Ahhh, this one's for all of you kind hearted humans who've adopted a fur baby (or fur babies) of your own. ❤ 🐶
And for my 4 pound furry bundle of joy who inspired this hand-lettered design as we snuggled with a blanket on the couch, watching Netflix and drawing on the iPad. There's nothing like snuggling with my personal little "leg warmer" on a cold winter day. She gets so happy when she sees me walking to the couch with a blanket 'cause she knows she's gonna get petted and hugged and told she is loved many, many times in all my annoying high pitched voices that that only she could love. About the lettering on this mug As I mentioned above, I created this piece on the iPad, using the Procreate app. It took me close to an hour to create this design because I'm not very experienced when it comes to block lettering and kept making the letters and erasing them over and over again until I was satisfied with them. When I think of hand lettering, I always think about cursive, bouncy letters and flourishing, which had pretty much become my signature style. But I started feeling a little bit stagnant in said style and hadn't seen my work evolve in a while until I stepped out of my comfort zone. So, if you're on this lettering journey with me, my advice to you today is to not be afraid to try something new. It doesn't have to be ALL new at once. Just give your traditional work a bit of a new flair or a funky spin and see how you like it. As you can see in this piece, I kept my cursive bouncy lettering but I used block lettering (something new to me) as a focal point. By mixing a different style of lettering with my own, I was able to create a piece that has visual impact, is easily legible and has a more artistic look to it that it would have had I only used cursive lettering. Where to find this mug You can find this and other mugs in my collection at HandLetteredMugs.com. Lettering Tips and Inspiration Join the Lettering Bootcamp mailing list to receive lettering tips and design inspiration directly to your inbox.
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Hi there! With the holiday season in full bloom the demand for custom mugs is here once again. I can’t wait to share my latest designs with you in hopes to inspire and encourage you to keep up with your lettering drills. It will pay off – literally!
To start, I want to thank Yuri Bejarano from Impression Photography for this beautiful image she sent me featuring one of my most favorite creations to this day. WOW! If she can make a mug look THIS good, imagine what she can do for your family portraits. Ha! In the same way that she can make magic with her camera and capture a story through the images she creates, I love how bringing a pen to a mug can also tell a story as it transforms an ordinary piece of drinkware into meaningful piece of usable art that pays tribute to a loved one. Today, I want to share why this particular mug means so much to me As you may or may not know, I spent about six weeks last holiday season in 2015, hand painting mugs to help raise funds for my daughter’s band competition trip. I was extremely blessed to have received much support from friends, family and the Instagram community which allowed me to raise the $1,300 we needed to pay for transportation, meals and lodging. It was through Yuri alone that I sold about 20 mugs after she purchased a few and shared my work with her friends at church. The mugging journey Though I was grateful for the support, I can’t say that the process was easy. On weekdays I’d come home after working an 8 hour shift (plus an hour commute) and rush into the kitchen to start dinner, clean the kitchen, then pull out the art supplies to set up and paint mugs till about 1am. I slept an average of 5-6 hours a night and worked an additional 12 hours on the weekends from mid-November till Christmas. It was a sacrifice for sure. Out of all the custom artwork I created, this piece featuring Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God" became one of my favorites. The passage would pop into my head at times while everyone slept and I worked through the night. I deeply enjoyed the creative process but I quickly became tired, sleep deprived and my body ached much of the time. Yet, I was ecstatic to see how God kept providing me with a wealth of opportunity to raise the funds necessary to make my daughter’s dream come true. I filled three separate orders with this particular design and thought about painting a mug for myself. I kept putting it off though, ‘cause it took me an hour to paint each mug and client work came first. Live and learn This year as the holiday orders began to come in, I decided to digitize my existing designs and upload them to my Zazzle shop at HandLetteredMugs.com where anyone can log on and purchase my artwork on a professionally printed and 100% dishwasher and microwave safe mug. There are currently 42 designs in my gallery and I keep adding to it weekly as new orders come in. I wish I would have taken this route much sooner! So after almost a year, I finally own a mug with this design. I purchased one for myself and one for Yuri. I just had a feeling that this message would speak to her as well - and it did! I have the text messages with hearts and emoji’s crying with joy to prove it. Heehee. She's so cute. A couple of days later, she sent me this gorgeous picture of her mug, in her home, with her Christmas tree in the background. Why I "mug" Since I started this "mugging" journey, I've received several messages from people thanking me for creating artwork that was so meaningful to them. They text or email me to tell me how something as simple as a mug brought a loved one to tears with emotion or laughter. It's very fullfilling to know that the way I arrange letters which contain a special phrase can bring someone so much joy. I feel blessed to be able to create something that moves people so deeply. Some may think that lettering is just a hobby or an easy way to make extra cash. For me, lettering is a way to embellish the world, to communicate and bless others as their loved ones utilize my artwork to express their love and affection. When I read the messages they send me expressing their gratitude for what I do, I sit still. I smile and I rejoice because I know He is God, and I am but a tool transforming thoughts, phrases and passages into tangible symbols of love. Late last summer I received a custom lettering request for a mug that read: "My future husband has and awesome future wife". At first, I felt like it seemed like a lot of text to go on a mug, but being the problem solver than I am, I pulled out my sketchbook and played aroudn with different ways to arrange the text so that it was both artsy and easy to read.
The trick to making text easy to read is by creating focal points so that your eye is drawn to a few main words, allowing your brain to easily process the info and fill-in rest as if by instinct. As an artist, I couldn't help but to pat myself on the back after I completed this design. My customer LOVED it, and that made me love it as well. Who is this mug for? The person who ordered this mug is freshly out of a relationship and hopeful to find Mr. Right one day. But I feel it would also make a nice gift from a future groom to his fiancee and a great gift for a newly engaged friend. Gift Basket Idea My daughter's school is having a silent acution to raise funds for for their music program. I created a couple of gift baskets to donate, including this one with a date night theme, featuring my "awesome future wife" mug. The basket includes: a pink clutch purse, beaded pearl necklace, champage, tea light candles and candle holders, champagne, Modern Muse shower gel by Estee Lauder, and of course, my hand lettered mug. Hoping it raises lots of funds for those little noise makers! Uh...I mean,..mucisians. Heehee. Where to find this mug You can find this and other mugs in my collection at HandLetteredMugs.com. Lettering Tips and Inspiration Join the Lettering Bootcamp mailing list to receive lettering tips and design inspiration directly to your inbox.
Only 7 days into the October Lettering and Doodle challenge and I can already see an improvement in my work! By being given a prompt and a list with verbs and adjectives to pair up with the prompt, I am forced to think outside the box. For example, the prompt for today was "pumpkin" and after reviewing the inspiration list, I chose the word "loud".
So, how exactly could a pumpkin get loud? Hmmm...well, I bet they'd do a great job hyping you up about pumpkin season - that's how! Following this thought, I came to imagine a pumpkin on stage, holding a microphone. Then I thought about what a loud and excited pumpkin would say in just a few words that would be easy to letter. The fun thing about lettering (and doodle) challenges, is that no matter what your skill lever is, you WILL be challenged and you WILL see some breakthroughs. The best part is, you don't need any fancy tools to participate. I tend to use my iPad a lot, simply because I've been a graphic designer for 20 years and I find that creating art through technology is more in my comfort zone as it's the method I've had more experience with. Please note though, that I'm not exactly opting for the easy route as I am currently teaching myself how to use the Procreate app to create my digital illustrations. I'm actually being challenged on many levels, as I:
So don't be shy! Get your favorite lettering/doodling tools and join me! You don't have to commit to drawing every day, but if improving your hand lettering skills is in your bucket list, you will have to commit a bit of time at least a couple of times of week to continue seeing progress. It's like going to the gym. No one ever got fit simply by signing up for a gym membership. Only those who take time to go into the gym a couple times a week and use the equipment, those are the people who get results. Now pick up that writing equipment of yours and get your lettering skills in shape! No doodling required.
PS - Join the Lettering Bootcamp mailing list to receive tips and inspiration directly to your inbox.
Your Lettering Coach, Dio Hello there Lettering Bootcamp students and lettering enthusiasts! Are you ready to get your hand lettering and doodling skills in shape for the holidays? Me too - let's do it! I've put together a list of prompts for you to use every day during the month of October. You can interpret each prompt as you wish by including hand lettering, doodles or both! Now, if at any given time you start feeling a little stuck, don't worry I've got you covered! I've also put together an "inspiration list" (shown below) to give your creativity a little jump start. For example, let's say your staring at your sketchbook not knowing what to create for day 2, which lists "sweater" as a prompt. All you have to do is glance at the list below and pick a word to combine with that prompt. Maybe you then you'll feel inspired to draw a pink sweater, or a dancing sweater. How about a flying sweater singing "I believe I can fly". See what I mean - the possibilities are ENDLESS! So here's what you do:
Click the button below to download a printable PDF of the October Lettering and Doodle challenge.
Sea You Soon from dioperez on Vimeo.
Going on a short 3 day cruise this weekend - my first cruise ever! I'm super excited for this well-deserved getaway. It'll be interesting to see how I do without cellphone and internet access for a few days. I'm not taking my iPad either, just a pen and pocket sketchbook for whenever I get the urge to draw.
Can't wait to tell you all about my adventure through my lettering when I return. In the meantime, enjoy this short video of the drawing process for this piece I created just for you. Xoxo, Dio
Life is all about seasons…just as fruit grows on a tree, ripens, reaches our table and nourishes our body, everything around us is also going through a phase that will eventually require a transition to enter the next season, stage or phase and fulfill its purpose.
While transitions aren’t always easy, keeping your eye on the “prize” will always make the journey a bit more enjoyable. Summers in Palm Springs, for example, are quite unbearable if you want to spend time outdoors. But it’s a great time of the year to schedule a few getaways to the beaches and mountain towns nearby, such as Idyllwild and Big Bear. In this case, the new experiences outside of the desert and the gorgeous blue skies we get to see every day during winter, is what keeps me going. The trick is to just go with the flow and make the best out of every season and transition. Some of you joined Lettering Bootcamp this summer as a means to prepare for all your holiday crafting. While the stage of transitioning your handwriting into a lettering style of your very own might feel a bit difficult at times, think of how GREAT it feels when you finally develop a letter, just one letter of the alphabet, in a way that is truly yours and you LOVE it. What about flourishing? Scary word isn’t it? Well, it’s only scary until you practice it enough to the point where you get so comfortable with it, you want to throw a flourishing party. That’s me right now, actually. Heehee. So, if you’ve gotten lost in the transition, for one reason or another, the key is to not give up. If you don’t have time to log on to letteringbootcamp.com regularly, don’t worry. Use your lettering workbooks and keep practicing what you’ve learned so far. Now, if you’re feeling a little stuck when it comes to exploring different ways to draw each letter of the alphabet – don’t worry! I have just what you need. Log on to letteringbootcamp.com (if you’re a student) and download your free Alphabet Styles workbook. Begin by tracing each letter until you reach a point where you can draw each style by just looking at it. If you’re not a student, don’t worry! I’ve posted the workbook for sale at a VERY affordable price (it's practically free). Just head on to letteringworkbooks.com to purchase your copy today.
See you on Instagram, my friend. Can’t wait to experience all the seasons and transitions of your lettering artwork through the images you send my way. Also, don’t forget to tag @paisleyinparis and @letteringbootcamp so I can see your work and cheer you on.
Best, Your hand lettering coach, Dio ??
PS - Don't forget to join the mailing list to receive lettering tips and inspiration directly to your inbox.
So after a month or so of lettering on the iPad every day, I was quite fearful of what I'd see appear on paper as I used a brush pen today after so long. Lettering is kind of like exercise, if you don't use it, you lose it. Not completely of course, but it does take a few tries to get back to where you were before you took a break.
I can totally see the setback on this piece BUT I can also see that even though I'm a little rusty, I still got it! ? My lettering is still bouncy and I can still flourish like I normally do, the only thing I have to concentrate on is controlling the pressure of the pen and pay closer attention to the distance between words and letters. So, if you've taken a break from lettering in the last few days or weeks (after all, summer is meant for us to be out and about playing in the sun) don't be too hard on yourself. Celebrate the skills and muscle memory you've retained and keep moving forward. It's like riding a bike, you know, when you're wobbly for a few seconds but it gets better as you keep pedaling. So don't let those wobbly strokes discourage you and just keep moving forward, my friend. You got this! ✍?❤ Your Lettering Coach, Dio (@paisleyinparis) PS - Don't forget to join the mailing list to receive lettering tips and inspiration directly to your inbox. Just click the button below!
Getting snail mail would be more fun if the mail carrier were also a chimp. It would make receiving utility bills a bit more exciting, right? Of course it would! Well...in reality I'd be a little worried that said chimp would also throw poop at me along with my mail, but the idea made for a cute lettering piece. Heehee.
For this reason (cute lettering piece), I want to encourage you make it a habit of doodling when doing your lettering drills. Also, because...
And that's what it's about. Practicing, loving the journey toward improvement and embracing the surprises. By the way, are you using the free lettering workbooks I made for you? If you haven't gotten them already, go to letteringworkbooks.com and download your free copies. I also have weeks and weeks worth of lettering prompts for you inside letteringbootcamp.com along with tutorials and flourishing worksheets that are sure to ignite your creativity and accelerate the pace of your lettering journey. Ciao, Bella! Have a great day. ? Your lettering coach, Dio (@paisleyinparis) PS - Don't forget to join the mailing list to receive lettering tips and inspiration directly to your inbox. Just click the button below!
Do you have a love-hate relationship with your brush pens? I did! I remember the first time I bought a pack of brush pens; I was into card making back then and I thought I'd use them to color some of my doodles and do some kind of "fancy writing" on my cards. I knew nothing (no techniques) about hand lettering back then, so of course I was horrified by the way my writing looked when I used them. So much that I neglected them till they dried out and became unusable.
Fast forward a few years later to 2015 when I bought a new set of black brush pens specifically for practicing my hand lettering. By this time, I had seen those lovely Instagram videos of people who made it look so easy. I tried them out and once again, I hated them. I set them aside for a while and focused on using Sharpie fine tip pens for most of my lettering projects. I loved them, and I still do, but the day came when I didn't feel challenged by them anymore and was ready to face my fears. I picked up those brush pens and began to practice, pressing hard on the down strokes and going lighter on the up strokes. Aghhh - the frustration. But I kept at it for a while and I soon realized that the next time I tried it, it was easier than the time before. The next day, the same thing happened. The process was a bit easier and the next thing I lettered looked slightly better than the thing I'd lettered minutes before. I also realized that not all brush pens are created equal and that some of them make my writing look better than others, most likely due to the combination of the softness / resistance in the brush and the natural amount of pressure in my hand as I write. In a matter of days, my lines began to look smoother and the thickness of my strokes became more uniform. My letters began to look more polished and in just a few weeks, I began to see my own style revealing itself to me.
How to overcome your hate / fear of brush pens:
I firmly believe that in order to overcome a fear or hate, you just have to face it and decide it will no longer hold you back. In this case, you really don't need to learn how to use a brush pen in order to start embellishing the world with your writing. There are many successful lettering artists out there who never use brush pens in their work. They use Sharpies, Micron Pens, iPads, chalk, etc. But if brush lettering is something you really want to explore, below are a few things you can do to help you break through the initial disappointment and discomfort:
And there you have it. It really is that easy. Trust me. I've been there. I also felt the same way about running. I hated it, and here I am now training for my first half marathon and actually enjoying it. I felt the same way about my new iPad Pro, I HATED the way my digital lettering looked, so much that I almost returned it. But in just 4 weeks, I've gone from the artwork you'll see in Workbook 1, to this faux chalkboard sign below. You just gotta put in the time, my friend. That's it.
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Hi - I'm Dio!Graphic Designer & Spanglish Lettering Artist Topics
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