Characters with Character
A course by Marta Cerdà AlimbauGraphic designer
A course by Marta Cerdà Alimbau, Graphic designer
Digital tips and tricks for drawing capital letters
If you draw letters by hand you are not very good at it, do not worry, with the help of Marta Cerdà you will learn to draw perfect curves without getting a finger stained.
In this course you will design a wide variety of letter styles while exploring the boundaries between illustration and typography in a simple and methodological way. How? Through different techniques and digital tricks that will serve to give free rein to your most creative side.
In the end you will be able to create your own capitular or initial letter, basis of any word and starting point to make more complex letterings.
What will you learn in this online course?
12 lessons & 6 downloads
Prepare the document
3 minutes, 53 seconds
The pen and geometric shapes
12 minutes, 31 seconds
The modules
6 minutes, 8 seconds
Capitulars: alphabet
7 minutes, 55 seconds
Capitulars: styles
10 minutes, 54 seconds
Vector volume effects I
11 minutes, 52 seconds
What's included in this course?
Much character! You will begin by knowing better the work of Marta Cerdà, who focuses her work between the borders of lettering, typography and illustration, and also some books that may be of help.
Without going through the pencil and paper, you will learn to prepare a document correctly so you can start drawing a letter directly from the vector. You will know in depth the pen tool and all its possibilities, and how to play with it, combining it with geometric shapes. Then, using the scissors, you will discover the modules that will simplify the process and create more letters.
Then, with the base learned, you will review the entire alphabet and different styles, from the most geometric to the script. And finally, once you have learned how to draw a good skeleton, you will focus on the skin: the effects.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Once you have learned the tools, you will design your own caption for a wine label. Marta will provide a template for Photoshop with which you can easily enter your label on the image of the bottle and give the final touch.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
To all those graphic designers who have an interest in letters and illustration and who want to start in this world. Also for those students who are already familiar with digital lettering and who want to explore and expand their set of tricks and tools.
Requirements and materials
For this course you will need a computer with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Reviews
- 2 years ago
muy bueno....
- 2 years ago
Genialll
- 3 years ago
Fantástica profesora
- 3 years ago
Un curso genial.
- 3 years ago
Marta es impecable, gracias :)
When, at the end of 2008, he won the ADC Young Guns, he decided to start his own studio. Since then he has worked for artistic, cultural and advertising projects, combining tasks of art direction, customized typography, illustration and graphic design at an international level.
He has collaborated with brands such as Ray Ban, Coca Cola or Nike, singers and bands like Manel, Dave Matthews Band or MF Doom, with important publishers and magazines such as Penguin Books, The Guardian or Businessweek Magazine and several of the most prominent advertising agencies from Spain, England or the United States.
He currently resides between Los Angeles and Barcelona, and travels giving lectures in various centers such as the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, or the Hirshhorn Museum of Contemporary Art in Washington, among others.
Content
- U1
Tipas and types
- Welcome to the class!
- Books that can help you
- U2
Good practice manual
- Prepare the document
- The pen and geometric shapes
- The modules
- U3
Capitulars
- Capitulars: alphabet
- Capitulars: styles
- U4
Effects
- Vector volume effects I
- Effects of vector volume II
- U5
Wine label
- Ideas and Moodboard
- Proposals
- The final image: the photomontage
- FP
Final project
- Characters with character
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 letters in a personalized, creative way, while digital calligraphy involves writing letters using digital tools, focusing on stroke flow and structure. This course combines both to create decorative letters.
The course is intermediate level, so basic graphic design knowledge or familiarity with software like Illustrator is recommended. You don’t need to be an expert, but you should be comfortable with digital tools.
You’ll need a computer with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop installed. A graphics tablet is helpful but you can work with a mouse. Access to inspiration sources like typography books and digital moodboards is recommended.
You’ll learn to create ornamental drop caps, combine illustration and typography, apply historical styles, design wine labels, use advanced vector techniques, and professionally present your projects.
A drop cap is a large, decorated initial letter used at the start of a text or section to highlight and add artistic flair. It’s common in books, labels, and editorial projects.
Yes, the course covers techniques to create and apply volumetric effects, shadows, textures, neon effects, and vector ornaments using Illustrator and Photoshop to enhance your lettering.
Yes, you’ll learn to analyze and reinterpret historical styles like Art Deco, medieval drop caps, and fantasy alphabets, applying them to your digital typographic projects.