Lettering for Designers: One Drop Cap Letterform at a Time

The foundation of all lettering is understanding how to create just one beautiful letter.

In this popular class, learn how to create beautiful letters and alphabets by starting with the simplest possible project: making a single letter! You'll join acclaimed letterer and illustrator Jessica Hische as she walks through her personal lettering process and share tips and tricks from throughout her stunning career, ranging from personal projects like "Daily Drop Cap" and "Should I Work For Free" to opening title sequences for Wes Anderson.

You’ll learn how to:

• Sketch your ideas to create a solid foundation for your design
• Digitize your work in illustrator, including using handlebars and vector points
• Identify what makes a letter look organic and replicate it in your own work
• Critique your work to get those solid finishing touches (even perfect curves)

After finishing this class, you will have a finished drop cap letter and a full arsenal of tools to create perfect letters that will feel natural and look amazing for every project and style.

• Introduction
• Research
• What is Lettering?
• Brainstorming
• Upload, Share, and Critique
• Sketching Tips
• Initial Sketching
• Choosing a Direction
• Drop Cap #1
• Drop Cap #2
• Letterform Basics
• Plotting Vector Points
• Self-Critique
• Explore Design on Skillshare