Sketching - G A A



SketchingThumbnailsAfter you have done your research and have some concept ideas, you are probably itching to get these ideas on paper. At this stage you will just be doing some quick sketches to get down the basic layout.It's important to pay attention to hierarchy and composition.Remember to include the containing shape you decided on.Don't get caught up in too many details.233362513272915144752618754SketchesPick your favorite thumbnails and create 2?3 tight sketches. The more options you work with from the beginning, the more exploring you do in creating a smart illustration.Keep the composition balanced and cohesive.Use hierarchy to determine which words should stand out.Pay close attention to readability and spacing.Don't forget to add special details like borders, banners, and supporting ornamentation, if your concept calls for it.218122510034816764003424573Knitting is totally spelled wrong in this sketch! Be sure to check for spelling along the way. Drawing letters is a lot different than writing letters.2181225238299Printer paper will work fine for this step but you will most likely want these sketches to be darker to be scanned in. Lightly sketch out the composition in a No. 2 pencil and go over the drawing in more detail with a softer pencil. This will result in a darker sketch that is easier to read.Refined SketchOnce you have your sketches laid out and more finalized, choose the direction that makes sense with your phrase and concept.Key questions to ask before going to final:Is the layout fresh and original?Does it make sense to the concept?Is it readable?At this point you will notice your drawing evolving and getting tighter. You should also be picking up on details that look incorrect, or maybe refining the ornamentation or lettering.It is super helpful to take that extra time and re?trace your final sketch to correct these missteps. Spending that extra time on the final sketch will make the process of inking much smoother.Finalizing Your DrawingInkingNow you're ready to add ink to this drawing! You can draw right on top of the sketch, if it's on good drawing paper, but I would suggest using tracing paper or a lightbox to ink your drawing.It's good to keep that original sketch intact for reference, plus you won't muddy up your final illustration.2200275133539If you mess up while you are inking, you can re?draw that one area on a separate piece of paper.LayersYour drawing may involve separate layers of shapes. In this instance, it's best to draw these layers separately, using tracing paper or a lightbox, then assemble the final illustration on the computer.1695450238627In my example, I started out with my sketch and using my lightpad I traced and inked most of the shapes. Then, I inked up the dropshadow lines detail, then the drop shadow and the decorative shapes in the 4.When I brought them into illustrator, I was able to easily assemble the illustration and choose colors.Final ReviewNow that everything is inked up, take a final look at your drawing now is the time to make those final touch?ups. Critiquing your work is difficult and certinaly takes time to catch the details that make a good drawing great.Here is what you need to look for.A nice, clean, dark drawing. This will come in handy when it's time to digitize.If there are any letters that look crammed in or spaced incorrectly, grab tracing paper and redraw those letters or words.Curves and swirls that look unbalanced and have kinks and are not smooth need to be corrected.If the drawing is too small, scan it in, enlarge it, print it out and re?trace. When the drawing is too small, if it gets scaled up the edges of the letters will look too crunchy and messy and it won't have that nice edge that says "it was lovingly hand?drawn by me" like we want.Understanding lettering doesn't stop at this class, I encourage you to keep exploring, practicing, and experimenting.Additional ResourcesThe History of Type ? a beautiful stop motion video, that sums up the history of type in a fast and informative way.Letterology ? Blog chock?full?of vintage type.Once New Vintage ? Plenty of vintage reference material and free downloadable hi?res vintage ephemera.Related Discussion: Where do you find Inspiration? Share with the class where you find inspiration for your lettering projects in this discussion.Here is the warm up for my phrase. I chose the word "electric" which clearly has a lot of imagery related to the word.The basic steps to drawing a letter. Start out with the simple fram of the letter and build out from there.Jet Pens ? A great website for finding new pens! ................
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