are many ways to “animate” a product: come up with a symbol animal, use images of people, photographs, illustrations. I'll tell you about lettering. Beware - lots of pictures!

First of all, it is necessary to distinguish 3 concepts.

Font- a set of characters that can be used in any order and are used to write words, sentences and texts of a large volume.

Lettering- a unique drawing of a word or phrase, sometimes entire phrases, which makes up a single composition and is intended for a specific situation.

Calligraphy(from the Greek "beautiful handwriting") this is also a hand lettering, but, unlike lettering, all letters must adhere to the same style and form a readable block of text. Calligraphy can be written large texts such as certificates or letters.

Both lettering and calligraphy are created by the long and painstaking work of the master. But only lettering is based on drawing letters and searching for a unique unique combination of characters, while calligraphy is a huge number of repetitions of the same letters in order to write text in uniform style.

A bit of history

First there were cave drawings, V Ancient Egypt there were various symbols, then letters and numbers appeared - mankind learned to write. Handwriting was everywhere: personal letters, books, orders and laws. Everything was written with pens: this is how calligraphy was born. With the advent of printing presses and, following them, computers, fonts began to appear. This greatly contributed to the improvement of the level of education. Books became more accessible, even ordinary peasants and workers eventually learned to read and write. In the meantime, lettering was constantly evolving with the advent of writing. It was necessary to somehow draw up signs, posters, labels, covers.

I came across a lot of "foreign" masters, but I decided to concentrate on Russian-speaking calligraphers, letterers, designers and illustrators. They are located, for the most part, in Russia and the post-Soviet space. There were people of different qualifications. Below I will list all 226 people. But first of all, 30 of those who, in my opinion, are cooler.

Obviously, someone could not catch my eye, if there are additions, feel free to write in the comments.

A modern person 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.

Everyone is familiar with the concept of calligraphy, because it arose a long time ago and accompanies a person throughout history. Now calligraphy is considered an attribute or even a whole separate view art. 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 Greco-Roman writing had its own characteristics and distinctive features from the East Asian alphabet. When writing texts, they even used different instruments, so, for example, the Greeks wrote with a pen, and 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 addressed 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, whose scripts are drawn by designers, and calligraphy are two absolutely different ways 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" with 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.

Lettering Features

The alphabet written in this style has no analogues, so in no case can lettering be considered a font. After all, the font is ready set letters written in a certain way that 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, any additional lines and any small drawings are prohibited. And in the latter, each letter is formed in a unique way, complemented by the most different pictures and signs.

Who is 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, for example, what profession are people engaged in lettering?

Theoretically, absolutely anyone can do this, and it doesn’t matter for what purposes. There are many specialties associated with lettering. Here are the most famous:

• a typographer who develops not only fonts, but also design styles in general;
• a marketer-designer who creates real masterpieces of advertising;
• an artist who creates for the sake of art;
• tattoo artists, who are the youngest specialists in this niche.

All these people are united by a 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. Interesting, a contemporary 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 "stray" for creative natures who decided to take up lettering. There are tools for beginners and professionals. So, here are the most popular stationery that will definitely come in handy for us:

• Brushpens are tools equipped with a cartridge. 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 are divided into three types: water based, alcohol and gel.
• Reifseders, colapens - these are all instruments that resemble 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 manufacturer Molotow are the most modern products for designing and drawing graffiti.
• The pen parallel is a metal pen with a replaceable cartridge. Her distinguishing feature in 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 tools for drawing and lettering. The Russian alphabet suggests a greater variety of writing letters than the Latin, so domestic artists there is a wider range of tools and auxiliary gizmos.

What is the purpose of lettering?

Perhaps the most useful and practical side of lettering is its use in logos and advertising banners. Agree, bright design and original text, handcrafted with intricate lettering and lettering, is sure to grab the attention of most people.

Of course, in addition to advertising and marketing, lettering has many other areas. 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 last 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. IN modern world something similar happens. 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. Perfect option- these are just courses or an individual master trainer who will teach the most basic techniques drawing.

Many beginners, who are now professionals in this industry, 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 - there would be a 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 over the future picture. It is best to imagine a ready-made image in your head and follow it.

After creating a sketch or sketch, you can start designing and drawing the most small parts. It is they who make the whole picture complete and original. Here are the very first steps to learning lettering:

1. Apply the rules and principles of drawing in practice. Practice by drawing small fences, curlicues and just straight lines with and without slopes.
2. 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.
3. Try new tools every time, master a variety of stroke techniques.
4. Be sure to visit the forums, exhibit their work. It is the collective discussion that makes it clearer where mistakes were made. In addition, if you plan to make a living lettering in the future, you need to make acquaintances with the right people. They just often find themselves at various exhibitions, art meetings and forums.

Creativity Gadgets

Fans of technology should try to draw in special tablets that are designed specifically for creativity. They are equipped with all the right tools, they are programmed with a variety of auxiliary functions.

Perhaps the best gadget is Graphics tablet from Wacom. 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).

→ → → balk in Michelson's Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

squirming is

balk

(to roam) - foreign language: to stubbornly; in the literal sense - horses mouth (mouth), counteract, not obeying the reins and bit

A stubborn woman is more dense than a mouthy horse.

Wed Despite his position of power ... he did not balk when the gendarmerie headquarters officer warned him that fire horses were not there for picnics, and he did not balk when the prosecutor appeared to protest.

Saltykov. Motley letters. 7.

Wed The whole house, with the whole yard and garden, is not worth what they give him for one garden, but he balks!

Dal. New pictures Russian. life. 18. 2. Nugget.

Wed Picnic.

See fords.

See protest.

Russian thought and speech. Yours and someone else's. Experience of Russian phraseology. Collection of figurative words and parables. T.T. 1-2. Walking and well-aimed words. Collection of Russian and foreign quotations, proverbs, sayings, proverbial expressions and individual words. SPb., type. Ak. sciences..

M. I. Mikhelson.

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