Sketching to vector

[Alphabetguy]

There is more to vector lettering than moving points and bezier handles. My recent project will show some of the steps involved.

1) The client sketch. Her  request was to improve the design.
2) My first preliminary sketch of drawing lines slowly with a micron pen and stippling in the thicks and thins. After client review I was asked to place more emphasis on the "&".
3) To explore alternate design options a series of quick pencils and pointed marker were developed.
4) 8 of the pointed marker sketches sent for client review. She selected a version for final with the request of a lowercase j instead of a cap J.
5) The vector lettering process starts with a number of single vector line paths. The paths are offset to setup the thins of the letters. Points are deleted, added, moved and adjusted to create the thicks.
6) A lot of the adjustments are made in preview mode by reading overall contrast. Spacing, weight and contrast are adjusted on the fly. The imported template image is only used as a starting point.

Even thought this is digital it remains to be a slow lettering process. No different than lettering with a micron pen, white out and 00 sable brush. Everything takes time no matter the tools used.

Alan

[tintenfuchs]

Nice job!

[Linda Y.]

Beautiful work! Thanks for sharing your process with us

[Erica McPhee]

I love this. It is so helpful for everyone to see the process. The design process is the same except when I get to stage 5, I do the final with ink and pen. While the design process is similarly lengthy, the final lettering would also take a significant amount of time to get it just right. It is the same process you are doing except you are doing it digitally and I am doing it manually.

However, you are actually one step ahead of me because if I had to make it a vector, I would then have to do the vector process. Perhaps it might not take as long because the "design" is already there?

[Alphabetguy]

Erica,
This method allows me to control the shape of the stroke for lettering with a clean edge. With a Mitchell or Speedball nib I'd be retouching a lot with a magnifying lens. Either method takes a long time.

Alan

[inkcatcher]

Amazing! I never knew how to do the line paths 

[Moya]

This is really interesting.  Thank you for sharing!  I can see I'm going to need Illustrator and Photoshop instead of just making do with free web apps before much longer ...

[MarkG]

Hi Alan,

I do a lot of this process in my sign biz in preparing client 'art' into a clean vector file and was curious if you prefer to smooth out/tweek the result of your scan, or if you prefer to use your scan as a template and draw/construct/digitize the letterforms over it 'from scratch'?

I guess I do both, but find that a lot of times, trying to tweek and smooth out and sharpen a choppy-looking scan takes more time than tracing it on-screen and adjusting to match the art.

Thanks.

[Alphabetguy]

if you prefer to use your scan as a template and draw/construct/digitize the letterforms over it 'from scratch'?

Mark,
I use the scan as a grayed out template image layer. I then create a new layer and draw clean vector lines using the template as a guide. I usually turn the template view off when all the letters are drawn in vector and make adjustments in preview mode based on overall contrast.

Alan