Take your lettering and type design to the next level by exploring sources of inspiration beyond the traditional type and design canon. This workshop invites lettering artists and type designers to dive into diverse lettering disciplines and translate their principles into modern, expressive letterforms.

Each week, we’ll study a different lettering approach through lectures and hands-on drawing exercises, covering showcard writing, sign painting, photo typesetting, graffiti, calligraphy, and traditional type design. Students will start sketches in class and continue refining them as homework, blending personal style with lessons drawn from each discipline to create innovative work that spans tradition and contemporary design.

Audience and Format

This class is designed for intermediate and advanced type designers, lettering artists, and calligraphers who want to push their work beyond traditional sources of inspiration. Students should be comfortable with basic letterform design and eager to explore new approaches, blending multiple traditions to create personal, contemporary letterforms.

The course emphasizes two main outcomes. First, respectful learning from different lettering subcultures without copying or misrepresenting them. Second, the creation of distinctive, original letterforms by combining references with personal work, ensuring every piece reflects the student’s unique style and perspective.

Goals

• Expand students’ understanding of Latin letterform history to inspire contemporary type and lettering
• Introduce techniques and principles from diverse lettering traditions, including showcard writing, sign painting, photo typesetting, graffiti, calligraphy, and traditional type design
• Encourage experimental drawing and iterative sketching to develop unique and innovative letterforms
• Promote respectful learning from different letter making cultures without copying or misrepresenting them

Learning Outcomes

• Create four unique lettering pieces reflecting a different discipline studied in each class
• Develop at least one typeface concept, either as a hand-drawn alphabet or digitized test word
• Gain methods to translate lessons from diverse lettering traditions into contemporary designs
• Build a personal workflow for iterative sketching and idea exploration
• Take away exercises and strategies to continue growing their lettering practice beyond the workshop

Material Requirements

• Canson Marker Paper 9x12in
• Chisel markers, fine point markers, and fine liners, Sharpie, Pentel, or equivalent
• White out pens, Pentel Presto jumbo correction pen of equivalent
• Computer with access to the internet for Slack and Zoom
• Pencils, Erasers
• Flat Brush (½ inch), and tempura black paint

Notes about Materials

Ipad with drawing software is helpful but not necessary, most work will happen on paper. Students who already have type design software can use that to create a typeface concept, but all projects can be created without a computer.

Scholarship Information

Scholarship seats are available for this course. Please check out more details on the scholarship page. This scholarship is open to all Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, with priority given to those who have limited resources or access to educational opportunities.