Join us for a warm welcome to kickstart your adventure in The Lettering Seminar! This week is specially crafted to offer clarity on your next steps and foster connections within our vibrant community. It will help manage expectations, connect with peers sharing a similar journey, and immerse yourself in a supportive environment.

Key Features of Welcome Week

• Warm Welcome: Dive into our program with a warm embrace, setting the tone for an inspiring and transformative experience.

• Community Connection: Connect with peers on a shared journey, forming connections that will fuel your creative exploration.

• Onboarding Sessions: Guided onboarding sessions to help you seamlessly navigate the student hub, private community platform, calendar, and connect with expert instructors.

• Study Workplace Setup: Create an optimal study environment to enhance your learning experience.

• Program Overview: Gain insights into the wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and action that will fuel your creative journey in the weeks to come.

Bonus: Momentum

Life’s interruptions shouldn’t hinder your progress. Our bonus Momentum session is designed to help you build momentum, establish a productive routine, and witness tangible progress. It’s the key to staying on track and making the most of your TLS experience.

Bonus Highlights

• Set priorities and utilize time blocks efficiently to align with your goals.

• Foster a mindset of resilience to stay motivated, even during challenging moments.

Embark on this exciting journey during Welcome Week and gain the momentum needed to make the most of The Lettering Seminar. Set the stage for weeks filled with inspiration and growth.

Welcome to your first step into the captivating world of lettering design! Module 1 is your entry point to the basics, rules, and foundation of letterforms, setting the stage for success in lettering design.

To design like a skilled lettering artist, understanding the rules is key. This module promises many “aha-moments,” helping you grasp the world of letterforms faster than ever before.

Key Highlights of Module 1:

• Immerse yourself in the art of storytelling with letterforms, distinguishing it from related disciplines.
• Discover the varied applications of your artwork, from book covers to objects and even TV spots, expanding your creative possibilities.
• Embark on a field trip during a “Typographic Eye” exercise, sharpening your essential tool as a lettering designer.
• Explore your surroundings for inspiration, contributing to our collective inspiration library with a global perspective.
• Develop basic terminology and concepts to confidently discuss your work.
• Decipher the “DNA” of letterforms, unlocking the ability to draw any letterform without relying on imitation.
• Grasp the fundamentals of calligraphy as the “Mother of All Letterforms” and apply its principles to your creative endeavors.
• Understand the logic behind main calligraphic tools like pointed nibs, flat nibs, and brushes, essential for every smart lettering artist.

Upon completing this module, you’ll have a profound understanding of letterform rules and structures. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll confidently discuss your work and craft original artworks without relying on imitation.

Module 1 is your initiation into lettering design, ensuring you start on this creative journey with powerful skills and confidence.

In this module, dive deep into expanding your creative vocabulary and defining your unique style with an enriched palette of letterforms. Discover the art of finding inspiration beyond social media and Google, and build a personal library of reliable resources to fuel your creative journey.

Key Highlights of Module 2:

• Learn fundamental principles of legibility to ensure your lettering remains clear, effectively conveying your message.
• Explore foundational styles, gaining a profound understanding that enhances your grasp of other styles.
• Add dimension to your letterforms with simple frameworks, unlocking a new dimension of creativity.
• Utilize your handwriting to effortlessly craft stunning script lettering—a versatile and widely used style.
• Apply calligraphic foundations from Module 1 to delve into historical styles like fraktur and brush lettering, each with a distinct stylistic imprint.
• Learn principles to modify letterform features, creating unique styles and shapes.
• Explore highly decorative letterforms, crafting initial letters and drop caps to elevate your designs.
• Master an easy trick to create ribbon lettering swiftly—an essential style for commercial assignments and retail projects, enhancing your stylistic repertoire.

Upon completing this module, you’ll possess the tools, frameworks, and knowledge to effectively integrate inspiration into your work and approach diverse styles with confidence. This expansion of your capabilities equips you to tackle any creative brief, tell more impactful stories, and begin the exploration of your signature style. Module 2 is your gateway to a richer, more personalized approach to lettering design.

Embark on a hands-on journey to master the art of sketching in this impactful module. Learn essential principles to structure your designs, establish hierarchy, and dive into your creative project. Acquire efficient techniques to sketch ideas, refine your drafts, and address structural and compositional elements, enhancing your confidence in hand-drawn creations.

Key Highlights of Module 3:

• Develop skills to establish hierarchy and structure, ensuring your lettering effectively communicates the intended message.
• Add swash letters and decorative elements to enhance storytelling and achieve visual balance in your designs.
• Kickstart your project by defining a briefing that sparks creativity and opens up possibilities.
• Efficiently sketch your piece following a structured process that enhances its quality at every step.
• Gain powerful mindsets to explore design possibilities, creating impactful and unique pieces.
• Walk away with a polished sketch ready for digitization and a professional process to replicate with ease.

Upon completing this module, you’ll possess a refined sketch, primed for digitization, and a systematic process that can be consistently applied to your work. These acquired skills and techniques not only elevate your artistic abilities but also provide a valuable framework for engaging with future clients. Module 3 is your gateway to confidently creating impactful hand-sketched lettering designs.

Elevate your lettering designs to new heights of perfection in this transformative module. Dive into Adobe Illustrator, unraveling its intricacies, and master efficient vector drawing techniques. Unlock the secrets of the extreme points technique, revolutionizing the way you draw letterforms with just a few clicks. Perfect shapes without compromising the natural hand-sketched feel.

Key Highlights of Module 4:

• Set up your workspace in Adobe Illustrator for seamless vector drawing with letterforms.
• Master the game-changing extreme points technique for enhancing the look of your letterforms effortlessly.
• Preserve the natural hand-sketched feeling while achieving impeccable shapes.
• Explore color schemes inspired by your surroundings, infusing a personal touch into your design.
• Incorporate tactile effects using textures and effects, building your library for future use.
• Add digital enhancements to finalize your designs, preparing them for your portfolio or delivery to commercial clients.

This module empowers your inner perfectionist, providing the tools and knowledge needed to create exquisite designs with meticulous attention to detail. With Adobe Illustrator now in your repertoire, you’ll seamlessly navigate between analog and digital approaches, enhancing your versatility as a lettering artist. Module 4 is your gateway to perfection and digital prowess in the world of lettering design.

Unleash the lettering artist within as you embark on the journey to populate a stunning portfolio with captivating work. Module 5 empowers you to create impressive pieces even before securing client assignments. 

Develop confidence in the value of your work, a crucial step in pricing it appropriately. Gain insights into freelancing basics, setting up your initial infrastructure, handling financial aspects, and optimizing your workspace.

Key Highlights of Module 5:

• Recognize the intrinsic value of your work and its role as a valuable asset in selling products and building brands.
• Grasp the fundamentals of freelancing, covering essential backend aspects such as financial considerations and workspace setup.
• Construct a powerful portfolio that sets you apart, showcasing your unique skills to potential clients.
• Master effective client outreach techniques, learning how to secure assignments and navigate projects from inception to completion.
• Price your work with confidence, understanding its true worth in the market.

Post-module completion, you’ll possess the tools and resources to land your initial lettering assignments, confidently set prices, and adeptly manage clients and projects like a seasoned professional lettering designer. 

Module 5 is your gateway to building a standout portfolio and monetizing your artistic skills with assurance.

Transform your passion into a thriving business using the invaluable tools and resources offered in Module 6. Cultivate a growth mindset to navigate the various stages of your journey as a lettering artist. 

Develop a distinctive branding that sets you apart and create compelling storytelling and content to attract dream assignments and a devoted following.

Key Highlights of Module 6:

• Cultivate a mindset that sustains growth across different stages of your lettering design journey.
• Develop essential elements for a professional business branding that reflects your unique identity.
• Build an authentic audience that resonates with your story, values your work, and seeks to learn from, hire, and purchase from you.
• Utilize social media authentically to expand your reach without feeling draining.
• Build authority and a solid client base by growing your email list and fostering customer loyalty.
• Diversify income streams to fortify your business against economic crises and pandemics, creating avenues for passive income.
• Employ professional productivity tactics to work efficiently, earn more, and create time for personal projects, family, and friends.
• Enhance financial literacy to track income and expenses effectively, fulfilling financial commitments while generating profits.

Post-completion of this module, you’ll be fully equipped to establish a thriving business doing what you love. Wake up each day ready to tackle the studio, connect with ideal clients, and collaborate with fellow creatives. Your journey as a successful lettering artist awaits, filled with inspiration, fulfillment, and financial stability.