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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Ready to explore and perfect the way you draw your letter M? Join me during the month of March with this lettering/doodle challenge as we tackle words that begin with "M".

Take it a step further and download the workbook which contains inspiration and instructions to help you push through your comfort zone and get those letters into tip-top shape. Click below to take a peek inside...

Can't wait to see all your "Magnificent" work! Please note that I will be posting my drills @PaisleyInParis, which will allow the @LetteringBootcamp feed to be your "go-to" place for the latest Lettering Bootcamp challenges.

Lettering Tips and Inspiration
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There's so many reasons why I love hand lettering, but by far my favorite of all is being able to create one of a kind gifts for the people I love.

Above is a short 30 second video showing you the wood burning process as I created a personalized hand lettered spoon for a friend. It usually takes me about a half hour to sketch and burn one side of a spoon. It's indeed a labor of love, and given the amount of time it takes, this isn't a product I'll be adding to my shop often. 

The Maria spoon was part of a little hand crafted gift package which included another spoon that read "God bless this home" (in Spanish as shown below). I paired them with a kitchen towel and a jar of my home made salsa - and you bet Maria was happy! 

If you want to learn how to make unique gifts like these, make sure you sign up for my newsletter to receive inspiration and lettering tips directly to your inbox. 

Xoxo, Dio

I have always been curious about the way other artists experience the creative process and often wondered if I was doing it “right.” Now with a bit more experience under my belt and thanks to our ability to peek into the lives of other artists via social media, I realize, there is no right or wrong way to create art. Art is a journey as unique to each one of us as our finger prints. There is no right or wrong way to walk through the creative process. You just do. And you learn a whole lot along the way as you discover what works for you, what doesn’t and what techniques to use to achieve a certain look in your work.

So with that in mind, I share with you a short clip of my Valentine's Day bedtime doodles, so that you can peek into my sketchbook and see my creation process. This is the kind of stuff I do every day, just doodle in my sketchbook quickly, without restrictions to simply put a new image out into the world. If I like it, I take it to Phase 2 where I digitize my work, then Phase 3 where I prep the files to be used on stationery or printed on mugs. All topics I will cover through this newsletter and blog in the coming weeks.

I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day and most important of all, I hope you got in little bit of drawing and lettering practice in your own sketchbook as well. 

Xoxo, Dio

Lettering Tips and Inspiration
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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:

1. try to improve my hand lettering skills with each day that goes by
2. try to get back to doodling, something I haven't done much of since the beginning of this year when I shifted my focus to hand lettering
3. try to learn a new software application
4. and aim to entertain and inspire with each piece that I create

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! 

Click the button below to download a printable PDF of the October Lettering and Doodle challenge.

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!