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. Sean will cover the art of lettering and the design process behind it. And, if you decide to create your own comic book fonts, youll need to have some hand lettering skills to make the letters. Hand lettering your comic was sometimes ulcer inducing. Over the years ive been asked about how to get started with handlettering often. A guide to handlettering your strips webcomic alliance. If you want to learn more about comic lettering, you can explore the blog of legendary letterer todd klein. While digital lettering today can still be a frustrating process its miles easier than in decades past.
Study comics like crazy, if you are the least bit serious this is the one and only book out there that gives you the tools to letter professionally. Comic book lettering the comicraft way kindle edition by roshell, j. 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. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading comic book lettering the comicraft way. I began making comics in 1984, when i was in the fifth grade. Volumes will be over sewn, acid free endpapers added, volumes finishedtrimmed, rounded and backed, and spine will be reinforced with stretch cloth. Most independent comics and even some mainstream books are handlettered. The person who does this is referred to as the letterer. Empty cloud of comics book dialog cartoon white clouds. A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic books text.
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. This full color stepbystep guide is filled to the brim with the wisdom and wit. The tools are definitely different, however, i believe the sensibility has actually greatly improved. A comic book letterer provides the text and sound effects in a comic book. Anyone who has tried to design their own typeface can appreciate the incredible effort that it takes to create a set of letters that is visually appealing, legible and chiseled so that each form is optically. Since 1992, we have provided our brand of unique design and fine lettering throughout the entertainment world. Step by step, comic book lettering the comicraft way guides readers through the process of lettering a comic strip digitally. Comic book video tutorials hand lettering with the ames guide. Pencil eraser sharpener ames lettering guide drafting table drafting. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Vector comic text speech bubble halftone dot background. Step by step, comic book lettering the comicraft way guides you through the process of lettering a comic strip digitally.
Comic book lettering involves putting words, signs, titles, word balloons or borders, sound effects, and even the panel borders on a comics page. 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. Theres a controversy about lettering in the comics industry. Six part series on lettering with adobe illustrator. Because some artists arent very good at lettering, and publishers prefer to have a specialist do it to ensure a consistent, professional look. Suitable lettering can add much to the effectiveness of a cartoon. I provide lettering, logo design, and production for independent comics. And, if you decide to create your own comic book fonts, youll need to have some handlettering skills to make the letters. Use these free fonts for meme images or making your very own comic book.
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. Here are even more comics comic strips drawing tutorials. Lappan has such control that he can make his handlettering smaller still for stagewhispers. I had to letter by hand, and i quickly realized how much i hated it. 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. Some folks believe that because most comics are handdrawn, the lettering must also be done by hand.
You utilize the craft to communicate time, urgency, awkwardness, passion, apathy, and other abstractions just by the use or elimination of white space. Why dont comic book artists do their own lettering. Click to find the best 9 free fonts in the comic book hand lettering style. Comicraft is the comic book industrys leading lettering and design company. 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. The book is not a handholding specific walkthrough. 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. Back then, there were no personal computers capable of comic book lettering. Letteringis also the term for the process of putting words in a comic. 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. The lowstress way to find your next comic book job opportunity is on simplyhired. See more ideas about lettering, comic font and comic book font. Determine the proper placement of your panels and evaluate where your comic texts should appear. 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.
First of all, the text in comics is referred to as lettering. I enjoy giving a professional polish while keeping the attention on the art and story. 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. Comic book text lettering, word cheers, drinking, party. Hand lettering comic books needs careful planning and set up. 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. Balloon tales comicrafts guide to digital comic book.
Professional comic book lettering is what sets your project apart from the amateurs. Comic book lettering hand letter comic books comic. You can also become a patron and help me make more videos. What follows is a list that every letterer eventually commits to hisher own mental reference file. Comic book lettering tips and strategies charles j. By assessing a comic s page, it will be easier for the comic artist to foresee comic book lettering as a design element. Comic book lettering is a very distinctive style used in the speech bubbles in comics. The majority of these points are established tradition, sprinkled with modern trends and a bit of my own opinion having lettered. For over fifteen years, blambot has been serving the independent and professional world of graphic design and comic book publishing with typography uniquely tailored to both traditional. The key here is to add the text in such a manner that makes it easy for the reader to follow the story.
Lettering your comic used to be a nervewracking experience. If you enjoy these videos please like and share them. Longtime comics writer mark evanier wrote a thorough comparison of digital and hand lettering. 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. Comic book lettering has some grammatical and aesthetic traditions that are unique. Otherwise, the words and pictures wont mesh together and their dissonance will kick the reader out of the story. 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. Mar 12, 2019 fontscape home application comic book bold. It was common practice to use an ancient tool called an ames guide to keep your lettering straight. The letterers use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. Just because lettering fonts are now available, doesnt mean all.
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. Cute summer cloudscape, cloudy landscape vector comic book blue retro comic book page background. Top 5 lettering rules in comic books comic book lettering, just like any part of the comic making process, is an art form. 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. Our clients include large comic publishers like marvel, dc and dark horse, independent comic artists and small publishers, and the movie, tv and video game industries. Thats the words in the speech balloons and thought bubbles, the balloons and bubbles themselves, the narration boxes, the sound effects, and sometimes more. While my handwriting for my comic is, well, comicky, i feel the opposite of you about speed hand lettering vs. Lettering is also the term for the process of putting words in a comic. Comic book lettering and production with sean glumace. Award winning comic book letterer todd klein on lettering topics. And, as graphic designer and creative director for more than two decades, i can design the complete publication and the accompanying marketing material. 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. Place pencil point in one of the holes marked, and while holding tsquare with one hand, slide guide across paper with pencil point.
Correct, but not necessarily gripping conversational material. 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. Lettering for this class will be done done by hand with calligraphy pens nibs, india ink and ames lettering guides. 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. Contact sean comic book lettering and production with. Prepare your tools, hand lettering comics usually needs the following materials. Bram letters comic book lettering, logo design, and. His may be the quietest lettering in the comics field. There is more to lettering than just copying and pasting a script onto artwork. Since then, ive honed my handlettering style by hand writing letters. Resources for lettering your comic, whether by hand or digitally.
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