I agree... I'm a lefty and actually taught myself how to write right-handed just so I could do calligraphy and lettering properly. It's taken a few years, but I can write more beautifully now with my right hand than with my left.
I can't thank you and Ed enough for sharing all of this knowledge with us. I never had access to art classes in school and definitely nothing related to comics/drafting tools. You guys and the interviews at inkstuds have helped me out so much.
One of the videos I’ve been waiting for for a long time. Thanks a lot for putting this together Jim. I bought an Ames guide earlier this year to play around with it, I’ve always messed around with lettering and this video speaks my language!
...it was called a 'ruling pen' the two steel jaws that you dropped ink in between then adjusted the points for line width with a knurled screw that connected the two points.
Fantastic video! I never realized the nuances of lettering in comics. I enjoy calligraphy. The advantages of the dip pen you're using is in its line variation. I suggest not rotating it as you write, but keeping its angle consistent so you're making thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes. That will give you nice line variety and not a monoline.
I think the archaic pen he's referring to might be a Pelikan Graphos. It's an old style drafting pen with nibs made from two metal pieces that swing against eachother on a scissor like junction. Most of the tips come to a triangular point, so you can actually get some cool scratchy line effects by using the flat edge instead of the point.
Interesting about Jamie, I just spoke to his brother, Gilbert (Beto) and asked him about his lettering, thinking that he did it by hand, but he told me that he does not do his own lettering, someone else does it digitally. Didn't give me a name, maybe someone on the Fantagraphics production team.
Great video, very informative and thorough, casual without going off topic. I'm new to hand lettering so I especially appreciated all the info about what motivates other comickers, the things they do and what prioritize in their own work. The advice about not breaking up certain phrases for example - I noticed that it bugged me whenever I broke up a phrase like that, but I figured it might just be me nitpicking. Now I know to make it a priority. Thank you for sharing!
That Monoline sample page in the Speedball practice book reminds me of the font style Xaime Hernandez uses for Love & Rockets. I think I read in his Art of book he uses a Radiograph for the lettering. I'll have to reread that again. (Just listened to that part now LOL!)
I'm always looking to improve my lettering, but man, I sure am grateful to be able to edit everything digitally. As long as my lettering in my sketches is good enough, I can always go over my spacing and sizing later.
Hello. How do you get the lead point so sharp? I'll spin with my lead pointer a few hundred times and it still isn't as sharp. I'm having a hard time using the Lettering Guide because I can't get a sharp point. When I use 0.05 mm lead it breaks. Thank you.
This is a really great video and brought back "fond" memories of my time trying to learn Sign Painting at The Institute of Lettering and Design in Chicago.
Been interested in lettering lately. Stan Sakai’s says he sets his Ames lettering Guide at 3.25. Can you help me understand how he might do this? Is it as simple as eyeballing it between 3-4??
Oh man...the old AMES LETTERING GUIDE....Reminds me of my High School Drafting Class. NEVER could master that thing!!! Nothing but respect for artists that can make it work. NO WAY I'd use this today. Lettering via computer is just so much easier.
Ruling pens! What a blast from the past. We used them to draw/paint a line of consistent width. In school, we were shown to drag a brush along the side of the pen. But yeah, great tool once you got going with. Using the Speedballs give a better variety of line, I found. And if you're a real letter nerd that might be your jam. But the Hunts, wow, really nice texture to the fonts with those. I the one thing I don't like about using a computer font (it is revolutionary, don't get me wrong) but I miss the hand of the author in the lettering. I find that the lettering adds as much to the individuality of the author's voice as the art and shouldn't be an afterthought. I know I'm splitting hairs, to some, but I'm old school that way. Great video! More analogue techniques, please!
Thank you for this, Jim. Really loved to get all the books and references you gave here. Please go on and continue with this series, you have our full support.
I am a watercolor artist and am having to incorporate lettering into my work, especially white lettering which makes it harder because watercolor artists don’t use white paint, so lettering must be done as a negative space. Im really struggling.
One problem I always face with lettering is that I end up gripping my pen much harder than normal, to the point where it can become painful. Any advice on how to stay precise without going rigid?
It's a good book. A friend of mine found one recently for cheap at a comic book store. Good luck hunting one down. It's a lot of Toth in Toth's own words (and handwriting). Insightful and revealing.
This gives me a whole new respect for Uderzo’s use of multiple fonts to represent different languages (Asterix books). I mean it’s hard enough to do with one font!
As a printmaking artist who is learning traditional calligraphy, this is blowing my mind right now. There MUST be a similar ruling tool based on calligraphy nibs.
That archaic writing instrument you are referring to in this video is called a “ steel ruling pen “ it looks ( very vaguely ) sort of like a dip pin if it was a solid spike that has been split down the middle and set apart with an adjusting screw. You would adjust the opening between the two nibs, then load the opening with ink via a dropper. I have heard of people lettering with them, but they are so stiff in their application, I would be very hesitant to use one for that.
You and Ed are so generous. I have learned so much. I draw a bit, but I’m mostly interested in visual stories broadly. How do we communicate ideas. It’s clear that Everything communicates something. Is it what we want? Sincere thanks
The easier way to do lettering i use index cards for my lettering and then i draw the ballons and i cut them out with sirrors and i glue them where i need to put them. Its so much easier that way. And don't forget to use your triangle and t square
Great tutorial, making sense of this little, but essential tool. How can I get people to STOP using “font” and “typeface” interchangeably? A typeface is designed, and every letter works in tandem with every other letter, be it upper or lower case. Helvetica, Arial, Copperplate are names of typefaces, not fonts. Each typeface is designed to look unique. The font is the way we can see the typeface in print, at different sizes, or different weights, like Bold or Italic. A typeface is like a band’s music on a record or tape or disc; the font is that physical device. Please stop using “font”, when you mean “typeface”. Thanks!
6 months later, but oh... I got mine in MEXICO! So it's probably easier in NY. Had to order one. Mine is Alvin, but I've seen Staedtler's is very common. I thought it was a relic since I first saw one in a UK How to make comics from the 70's, but it's still used!
I can't believe people use these to draw today! Aug, you say it's fun? Are you using it with a straight edge or freehand? I wonder if I still have mine. The last time I used one was in like 1996. I think I only used it for straight edges and I believe I used it with acrylic paint, does that sound right? - Jim
