A standard-bearer of American design since 1993, House Industries answers the burning question, “Where do you find inspiration?” with this illustrative collection of helpful lessons, stories, and case studies that demonstrate how to transform obsessive curiosity into personally satisfying and successful work. Presented in House’s honest, authentic, and often irreverent style, and covering topics ranging from fonts and fashion to ceramics and space technology, this beautifully useful 400–page volume offers a personal perspective on the origin of ideas for creative people in any field. Most important, this book shows that there’s no sense in waiting for inspiration because inspiration is already waiting for you.

Learn the history and techniques of hand lettering from a renowned design studio. This practical and visual guide features exercises, case studies, and typographic models for letter styles such as serif, sans serif, brush, and script. Known throughout the world for its eclectic typeface collections and far-reaching creative exploits, from fonts and fashion to ceramics and space technology, House Industries has been a standard bearer for American graphic design for more than twenty-five years. The House Industries Lettering Manual is an accessible hands-on guide to drawing letters from Ken Barber, House's head letterer and type design director. Modeled after a series of sold-out lettering workshops that Ken has conducted around the world, this highly illustrated handbook outlines the history of lettering, various methods and techniques, common letter styles, and best practices for getting paid for your work. This handy how-to guide also provides lettering models to help sharpen your drawing skills and offer departure points for further experimentation. Designed by House Industries and including copious examples, exercises, and opportunities to practice what you've learned, plus photographs of works-in-progress and finished projects, this instructive and visually engaging book will help you master the dynamic art of lettering, whether you're a budding artist or an experienced designer.

In The Lettering Workshops, you’ll learn all about the art and practice of drawing letters using hands-on techniques in 30 lessons across five workshops. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional graphic designer, you'll quickly learn how to develop and advance your lettering skills.

In this richly illustrated book of lessons and exercises, you’ll find:

• 5 Workshops to learn the art of drawing letters—from an introduction to brush lettering and lettering script to the decoration of letters; from the secrets of good composition to the process of digitization and vectorization of your type

• 30 Exercises that gradually develop from beginner through intermediate and advanced levels

• 16 Analyses of lettering samples to understand what makes good lettering

• 52 Inspirational contributions in featured galleries from international letterers and brands

• 160 Pages for all skill levels

• 26 Letters to learn and explore

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Is Lettering?

Why This Book?

First Lesson

Lettering, Calligraphy, or Typography?

Basics and Technical Vocabulary

WORKSHOP 1: DISCOVERING BRUSH LETTERING

Exercise 1: Finding the Right Position

Exercise 2: Setting Up a Grid

Exercise 3: Carrying Out the First Motions

Exercise 4: Drawing the Letters

Exercise 5: Connecting the Letters

Exercise 6: Reworking Your Drafts

Analysis of Lettering Samples

Gallery

WORKSHOP 2: INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPT LETTERING

Exercise 1: Discovering the Skeleton Technique

Exercise 2: Drawing an Alphabet

Exercise 3: Drawing a Complete Word

Exercise 4: Lettering in a Classic Script

Exercise 5: Leaving Your Comfort Zone!

Analysis of Lettering Samples

Gallery

WORKSHOP 3: USING TYPOGRAPHIC CHARACTERS

Exercise 1: Embellishing a Letter

Exercise 2: Practicing on a Complete Word

Exercise 3: Going Further with Vintage Style

Exercise 4: Discovering Interlock

Exercise 5: Practicing Interlock with Serifs

Exercise 6: Producing a Complete Interlock Lettering Project

Analysis of Lettering Samples

Gallery

WORKSHOP 4: THE SECRETS OF GOOD COMPOSITION

Exercise 1: Thinking in Terms of the Block

Exercise 2: Completing the First Sketches

Exercise 3: Choosing the Styles for Each Word

Exercise 4: Drawing the Skeleton

Exercise 5: Developing and Finalizing Your Path

Analysis of Lettering Samples

Gallery

WORKSHOP 5: DIGITIZATION AND VECTORIZATION

Exercise 1: Digitizing and Preparing Your Lettering

Exercise 2: First Steps in Vectorization

Exercise 3: Testing the Vertex Theory

Exercise 4: Vectorizing the Entire Lettering Project

Exercise 5: Critiquing Your Vectorized Lettering Project

Exercise 6: Preparing Your Lettering Project without Vectorization

Exercise 7: Isolating the Lettering

Exercise 8: Adding Texture to the Lettering Project

Exercise 9: Finalizing the Composition

Gallery

Artists Represented in this Book

Resources

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Learning by doing is the best way to get to grips with new ideas, and graphic design is no different. Weaving together creative strategies and design principles with step-by-step Adobe software guidance, this unique book helps you to immediately put into practice the concepts as you're learning them so they become second nature. Covering all the introductory topics a designer needs to know – from working with colour and layout, to editing images and designing apps – this fully updated edition of the hugely popular Graphic Design Essentials includes plenty of hands-on instruction and real-life examples to give you a thorough grounding in the fundamentals. This new edition includes: - Coverage of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign - Examples of designs from the UK, US, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, China, the Middle East and Australia - Smaller supporting activities alongside major project exercises - New design formats, including apps and infographics - Downloadable resources to use within the software instruction

The industry bible for communication design and illustration professionals, with updated information, listings, and pricing guidelines. Graphic Artists Guild Handbook is the industry bible for communication design and illustration professionals. A comprehensive reference guide, the Handbook helps graphic artists navigate the world of pricing, collecting payment, and protecting their creative work, with essential advice for growing a freelance business to create a sustainable and rewarding livelihood. This sixteenth edition provides excellent, up-to-date guidance, incorporating new information, listings, and pricing guidelines. It offers graphic artists practical tips on how to negotiate the best deals, price their services accurately, and create contracts that protect their rights. Sample contracts and other documents are included. For the sixteenth edition, the content has been reorganized, topics have been expanded, and new chapters have been added to create a resource that is more relevant to how graphic artists work today. Features include: More in-depth information for the self-employed on how to price work to make a sustainable living and plan for times of economic uncertainty. A new chapter on using skills and talents to maximize income with multiple revenue streams—workshops, videos, niche markets, passion projects, selling art, and much more. Current U.S. salary information and freelance rates by discipline. Pricing guidelines for buyers and sellers. Up-to-date copyright registration information. Model contracts and forms to adapt to your specific needs. Interviews with eleven self-employed graphic artists who have created successful careers,using many of the practices found in this Handbook.

New miniature version! The ability to wield typography is one of those things that is a clear indication of a talented designer. Being able to craft type well and thoughtfully takes a deep understanding of the inherent complexities and a keen eye for the minute and subtle details. This book contains a collection of 1,000 instances of thoughtful type usage along with credits that note what fonts were used in the design. Like its predecessor, 1,000 Graphic Elements, the photography in this book focuses in on the typography so readers can get an up-close look at the work. 1,000 Type Treatments showcases an array of fonts in a catalog-like format, making it easy for the working designer to practically shop for ideas. The book is organized by style so if a designer has a traditional, elegant, or edgy piece, they can go directly to that section of the book, where they will find a wide collection of fresh ideas in the style they are seeking. Also included is a directory of font foundries and suppliers, providing busy designers with a quick reference guide to where they can find the fonts that pique their interest.

CD-ROM contains: "five original fonts ... created exclusively for this book plus a few ... sound bites."