If you plan on doing hand lettering, make sure to have pencils, erasers, an ames guide, and a tsquare on hand. Since then, ive honed my handlettering style by hand writing letters, notes, christmas and birthday cards and a wide assortment of different things that had nothing to do with comics or cartooning. Lettering inspiration, mostly from comics, mostly sfx and titles. There is more to lettering than just copying and pasting a script onto artwork. Contact sean comic book lettering and production with.
Mar 11, 2019 a comic book letterer provides the text and sound effects in a comic book. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading comic book lettering the comicraft way. Most independent comics and even some mainstream books are handlettered. Many letterers also design logos for the comic book companys various titles. My comics are scripted out well in advance of putting pencil to paper in the sketchbook, and the dialogue is revised during the penciling process to tighten up and longwinded speeches. How it all began comic book lettering involves putting in all the words on a comics page, as well as the balloons or borders around them, any signs, titles or sound effects, and sometimes panel borders. Sean will cover the art of lettering and the design process behind it. Comic book lettering involves putting words, signs, titles, word balloons or borders, sound effects, and even the panel borders on a comics page. Mar 12, 2017 if you enjoy these videos please like and share them. The computer letterer does his work over scans of inked art pages and has the same responsibilities as the hand letterer.
Hand lettering is a skill that anybody can learn, it is a fun and rewarding hobby that will impress your friends and family. It was common practice to use an ancient tool called an ames guide to keep your lettering straight. I do, however, sympathize with the other side of the controversy. After mastering the guide, the next step is using speedball nibs to letter your comics. Most independent comics and even some mainstream books are hand lettered. Resources for lettering your comic, whether by hand or digitally. Art of the comic book required materials lettering. Place pencil point in one of the holes marked, and while holding tsquare with one hand, slide guide across paper with pencil point. May 12, 2014 being the old guy that i am, im tempted to state that digital lettering is not as good as hand lettering, which is the typical response to change. The majority of these points are established tradition, sprinkled with modern trends and a bit of my own opinion having lettered professionally for a few years now. You can also become a patron and help me make more videos. In this video by our friends at cartoonist kayfabe, jim rugg uses an ames lettering guide as part of his excellent comic book hand lettering. See more ideas about lettering, comic font and comic book font. The advent of cheap or free font packs, some designed specifically for comic books, has made it a lot easier for comic artists and cartoonists to letter their work in a clean, professionallooking manner.
If you enjoy these videos please like and share them. Although the lowestpaying comic job, with a little practice it can be quick and profitable. Lettering for this class will be done done by hand with calligraphy pens nibs, india ink and ames lettering guides. In 1992, the dynamic duo of richard starkings and john roshell, and their fearless fleet of font finaglers, began providing unique design and fine lettering to the comic book, tv and video game industries. Determine the proper placement of your panels and evaluate where your comic texts should appear. The majority of these points are established tradition, sprinkled with modern trends and a bit of my own opinion having lettered. Comic book lettering tips and strategies charles j.
In this video by our friends at cartoonist kayfabe, jim rugg uses an ames lettering guide as part of his excellent comic book hand lettering guide. Our very first balloon tales a newsletter we published back in 1994 in response to questions from our fellow letterers, explaining the computer lettering process. With experience, lettering can be a fun way to work into comic book production. May 23, 2019 the artform of comic book lettering emerges as you begin controlling the way a reader reads and interprets the story through the way you manipulate bubbles. The production process of comics also goes hand in hand with lettering and you will also learn what is needed to get your comic to the printer and ready for digital publication using indesign. How to make a comic book, design, characters, and cover. Art of the comic book required materials lettering with speedball. When you have the letters penciled in, then you should use a crowquill pen and. All it takes is patience and practice, we have prepared these free printable hand lettering worksheets to help you get started practicing. Ive been handlettering all sorts of things as far back as 1984 when i took my first typography class in high school. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Suitable lettering can add much to the effectiveness of a cartoon.
Click to find the best 9 free fonts in the comic book hand lettering style. Hand lettering comic books needs careful planning and set up. Lettering is also the term for the process of putting words in a comic. Aug 09, 2019 lettering is also the term for the process of putting words in a comic. Comic book lettering is a big part of comics but it is also highly under appreciated, with all the glory split between story and art. When hand lettering comic books, an artist must be extremely careful to not let some of the letters run together the d must be distinguishable from the o and. Hand lettering your comic was sometimes ulcer inducing. I had to letter by hand, and i quickly realized how much i hated it.
For over twenty years comics creators and enthusiasts have enjoyed whizbangs simulation of hand lettering in the style of comic books and comic strips of the sixties and seventies. The comicraft way covers literally everything, including creating different types of balloons, balloon placement, lettering style, choosing fonts, creating sound effects, signage and how to place it in perspective, and how to create your own fonts, to name but a few. Dec 16, 2010 broadly speaking, lettering can be grouped in two classes. Art of the comic book required materials lettering with. This is the 101814 and 101914 workshops on comic book lettering and production i did as part of the digital artistry track at san diego comic fest 2014. Some folks believe that because most comics are handdrawn, the lettering must also be done by hand. Hand lettering a digital comic part 1, part 2, part 3. Available for mac os x and microsoft windows in both truetype and type 1 formats. Visit my resources page for free creativity tools and comic books. Sep 07, 2016 memories of those hand cramps are probably why i was so excited when computer lettering became a possibility. Mar 31, 2003 that being said its a fin book for my comic book howto collection and if you can manage to read the insanely packed and convoluted text its a pretty interesting window into the history and process of moving from hand written comic book lettering to fonts specifically for comics. Six part series on lettering with adobe illustrator. Whizbang is the original computer font for comics lettering.
The key here is to add the text in such a manner that makes it easy for the reader to follow the story. They are similar, with the 1018 video going into more depth with adobe indesign while in the 1019 video i spend more time working on lettering in adobe illustrator. I provide lettering, logo design, and production for independent comics. Once in place, the scans are used as templates for lettering in much the same way that a hand letterer would use a xerox of artwork as a guide for lettering when he is providing his work on a vellum overlay. Comic book lettering and production with sean glumace. And, if you decide to create your own comic book fonts, youll need to have some hand lettering skills to make the letters. Jan 27, 2017 hand lettering your comic was sometimes ulcer inducing. Over the years ive been asked about how to get started with handlettering often. Step by step, comic book lettering the comicraft way guides you through the process of lettering a comic strip digitally. Since then, ive honed my handlettering style by hand writing letters. Even if you plan to work mostly with computer lettering, id still recommend learning to hand letter, as it will teach you many things that will be useful with computer lettering as well. Type crimes that will get you sent to the weekend hobbyist jail. Comicraft drops each scan into an illustrator document. The person who does this is referred to as the letterer.
While digital lettering today can still be a frustrating process its miles easier than in decades past. While the technology has changed, the goals and principles still apply. There is certainly a lot of artistic creativity that goes into the process of making word balloons and sound effects look like what they sound like, but the letterer also needs to think about how the text will detract. Award winning comic book letterer todd klein on lettering topics. A guide to handlettering your strips webcomic alliance. The letterer also writes the letters in the word balloons and draws in sound effects. Curated by letterers aditya bidikar and alex giles. How to get started with hand lettering free printable. Back then, there were no personal computers capable of comic book lettering.
Why dont comic book artists do their own lettering. Step by step, comic book lettering the comicraft way guides readers through the process of lettering a comic strip digitally. Misspellings and mistakes can, however, ruin a comic just as surely as any of the higherpaying positions on a book. Mar 20, 2010 to some, digital lettering can feel impersonal.
The polish of computer lettering can sometimes be jarring, especially in a comic thats meant to be personal, one thats meant to feel like a diary. Comic book lettering involves putting words, signs, titles, word balloons or borders, sound effects, and even the panel borders on a comic s page. If you hand draw your comics, learning how to make cool looking comic strip letters is important and an essential part of being a comic book or comic strip artist. And, as graphic designer and creative director for more than two decades, i can design the complete publication and the accompanying marketing material.
It is an unrecognized subliminal process which guides the readers eye across the page, highlighting the art in the appropriate places and sets the pace of the narrative. Made for 34 years old kids, this pdf file starts with a single page for the comic book cover, but you will also find 7 different layouts for the kids to play with it, and at the end they can place their own photo as the author of the story. The advent of cheap or free font packs, some designed specifically for comic books, has made it a lot easier for comic artists and cartoonists to. And, if you decide to create your own comic book fonts, youll need to have some handlettering skills to make the letters. Correct, but not necessarily gripping conversational material. What follows is a list that every letterer eventually commits to hisher own mental reference file. The tool at the top, with the circular wheel in it, is an ames lettering guide, which can be ordered online from sites such as this one, artsuppliesonline. Even in the digital font age or perhaps in spite of it the ames guide is still the standard tool for lettering professional comic books.
While my handwriting for my comic is, well, comicky, i feel the opposite of you about speed hand lettering vs. Handlettering comics in illustrator i am one of those rare writers who letter their own comic books. You utilize the craft to communicate time, urgency, awkwardness, passion, apathy, and other abstractions just by the use or elimination of white space. Dec 12, 2019 because some artists arent very good at lettering, and publishers prefer to have a specialist do it to ensure a consistent, professional look. Because some artists arent very good at lettering, and publishers prefer to have a specialist do it to ensure a consistent, professional look. Comic book lettering hand letter comic books comic. Comic book lettering has some grammatical and aesthetic traditions that are unique. Feb 04, 2019 a stepbystep tutorial on hand lettering for comics. Lettering your comic used to be a nervewracking experience. Professional comic book lettering is what sets your project apart from the amateurs. From font design to balloon placement, sound effects, signage, title page and publication design, the creators of the worlds greatest comic book fonts cover every conceivable aspect of comic book lettering. Bram letters comic book lettering, logo design, and production. Otherwise, the words and pictures wont mesh together and their dissonance will kick the reader out of the story.
Lettering with speedball pens art of the comic book. I enjoy giving a professional polish while keeping the attention on the art and story. Dont put the cart before the horse get your comic book done. The letterers use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. See more ideas about comic book font, comic font and comic books. This full color stepbystep guide is filled to the brim with the wisdom and wit. Longtime comics writer mark evanier wrote a thorough comparison of digital and hand lettering. The artform of comic book lettering emerges as you begin controlling the way a reader reads and interprets the story through the way you manipulate bubbles. Jun 01, 2003 step by step, comic book lettering the comicraft way guides readers through the process of lettering a comic strip digitally.
Comic book lettering the comicraft way kindle edition by roshell, j. Take your first steps into hand lettering with our useful printable worksheets. Jun 05, 20 while my handwriting for my comic is, well, comicky, i feel the opposite of you about speed hand lettering vs. A beginners guide to computer lettering balloon tales. Lettering resources for lettering your comic, whether by hand or digitally. Here are even more comics comic strips drawing tutorials. Bram letters comic book lettering, logo design, and. Just because lettering fonts are now available, doesnt mean all. Even if you plan to work mostly with computer lettering, id still recommend learning to handletter, as it will teach you many things that will be useful with computer lettering as well. But its important that todays letterers have at least a working knowledge of hand lettering because it will help you.
Being the old guy that i am, im tempted to state that digital lettering is not as good as hand lettering, which is the typical response to change. Nov 08, 2019 this is the 101814 and 101914 workshops on comic book lettering and production i did as part of the digital artistry track at san diego comic fest 2014. A comic book letterer provides the text and sound effects in a comic book. Used for drawing lettering guidelines, this drafting tool features both metric and fractional calibrations. Blambot comic fonts and lettering university of kentucky. I began making comics in 1984, when i was in the fifth grade. The tools are definitely different, however, i believe the sensibility has actually greatly improved. These are the tools that you can use to get consistent, great looking letters.