Halloween always inspires me, in so many ways. There’s LOTS of cute artwork out there already, but you know what? No one can do it the way YOU can.

Inspiration behind the illustration
Take this piece for instance. Sugar skulls have become more and more popular in recent years as America has embraced the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 2nd.

I began by looking at a list of prompts for something to draw and was inspired by the word “skull”. I started by drawing the frame and thought I’d draw a framed "photo" of a skull. Then I asked myself "what would a fancy guy wear for a picture?” then “school pictures” came to mind which automatically made me think of cool high school kids. A few minutes prior to drawing, I had been browsing Instagram and came across a video clip of Post Malone wearing a grill on his teeth. Haha! I thought “Hey, Malone is young(ish), popular and cool. Let’s give this little guy a gold grill too for his (and then it popped in my head) SKULL PICTURES” - gasp! I felt so clever, ‘cause you know what? I love puns! I felt the vibe of inspiration run through me and began to draw happily ever after.

What makes your artwork unique 
My point is, that it’s these personal experiences that add a touch of uniqueness to your artwork and creativity. Next time you’re doubting your ability to reinvent the wheel, think again. You CAN do it and you can totally infuse your style into it as long as you tap into your experience and let the thoughts flow.

So, just curious now... what would you wear on picture day in the afterlife? Leave a comment below to let me know.

As for me, I’d wear my LipSense for sure; probably draw flowers on my head with it ‘cause I’d have no lips, but that’s ok. Whatever makes a girl feel pretty, right? ?

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I never intended to jump on the "Monday hater" bandwagon. In fact, Mondays used to be my FAVORITE day of the week. I love where I live, I enjoy my commute to my office in Palm Desert where I spend all day doing what I do best – creating stuff! And marketing stuff - ha!

However, the last two seasons at work have been very intense and without proper rest time for almost 2 years, I'm feeling pretty burnt out. Waking up to an alarm clock on a Monday morning is not necessarily my favorite part of the work week. But you know what's my favorite part about Monday? When it's over, 'cause Friday, here I come!

NOTE: Artwork created on the iPad Pro in the Procreate App with the Apple Pencil.

It was the fall of 2013 when I signed up to take an online course called Make Art That Sells (MATS). I paid BIG bucks for it because I have always wanted to be a licensed artist and I had no idea how to get there.

At the time my online shop at PaisleyInParis.com was bringing in a steady stream of income so I felt confident in my ability to create, well, art that sells. But $600 and several art assignments later, I realized that both myself and my artwork were just a “baby” compared to the quality of work other MATS students were producing.

At that point, I started questioning my own process and comparing myself to others...

• Am I doing it right?
• Am I using the right tools?
• Why is it taking me so long to create this piece?
• What does their process look like?
• Why can’t I draw like they do?

For a while there, I felt like I had paid too much money to have my wings clipped by reality. But I never did regret my investment because what felt like a setback for an instant, was actually the beginning of my growth.

It was through MATS that I saw the true difference between practice work and professional quality illustration work. It was also through MATS that I discovered the art of hand lettering and it’s funny how that happened because it was only mentioned as part of an assignment where Lilla assigned us to create an illustrated map of where we live. She encouraged us to include our own lettering on it because if it ever became a piece we wanted to sell, we wouldn’t be violating any font copyright laws. I did as she suggested, tried incorporating my own letters and boy did I struggle with it. It was honestly, the hardest part of my assignment — and I only lettered five words total!

“How do people do this — BY HAND???”
I asked myself, as I began to truly appreciate the art of font making.

This is how my map assignment turned out.
I drew everything by hand, including the lettering for "Palm Desert" and "The Living Desert." It was too difficult for me at the time, so I used fonts for the city names and highways.
This my friends, was the beginning of my lettering journey.

A few weeks later the course ended and I was left with:

• New portfolio pieces
• Awareness of where I was and where I wanted to go in my career as an artist
• Interest in exploring other art forms such as pattern design and hand lettering

I dabbled into pattern design a bit but because I’m a full-time graphic designer, I put that goal on the back burner 'cause I didn't want to sit behind a computer longer than the 40 hours a week that my job requires of me.

I forgot about lettering until the spring of 2015 when I came across a few lettering accounts on in Instagram and I’ve stuck with it ever since. Despite the cringe-worthy letters I was creating at the time, I found that the more I did it, the more I fell in love with this craft. As a pen collector (oh, who am I kidding...let’s call it what it really is - I’m a pen hoarder!) I was so excited to finally put all my pretty pens and markers to use.

I also found the portability of this craft to be utterly convenient, making the long waits at the doctor’s office and jury duty much more enjoyable.

There’s TONS of reasons why I fell in love with hand lettering and I’m sure I’ll have the chance to elaborate on each and every single one of them as I continue to write this newsletter through the coming years.

But for now, I want to leave you with the following thoughts:
If you’re feeling a bit stuck or discouraged in your lettering journey at this time and you’re asking yourself the same questions I asked myself 3.5 years ago (regarding illustration), here’s what I can tell you…

1. Am I doing it right?
   Yes you are! The fact that you’re “doing it” is already a step in the right direction.
   
2. Am I using the right tools?
   YES! You can create beautiful lettering pieces with just a pencil, a ball point pen or a Sharpie. It’s not what you use, it’s HOW you use it and the “how you use it” part will undoubtedly change over time as you continue to practice.
   
3. Why is it taking me so long to create this piece?
   Because you’re still in the discovery process. This is why in my Lettering Bootcamp e-course and lettering workbooks, I provide a variety of assignments to get you to explore new tools and methods. Eventually, you are bound to find the combination that feels right for you, which will in turn allow you to pick up some speed and have positive results each time.
   
4. What does their process look like?
   It’s always interesting to see other artist’s creative process, however keep in mind that their way is not THE only way to do things. I for example, HATE sketching out my lettering work in pencil first then inking it and erasing the pencil marks. I also don’t use rulers to draw my words in a straight line. I just don’t have the patience to be that meticulous about my work, which is why a curved, bouncy style works best for me.
   
5. Why can’t I draw like they do?
   Because you’re probably comparing your 10th hour of lettering practice to their 4,382 hours of lettering practice. Therefore, they’ve already traveled through the unknown creative territories you have yet to explore. They have created muscle memory you are yet to discover and they have developed a style that defines their work while you are still trying to find that one marking tool that will be your “go-to pen”.
   

One more thing.
If you’ve invested time and money in taking hand lettering courses and buying the trendiest lettering tools that alone won’t make you a better lettering artist just like buying a salad won’t make you skinny. It’s the changing of habits that makes a difference. Just like changing your habits to nourish and exercise your body daily will have a physical impact in the way you look, creating the habit of practicing your hand lettering for 15 minutes a day will have an impact in the way your letters look.

And if you’re thinking “maybe lettering isn’t for me,” I don’t mean to sound discouraging but honestly, if you don’t love the process of creating more than you love the outcome, then perhaps lettering simply served a different purpose in your life. Perhaps it has or it will lead you to discover new friendships or a totally different interest, like MATS did for me. And that's okay because in life, everything we do is a stepping stone to the next experience in our journey.

Before I go, I want to let you know of an awesome lettering supplies giveaway I am hosting on Instagram. If you haven't heard about it, head on over to my Instagram feed to get all the deets. Deadline to enter is this Friday, April 28th at 11:59pm Pacific Time.

As always, I encourage you to send me a quick note with any of your lettering questions. I'll be happy to answer them by email or newsletter, because I'm sure others will have similar, if not the same, questions as well.

If you made it this far, please give yourself a pat on the back. Thanks for hanging out with me today. I truly value and appreciate your time.

All the best, you lettering coach,
Dio =]

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.

60 years ago today, in a small town in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, my mom came into this world as the 3rd born out of 10 kids total. And you know what? My dad also happens to be 1 out of 10 kids so yes, I have a huge family with lots and lots of tias, tios, cousins - and I wouldn't have it any other way! I love being part of such a big family, and most important of all, I love that she is my mom and that she gave me awesome siblings - ha! So, happy hump day my friends! And to this amazing, smart, strong woman of courage and faith that I get to call "mom", a very very Feliz Cumpleaños. I love you mom!