Refining Your Hand Lettering

Here's a handy tip from lettering artist Wayne Thompson. If you start with brush pen lettering as a base, you can refine it multiple times with pencil and baking paper. 

It can be difficult to create a hand lettered word mark that captures the quirks and personality of real brush pen lettering. Wayne's method creates a clean framework for your vectored logotype, but with the feel of brush lettering. 

Wayne Thompson has developed a process of creating and refining his brush pen lettering as a base for his vectored logotypes. He also has experience as a university lecturer and has developed a clear, easy-to-follow teaching style. Wayne knows what students struggle with and is able to demonstrate the steps in a way that anyone can follow, no matter what your skill level. Brush pen lettering takes practice, but with Wayne's method, it's easier to get polished results faster.

Brush pen lettering can feel rough if you don't refine it, and if you jump straight to the logo design process without creating the letter forms first, your final result will lack the structure of genuine brush lettering.

If you don't refine your base lettering using this technique, the only alternative is to create hundreds of sketches to get the perfect result.

Wayne’s four-step process for refining your hand lettering is simple.

1. Sketch your word multiple times with a brush pen
2. Refine and combine your sketches with baking paper
3. Refine your pencil sketch again
4. Create the final clean sketch using tracing paper.

1. Sketch your word multiple times with a brush pen

Artwork by Wayne Thompson for the Typism Membership

2. Refine and combine your sketches with baking paper

Artwork by Wayne Thompson for the Typism Membership

3. Refine your pencil sketch again

Artwork by Wayne Thompson for the Typism Membership

4. Create the final clean sketch using tracing paper

Artwork by Wayne Thompson for the Typism Membership

Now your sketch is cleaned up and ready for vectoring.

It's such a satisfying feeling creating your own name or word mark by hand. Wayne's method gets you a perfect line drawing ready for scanning and vectoring in just 23-minutes. This process saves hours of sketching, and because your design is based on a foundation of brush lettering, it captures the feel and personality effortlessly. 

Wayne chose to create the word ”Ampersand” for his demonstration. What word will you create using this technique?

The full set of Wayne's bite-sized video lessons are available inside the Typism membership. Take a look over Wayne's shoulder as he refines his sketches and talks you through his thought process. Click here to find out more about the membership.

Get out your brush pens and baking paper and start refining your hand lettering. Remember to tag us on Instagram with your results.