Hand-Lettering Sketchbook: Techniques to Unlock Creativity
A course by Adam Hayes
, Illustrator and Designer
Fill your sketchbook with playful and creative typographic compositions to inspire your future lettering projects
- 100% positive reviews (59)
- 1883 students
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
Fill your sketchbook with playful and creative typographic compositions to inspire your future lettering projects
- 100% positive reviews (59)
- 1883 students
- 15 lessons (2h 35m)
- 18 additional resources (5 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Do you ever feel “stuck” during the design process? By drawing inspiration from your previous lettering work, you can overcome designer’s block and kick-start your future projects. Illustrator, and designer Adam Hayes, has discovered various ways in which a hand-lettering sketchbook can power your creative process and benefit your design projects. His design and typography expertise have seen him work with global clients including Google, Apple, Sony, and The Washington Post.
In this course, Adam shows you how to unlock your creativity by experimenting and filling your sketchbook with letterforms. Learn to play with different styles and explore the links between typography, sound, and color. Develop your favorite designs and use them to inspire future lettering projects.
What will you learn in this online course?
Course table of contents
-
U1U1. Introduction
-
U2U2. Getting to Know Our Tools
-
U3U3. Developing Your Creative Lettering Sketchbook
-
U4U4. How Your Sketchbooks Will Keep On Working for You
-
FPFP Final project
Learn how Adam turned a childhood love of drawing into a successful career as an illustrator, designer, and typographer. Discover the influences that have shaped him and how his everyday surroundings inspire his work.
Discover how to find the sketchbook and drawing materials that are right for you by experimenting with different pens and paper, and learning why these are so important for your work. Adam then shows you the basic technique for drawing letters that you need to start creating your own letterforms. Practice lettering in your sketchbook and start developing your own typographic designs.
Play with your letterforms by creating fun and interesting letter designs from scratch. Adam guides you on drawing a freeform alphabet based on your designs, then, develop your alphabet by learning to sketch letters within the constraints of a pre-drawn shape. Discover how to associate words with their definition or how they sound. Next, Adam shows you how to incorporate color into your sketchbook: see which colors work best together and how color can enhance your designs.
Hear Adam’s tips on sharing your sketches with a bigger audience, and learn how you can turn your favorite sketchbook designs into your best portfolio pieces. Explore all the possibilities of your new sketchbook and how it can benefit a career in design.
What is this course's project?
Create a unique lettering design through experimentation with different styles and compositions. Your teacher uses song lyrics, but you’re free to use your quote of choice.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who has an interest in typography and lettering, or for those who want to discover new ways to find inspiration for their work.
Requirements and materials
No prior knowledge or experience is required to take this course.
In terms of materials, you will need an A4 sketchbook, pens, pencils, and a ruler.
Reviews
A course by Adam Hayes
Adam Hayes is an illustrator and designer based in Wales. After completing a degree in graphic design, he went on to work on a number of freelance illustration projects, both independently and at an advertising agency. He studied a master’s at the Royal College of Arts in London before continuing to work as a freelance illustrator and typographer.
Adam works on a variety of projects across design, publishing, advertising, and even animated typography using stop-frame software. Adam’s first paid job in illustration was a project with the famous graphic designer Alan Fletcher. He has since worked with clients all over the world including Google, Apple, Facebook, Sony, The Washington Post, and GOOD magazine.
Content
-
U1
Introduction
-
About Me
-
Influences
-
-
U2
Getting to Know Our Tools
-
Materials
-
Sketchbooks Are Essential!
-
Introduction to Drawing Letters
-
-
U3
Developing Your Creative Lettering Sketchbook
-
Letter Styles
-
Drawing Alphabets
-
Letters in Boxes
-
Furry Words: Onomatopoeia
-
Using Colour
-
Song Lyric Sketchbook Designs 1
-
Song Lyric Sketchbook Designs 2
-
-
U4
How Your Sketchbooks Will Keep On Working for You
-
Sharing Your Sketches
-
Next Steps for Your Favourite Sketchbook Works
-
Your Personal Lettering Resource
-
-
FP
Final project
-
Hand-Lettering Sketchbook: Techniques to Unlock Creativity
-
What to expect from a Domestika course
-
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
-
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
-
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
-
Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
-
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
-
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
-
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
-
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
bhesaniyakunj5257
This course cover of all aspects of hand lettering, including composition, spacing, proportion, and a variety of lettering styles and techniques, and also offer clear and concise instructions, along with ample opportunities for practice and feedback.
youarey
Ik heb met veel plezier deze cursus gevolgd. Het heeft me een een work flow gezet om elke dag een beetje te oefenen nav de uitleg die Adam heeft gegeven. Het heeft me weer een stukje verder gebracht om een eigen stijl te creëren. Wat ik ook erg leuk vond was een playlist te maken van muziek en daaruit een tekst te kiezen om vervolgens deze in je schetsboek verder uit te werken. Cusrsus is voor iedereen een aanrader! Adam kan ook erg goed en rustig de informatie overbrengen.
View translation
Hide translation
gocharlotte
I only started but I like it already :)
_nathalie
J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'approche d'Adam. Il donne des outils et offre une démarche pour que chacun puisse évoluer vers la création de lettering individuel. Il n'enferme pas son enseignement dans l'académisme et dans de la reproduction d'alphabets existants mais encourage la recherche et l'expérimentation personnelle. Ma propre écriture est devenue un terrain de jeu. Beaucoup apprécié également sa présence active, attentionnée, et très encourageante, tout au long du cours, et avec chacun.
View translation
Hide translation
iynyoungj
Amazing, fun course! Had so much fun.