Intro to Hand-Lettering for Inspirational Quotes
A course by Nico Ng, Lettering Artist
Turn your message into meaningful artwork step by step by exploring lettering styles, composition, color, and decorative details
According to lettering artist, designer, and teacher Nico Ng, human beings were born to create. That’s why he dedicates himself not only to sharing skills and techniques, but helping others find their own voice through lettering. He has worked with stationery brands including Tombow and Manuscript Pen Company, and shares his designs with over 20K followers on Instagram.
In this online course, explore Nico’s creative process for composing meaningful lettering pieces from start to finish. Discover his tips and tricks for recording process videos and learn to express your personal beliefs and reflections through purposeful and inspiring artworks.
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 26 downloads
What's included in this course?
Meet your teacher, Nico Ng. He talks about how he got started in lettering, his favorite projects to date, and the influences that shaped his current style and process.
Take a look at the tools and materials your teacher uses, as well as how to pick the right ones for you, before discovering the secrets to creating successful lettering. Then analyze the basic typographic styles and their properties.
Explore key composition concepts. Start by looking at hierarchy, using details like contrast to draw the audience’s eye to key words. Move on to study balance, including the use of color and embellishments. Next, Nico teaches you all about flow, harmony, and consistency.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to plan and execute your project. Select a quote to work with and define the importance of each individual word, along with the layout and style.
Now dive right into sketching, inking, and the addition of effects and decorations. Your teacher walks you through each phase, right up to the finishing touches.
To wrap up the course, learn how to edit your composition in Photoshop and share it online.
- 98% positive reviews (53)
- 2,226 students
- 19 lessons (2h 45m)
- 26 additional resources (16 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a two-to-five-word handmade lettering piece showcasing composition, design details, and layout.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone with an interest in creating hand-lettered artwork to inspire others.
Requirements and materials
This course is suitable for all skill levels, although some basic lettering knowledge is recommended.
You don’t need any specialist equipment or materials to take this course, just some basic illustration materials such as paper, pencils, and felt-tips.
Reviews
Nico Ng
A course by Nico Ng
Nico Ng is a multidisciplinary designer, educator, and creative entrepreneur from Manila. After completing a degree in engineering, he started to teach himself lettering and before long, it was clear he was destined for a career in the art world. He first shared his work on Instagram in 2014 and began to receive private commissions. His systematic approach was born out of his struggles with aligning larger compositions freehand. During its creation, he used his background in engineering and created his first ever letting tool—the Composition Ruler.
Thanks to his deliberate, carefully structured, and harmonious style, he’s had the pleasure of working with Japanese stationary brand Tombow, for which he was one of the first brand ambassadors in the Philippines, and Manuscript Pen Company. Nowadays, he is into exploring other artists’ processes as well as digital lettering.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Learning the Basics
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Tools and Materials
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Harnessing Creativity: Successful Lettering Compositions
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The Basic Lettering Styles 1
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The Basic Lettering Styles 2
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Lettering Properties
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U3
The Main Composition Concepts
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Hierarchy
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Balance
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Flow and Harmony
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Consistency
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U4
Step-by-Step Planning and Execution
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The Quote
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Layout and Style
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Sketching
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Effects, Color, and Decoration 1
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Effects, Color, and Decoration 2
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The Final Touches
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U5
Photographing and Styling the Lettering Piece
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Capturing and Editing the Photo
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Sharing Your Work Online
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FP
Final project
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Intro to Hand-Lettering for Inspirational Quotes
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners with no prior experience in hand lettering. You'll learn foundational skills and progress step-by-step through techniques, styles, and composition.
You'll need basic supplies like cardstock or sketch paper, mechanical pencils, fineliners, Posca markers, metallic pens, a precision eraser, and optional tools like alphabet guides and composition rulers.
You’ll learn to draw letters correctly, create custom lettering for branding, apply decorative and dimensional effects, arrange lettering compositions, choose color palettes, and prepare finished artwork for sharing or client presentation.
Yes, the course teaches you how to draw and identify serif, sans serif, and script lettering styles, along with their unique features and applications.
Absolutely. The course covers techniques for adding shadows, three-dimensional effects, and other decorative details to enhance the depth and impact of your lettering.
You’ll practice using guidelines, controlling letter thickness, and refining letter shapes for uniformity and readability, with structured critique and technique demonstrations throughout the course.
Yes, you’ll see live demonstrations for sketching, inking, and decorating hand-lettered compositions, making it easier to follow along and apply each technique.
j'ai attendu ce cours depuis si longtemps le voila maintenant , ce ours est très bien structuré claire, ce cours est agréable à regarder, facile a comprendre et t’enlève tout doute pour la pratique , j'adore ce cours et je le recommande fortement.
juste fortement appréciable .
I love the course my final proyect was amazing thanks
"Me encantó este curso, muy claro y fácil de seguir. Aprendí muchísimo y lo recomiendo totalmente."
Toller Kurs um seine Fähigkeiten im Bereich Illustratorin zu erweitern.
It was a very interesting course. Thank you.