In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
Jessica Hischeamazon.com
In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
I put pen to paper in my sketchbook or another notebook and let the ink flow freely, making word-association lists and writing down anything that comes to mind, no matter how outrageous, off-topic, or specific it may seem. You never know what will spark a great concept later. I don’t make pretty mind-maps. The less attractive and organized this lis
... See moreJessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
Yes, you still do get hired to “play your greatest hits” from time to time, but even then, each time you make changes, you improve.
Jessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
them—more independent, more empathetic toward whatever secret hardships others have gone through (or are currently going through), and more in love with all the good parts of humanity. If you ever wonder why I seem to love people so much, to make endless Internet stranger friends, getting coffee with anyone who writes me a nice email, it’s because
... See moreJessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
You can use this to your advantage if you really want a client to pick a particular version, colorizing only that sketch (and showing a few color options), which lets them clearly know it’s your favorite.
Jessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
The Skeleton Usually just a single hairline, the skeleton helps me determine the width of the letters, the x-height, and the general proportions of the components.
Jessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
didn’t want my typographic muscles to atrophy—I had spent too much time training them while working for Louise. I gave myself a goal: I would draw one letter a day until I worked my way through twelve alphabets (choosing twelve because maybe I could make a calendar or something at the end of the project). I would work in whatever style I wished and
... See moreJessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
Symmetry in letterform design doesn’t mean perfect mathematical symmetry—you make adjustments to each letterform to create balance between the letter and the white space around it. B, P, and R may all look very similar, but the upper bowls of the letterforms are often different to adjust for letter density and white space.
Jessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
It may take some figuring out, but once you break down your process into distinct stages with rough timelines for each, it will become a lot less intimidating to start projects and also a lot easier to manage your time, come up with price quotes for projects, and so on.
Jessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
My new flexible schedule allowed me to work on side projects, one of which became the biggest burst on my career constellation: Daily Drop Cap.
Jessica Hische • In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector
Proper research alleviates a lot of anxiety at the start of a project—the more confident you are in your understanding of the subject matter, the less worried you will be about your ability to come up with solid concepts.