Hand Lettering Experiments

Lettering Guy worked as a lettering artist for greeting card companies. He took his professional experience in a new and personal way. He experiments with letterforms based on his experience and intuition. He uses monoline pens, highlighter markers, paint sticks, ballpoint pens, and anything that will leave a mark on paper. His experiments inform his hand lettering practice.

During a trip to Tokyo Lettering Guy shopped at a chain of home goods stores. The store had a home office section. A few months after he returned home he had a reason to use the pens, fluorescent highlighters, and newsprint notepads he bought. He would letter 100 names thanks to the online event the 100 Days Project. It challenged a participant to develop and foster a daily routine for 100 days through a creative pursuit.

So, every day for 100 days Lettering Guy designed the name of one family member, friend or acquaintance. He tested his pens on a sheets of newsprints. The pen tips were very small so ink didn’t run out of the pen. The newsprint absorbed ink without bleeding.

Each name was made with two colors of ink and embellished with dots, circles, squiggles, wavey lines, drips, and geometric shapes.

The daily practice became a meditative experience and a routine. It became a point of contact with people he hadn’t personally interacted with for years. He asked each person whose name he drew if they wanted the finished piece. Most did. A few people sent pictures of their names framed or prominently displayed. When the event concluded he exceeded his goal by lettering 150 names.

Today he incorporates elements of this type of lettering in his illustration practice. He uses this style of lettering to address envelopes and create graphics to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.

Below, see examples of lettering experiments.