Hand Lettering 101 with Annica Lydenberg

Omg I can't not hear her smacking and the word um :( I don't mean to be hurtful but her content was there but I couldn't make it more then half way At one point I swear she was doing the smacking or tsk on purpose. Maybe if that was worked on people could appreciate how great the content is?

This class was exactly what I needed to re-gain confidence in hand lettering. I majored in illustration 10+ years ago and while I did take a typography class in school, it's been many years and I was feeling rusty and nervous about hand lettering. This class refreshed my memory on various typography principles and gave me ideas on various styles I can reference to create my own lettering. I love the format where I can watch her example and then try it for myself - it's like training wheels and works perfectly for me as a visual learner. Annica is obviously a pro at what she does and she's also really good at explaining what she's doing and why. I am really happy with this class and thankful to Annica for sharing her knowledge and experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Annica clearly knows her stuff and explains well how to draw the different types of letters. I'm very inspired and will be continuing to learn how to draw letters better. Some reviewers are complaining about the f word that's in one of the slides. Man, it's just s stupid word. As an adult (parent/teacher/guardian) if you can't even explain the definition, context, and significance of that word, you've got a lot of rough years ahead of you while trying to parent or teach a young one. The inclusion of the word has no affect on the content of the class. Get over it! And there are complains about her nuanced delivery style. Please! Find something more significant to complain about.

She's good at what she does. I learned a lot in this class.

Can someone PLEASE ask her to stop smacking her lips and saying Ummmmmm, it is it very distracting. It is giving me a spastic colon so I have to click off of her. Great info but her nervous tick is nerve racking.

Super interesting content and I'm looking forward to sharing what I've learned with my students. However, I am going to mention that I am cringing through this because of all the vocalized pauses by the presenter. She's adorable and does a lovely job, but the, "*lip smack* ummm..." is killing me. I know it seems nit picky, but when my students do in-class presentations, I count off for this. I'm hoping that making this comment might help presenters in the future to be aware of this really annoying and distracting habit.

A hands on experience. A fun structure and a great teacher. The only thing I wished, as I'm a newe, it would be a bit of previous explanation on some terminology - at the end I've got it, but I was a bit lost at the beggining!

I wish there was thumbs halfway icon. Yes, I'm learning some lettering tips. However, the lesson starts talking about designing a word map. I think that would make more sense at the end of the class, AFTER learning the techniques. Also, there are a few places where you can't see what the pencil is doing because the instructors hand is in the way.

I considered buying this for a class of primary children (anda myself) - for better or worse, I'd be shot if I allowed the use of the F word in a class. Wonder if there is anyway a F-less example could be available?

Rating this is difficult because there are positives and negatives. I watched the course and enjoyed it, but there isn't enough information and education to validate purchasing it. For a graphic designer or someone who knows typography and wants to have a fun challenge around hand drawn lettering, it's fine. However, it's not a course for absolute beginners because the presenter speaks about typographic principles and assumes the audience knows the names of the parts of type when giving directions and doesn't provide enough explanations. There is no history given as to why letterforms are drawn the way they are, whether as traditional hand lettering, calligraphy or even in sign painting, other than the passing recommendation for viewers to research this. All of the comments here are correct. I too was surprised to see the F-word in a featured piece and the lack of contrast when watching her draw was a problem. CreativeLive needs to vet new presenters and perhaps have them do a dry-run of the lessons to critique them. Additionally, her"umms", "super" and "super fun" fillers are tiresome. I think the presenter is talented and has a lot to offer but this felt more like a design challenge rather than an educational course. It would have been useful to primarily show professional applications rather than so many self-directed projects. There is another hand lettering /calligraphy course I watched part of previously that was a better "101" course, to which this course would be an appropriate follow-up.

I like the way Annica tells you what you are going to do, then she demonstrates it and then you do it yourself. She knows her subject well and her lesson objectives are clear and to the point. How do I know.?..I'm a teaching mentor also an art teacher and sign painting/lettering artist. I watched this hand lettering class in order to review and to learn how someone else approaches this "not very interesting subject" as some previous reviewers have suggested . I happen to find it most interesting. I love being able to write and communicate using my art and teaching skills. One reviewer criticized the way Annica instructed with "um" and a clicking noise. But the one criticism that really stood out was the F-word which unfortunately seemed to take precedence over all else for some. Granted you wouldn't want to illustrate a word that children or parents might interpret as being acceptable. A good teacher would not demonstrate that but observing Annica I can see she is a beginning teacher who might need a little guidance. So consider this "guidance" Annica - you are a teacher and you represent all of us teachers. We aren't in our 20's or even 40's - we've been in the trenches and we know that beginning teaching is very challenging. But you must remember that you are a model for children that we hope you expect to grow up to be good decent human beings. Some adults need that guidance as well. And yes, children will already know these words (pay attention parents) but it is not up to you to teach it to them. You, the teacher, are to teach to the highest professional level. As for the "um" and the clicking noise at the end of a sentence - that is something you can correct easily - try to record your lessons and listen. Remember - you represent the most respected of professions, your language must be accurate, acceptable and reflect the knowledge of your subject area, You did a good lesson in hand lettering and covered the most important concepts for a beginner to know. It's a shame that some of the reviewers refused to watch the rest of your lessons and some of them even complained about your silence as you did the letters. Perhaps a little more understanding on their part could have been more beneficial, particularly since one of them was a gifted educator (my Masters also), and did not recognize the cognitive mind working and literally submerged in your lettering skills. This is a fine class and I hope you continue to do more. You are organized, give a lot of information and demonstrate impeccably. Good luck...from your Mentor Teacher.

Excellent class - well organized and comprehensive. Rather than teaching how to create specific letter forms like many lettering classes, this course teaches you about a wide variety of forms, what they are called, how to create them, and how you can change them up. Annica is not teaching you how to letter like she does; she is giving you the tools to do your own thing. Thank you!

i love this letering course its cool.

The class is good. I can't get past the mouth noises though. The smack at the end of every sentence is a little annoying, well a lot. I was looking forward to the class and purchasing it, but won't pay the money now. And I don't blame the teacher 100% - I think CreativeLive should advise the instructors on the nuances of being mic'd up.

I've always been curious how to create some of the cool typography styles I see in artwork and design and this class defined so many different examples. It is a great tool and stepping stone for creating really unique type. I would love to see an alphabet of each style so I can be sure that I am using the correct letterforms for each. The instructor gives a few examples and is easy to follow. Overall awesome!

A really great class for hand lettering techniques. The class was easy to follow, the instructor was great, and gave great examples of different styles to follow. Hand lettering has always been one of those things that I have wanted to develop and this class was finally one that I could use to start working on my skills. I would recommend this class to anyone starting hand lettering but also for those wanting to add some techniques to their existing knowledge.

What a great way to experiment with 15 different lettering styles. I found the progression, pace and instruction to be just right. I feel like I have more lettering styles in my toolbox and I look forward to coming back to practice those that I feel less comfortable with.

Great course! I recently developed an interest in Hand Lettering, but it's been total mystery to me. The instructor opened my eyes to a new world. She breaks down the process so simply, you do not have to be an artist to follow along. I am so excited to practice my new skill. Thank you!

I began watching a sample lesson, and it looked really good and really informative. However, I couldn't make it past the four-minute mark because the otherwise excellent instructor sounds like a Kardashian with the vocal fry and the upspeak. I hope this is not too brusque, but no one speaks that way naturally. They pick it up. It's tough on the brain to hear the fry when you're trying to learn. The upspeak I could deal with a little.

Very good class, especially for those artists who don't know how to approach lettering. The teacher starts at the beginning and shows how to build up letters in different styles. I highly recommend it. There are quite periods when the teacher is actually drawing letters of the complete words, one can draw along and check one's work against hers. This class demystified lettering enough that I can tackle it on my own.

I think this is a great class! Thanks Annica for helping to take the mystery out of lettering!

This is an EXCELLENT class. I really, really enjoyed it. I have always liked playing around with hand lettering but was completely self-taught. This course showed me a lot of little tips and tricks that I did not know anything about. The instructor is very talented and has a nice, casual presentation style. The course is divided into small, logical chunks that make it easy to learn a new skill and then practice on your own. The only downside is that it is sometimes hard to see what the instructor is doing because she writes so lightly. Other times, the camera is in an awkward position that blocks the page she is writing on. But, overall, a wonderful experience. Thank you!