The Golden Secrets of Lettering
A course by Martina FlorLettering Artist
A course by Martina Flor, Lettering Artist
Design lettering for a personalized postcard from start to finish
Interested in developing and refining your own lettering style to send unique messages for any occasion? Join designer Martina Flor to discover the ins and outs of lettering, including the principles of typography and effective techniques for creating a lettering piece from scratch.
In this online course, Martina proves that designing and drawing letters is a creative skill that everyone can learn. Follow along as she offers up her own typography tips and tricks that you can use to improve your work.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 13 downloads
Observation
10 minutes, 53 seconds
Bases of typography
8 minutes, 46 seconds
The role of calligraphy in lettering
4 minutes, 43 seconds
Hand drawing technique
10 minutes, 9 seconds
Presentation of the project and ideas
4 minutes, 34 seconds
First sketches
4 minutes, 14 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get started by familiarizing yourself with Martina’s work and influences as she presents her sketches and her artistic process. Learn to take a critical approach to typography by exploring a number of useful resources, including professional advice for lettering artists.
Next, explore the fundamentals of type design and lettering, including why letter shapes are the way they are and how they are created.
Once you understand the basics, it's time to start practicing! Analyze different techniques for drawing letters and follow along as Martina guides you through her own process for creating a unique lettering piece.
Wrap up the course by preparing a sketch, refining it, and adding the final details to your postcard in Illustrator before sending it off.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
How long has it been since you sent a postcard or a letter? Use Martina's personal project Letter Collections as a reference to develop the personalized lettering for a postcard that you can share with your friends and family.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone from beginners who are just getting started to experienced design, art, and illustration professionals looking to add a new creative tool to their skill set.
Requirements and materials
For this course, you need paper, pencils, tracing paper, and a computer with Adobe Illustrator installed.
Reviews
- 23 days ago
Great course
- 2 months ago
Todos los cursos de Martina son excelentes!
- 3 months ago
como introducción al lettering está bien
- 5 months ago
Martina Flor is a really great teacher :)
- 6 months ago
Excelente curso introductorio para lettering.
Martina is cofounder of the popular online battle "Lettering vs Calligraphy" and founder of "Letter Collections." When she's not drawing letters, she travels to present her work at conferences and universities. She is the author of the book The Golden Secrets of Lettering, originally published in German and later translated into English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Japanese.
She also teaches the Domestika lettering courses The Golden Secrets of Lettering and Lettering for Perfectionists, as well as Freelance: Keys and Tools to Find Success as Your Own Boss , in which she reveals the secrets to the self-employed essentials.
Content
- U1
What is lettering?
- What is Lettering?
- Where do I look for my inspiration
- U2
Bases of the design of letters and techniques
- Observation
- Bases of typography
- The role of calligraphy in lettering
- Hand drawing technique
- U3
Making your own lettering - The sketch
- Presentation of the project and ideas
- First sketches
- Advanced sketch
- U4
Making your own lettering - The digital drawing
- From analog to digital
- Techniques for drawing shapes of letters in a vector program 1
- Techniques for drawing letter shapes in a vector program 2
- U5
Critical eye. Details Refinement
- Print and correct
- Color and completion
- FP
Final project
- The golden secrets of lettering
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
Lettering is the art of drawing custom letters for unique pieces, distinct from calligraphy (artistic handwriting) and typography (designing complete typefaces for digital or mechanical reproduction).
This is an intermediate-level course. Basic drawing or design knowledge is recommended but prior lettering experience is not required.
You'll need paper, pencils, mechanical pencils, markers, calligraphy tools, access to a scanner or camera, and digital illustration software like Adobe Illustrator or similar.
You'll learn to analyze and draw letters, distinguish lettering from calligraphy and typography, design decorative layouts, digitize sketches, work with color and texture, and create print-ready pieces.
Yes, the course includes calligraphy exercises, sketching, digitization, postcard applications, and personal projects to build your creativity and skills.
Lettering allows you to create unique, expressive logos tailored to a brand's message, setting them apart from standard typographic solutions.
Yes, you'll learn how to scan, vectorize, and prepare your lettering designs for professional printing, including layer and color management.