Expressive Lettering with Swashes and Flourishes
A course by Dan Forster , Designer and lettering artist
Take your lettering to the next level with swashes and flourishes! Learn how to create unique, expressive compositions.
Take your lettering to the next level with swashes and flourishes! Learn how to create unique, expressive compositions.
In this online course, you'll dive into the captivating world of lettering with the renowned lettering artist, Dan Forster. Discover the art of crafting custom lettering across a wide range of projects, from brand marks and logos to book covers and packaging designs. With Dan as your guide, you'll explore the beauty of swashes and flourishes and learn how to incorporate them into your compositions.
Dan will start by explaining the differences between calligraphy, lettering, typography, and type design, giving you a solid foundation to build upon. You'll then delve into the fundamental principles of lettering, followed by Dan's expert recommendations for creating your best work.
What will you learn in this online course?
25 lessons & 39 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (26)
- 1,153 students
- 25 lessons (5h 54m)
- 39 additional resources (22 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software for this course
Adobe Illustrator
ProcreateWhat is this course's project?
For the course project, you will have the exciting opportunity to letter the name of your favorite city or place. Using the techniques and concepts learned throughout the course, you'll create a unique lettering composition that captures the essence and character of your chosen location. This project will allow you to apply everything you've learned and showcase your newfound skills in a personal and meaningful way.
Who is this online course for?
This course is perfect for anyone with a passion for lettering and a desire to create beautifully crafted bespoke designs. Whether you're a beginner looking to explore the world of lettering or an experienced artist seeking to enhance your skills, this course offers valuable insights and techniques to take your work to the next level. Join Dan Forster on this creative journey and unlock your potential in the realm of lettering.
Requirements and materials
To fully enjoy this course, you'll need some knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, as well as pencils, pens, and ink for sketching. If desired, you can also use a drawing app and a stylus for digital sketching. Dan will guide you through both traditional and digital techniques, ensuring you can follow along regardless of your preferred tools. Get ready to immerse yourself in the ultimate creative playground of lettering!
Reviews
A course by Dan Forster
Dan Forster, a talented lettering artist based in the UK, specializes in creating custom lettering for clients worldwide. With a wealth of experience in various lettering projects, including brand marks, logos, book covers, and packaging designs, Dan's expertise shines through in his craft.
Inspired by his award-winning father, Tony Forster, Dan learned the importance of studying the structures and details within letterforms from an early age. His work often features swashes and flourishes, which provide further expression and tell stories inspired by his travels and the local culture, architecture, and signage.
Drawing inspiration from his journeys, Dan seeks to incorporate aspects of different places into his lettering work, whether through visual references or capturing the attitude and approach of a location. His dedication to scale, detail, and craftsmanship is evident in projects that mirror architectural masterpieces like the Sagrada Familia or St. Peter's Basilica.
Content
-
U1
Introduction
-
About Me and My Work
-
Influences
-
-
U2
Lettering Foundations
-
Materials
-
Definitions
-
Lettering Principles
-
Attitude and Approach
-
The Importance of 'Pen Influence': How Calligraphy Informs Lettering
-
'Pen Influence' in Practice 1
-
'Pen Influence' in Practice 2
-
-
U3
Exploring Lettering: Techniques and Swash Styles
-
Swashes and Flourishes Basics
-
Options for Sketching
-
Serif Style: Brief History and Examples
-
Serif Style: Making a Composition with Flourishes 1
-
Serif Style: Making a Composition with Flourishes 2
-
Script Style: Brief History and Examples
-
Script Style: Making a Composition with Flourishes 1
-
Script Style: Making a Composition with Flourishes 2
-
-
U4
Lettering Your Favourite City
-
Project Planning: Gathering Ideas and References
-
Sketching the Composition in Procreate or with Pencil and Paper 1
-
Sketching the Composition in Procreate or with Pencil and Paper 2
-
Vectoring Techniques and Adobe Illustrator Set-up
-
Creating a Vector of the Composition in Illustrator 1
-
Creating a Vector of the Composition in Illustrator 2
-
-
U5
Adding Texture and Depth
-
Preparation in Illustrator: Lighting the Design
-
Finishing Touches in Photoshop
-
-
FP
Final project
-
Expressive Lettering with Swashes and Flourishes
-
What to expect from a Domestika course
-
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
-
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
-
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
-
Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
-
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
-
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
-
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
-
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Adobe Illustrator
Procreate
kamila.whitehen
A wonderful course. Worthy to recommend.
kminori
Increíble! El profesor es un profesional de primera.
Las lecciones son valiosas. Me ha encantado.
View translation
Hide translation
angelesargaez
Good, :))
cuongnguyen_job
PlusVery useful, and also very complete. It would be great if there was Vietnamese language support too
delesuscripciones
Este curso ofrece un gran conocimiento y valiosas recomendaciones, abarcando desde los fundamentos para aprender caligrafía como principiante, hasta perfeccionarla y convertirla en una expresión artística llena de estilo y refinamiento.
View translation
Hide translation