GLORIA ROUBAL'S WEEKLY LETTERING #6 - hand painted, acrylic on wood: This is NOT Goodbye

I went to a workshop in hand-painted lettering last weekend. What a blast! I really enjoyed it. I had picked up my board ahead of time and had my under-sketch already done before I went, so that saved me a lot of time. Even so, three hours wasn't nearly enough time to complete it so I took it home along with the paint I had mixed and finished it there. I'm entering it along with (yes, really) 24 other pieces in the abCU show at Gallery 217! The opening reception will be on Friday, April 8, and the show runs all weekend.

For more about the abCU show: thecudo.org/portfolio/abcu/
To see more of my work: gloriaroubal.com

Acrylic paint on wooden board

I really like the colors I chose for this piece as well as using dots instead of lines (I tried lines; they just didn't look right). This is the first actual hand-painted lettering piece I've ever done. I'm looking forward to trying again soon. :)

• • • • •

By the way, I designed the lettering for the abCU 2016 poster as well as the Maker's March poster (Matt Farrell designed the rest of the poster in both cases. Nice teamwork!).

• • • • •

I also designed the posters for the abCU shows in 2014 and 2015:

abCU 2014 poster

abCU 2015 poster

• • • • •

Finally, here are a few of the pieces I am entering this year:

Whimsical bead and wire piece

Screenprint and T-shirt

printed on cool paper

GLORIA ROUBAL'S WEEKLY LETTERING #5 - All is Not Lost

I guess I'm in a specific phase of lettering: creating some kind of dimension. It's really fun to do, and it's interesting to see how different types of letter forms look when I add this. I'm not going to worry about shadows and other nuances quite yet. I need to figure out a way to make this type of design more interesting first. It's getting there!

I like the positivity of the message. It's actually derived from a Coldplay song lyric, "Everything's not lost." Why does everyone seem to hate Coldplay, by the way? Admittedly, I haven't liked anything they've done since A Rush of Blood to the Head, but that was a damn good record, IMHO! Anyway, I make no apologies for what I like in art, music, movies, books, and so on. I like Coldplay. So there. Rant over. Well, it wasn't really a rant. But in any case...that is all.

Gloria Roubal's Weekly Lettering Project #4: He's My Brandy Alexander

This is a line from one of my favorite songs by Feist. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

I might go back later and embellish the design a bit, but I really like how the letters turned out and how the composition as a whole looks. Hope you enjoy.

Lyrics to the song are below.

Link to the song: Brandy Alexander by Feist

Brandy Alexander

by Feist

Though I'd like to be the girl for him
And cross the sea and land for him
On milky skin my tongue is sand until
The ever distant band begins to play

He's my Brandy Alexander
Always gets me into trouble
But that's another matter
Brandy Alexander

He's my Brandy Alexander
Always gets me into trouble
But that's another matter
Brandy Alexander

Though I know what I love most of him
I'm walking on needles and pins
My addiction to the worst of him
The low moon helps me sing

I'm his Brandy Alexander
Always get him into trouble
I hide that I'm flattered
Brandy Alexander

I'm his Brandy Alexander
Always get him into trouble
I hide that I'm flattered
Brandy Alexander

Goes down easy
(Easy)
It goes down easy
(Easy)

It goes down easy
(Easy)
It goes down easy
(Easy)

It goes down easy
(Easy)
It goes down easy
(Easy)

It goes down easy
(Easy)
It goes down easy
(Easy)

Brandy Alexander
Brandy Alexander
Brandy Alexander
Brandy Alexander

Gloria Roubal's Weekly Lettering Project #3: Love is limitless

I believe this statement with all of my heart.

In terms of my attempt to make progress in my hand generated type phrases, if the image is enlarged, you should be able to see shadowing in the dark purple "dimensional" part of each letter. I think I need to take it into Photoshop to do it correctly, but I did it using Illustrator. I like different aspects of this design, but somehow it didn't all come together the way I had envisioned. I do like the designs that surround the lettering and the way the letters do seem to pop off of the surface/background. I like the white/silver lines that are on each of the letters in "limitless." I'm getting there... I didn't spend as much time on this as I would have liked. But now it's time to let this one go and start on the next. :)

Mary Kate McDevitt. Another Spectacular Letterer!

I keep searching for and easily finding letterers and illustrators and designers about whom I have never heard.

I came across Mary Kate McDevitt in an article in PRINT magazine from February 21, 2015. The article is entitled,"The Explosive Hand Lettering Rebellion." Check it out! Lots of extremely cool pieces by several different letterers (including Mary Kate).

Mary Kate McDevitt's website


I love to see the initial sketch prior to adding color and shading, etc. Here is one such example:

I absolutely love everything about this piece! Here is what Mary Kate says about it on her website:

Heartwork Poster

I was pleased as punch to create a poster for the great organization Heartwork. Heartwork is a project designed to raise money for art supplies within the art room at Target House—this wonderful home-away-from-home for the families of children facing long-term treatment at St. Jude® Children's Research Hospital. The theme of the collection of posters is "hope" and this years line up was filled with talented folks. Check out the entire collection, but I think all the posters are sold out.

Client: Heartwork

I'm a sucker for dots and flourishes. I also have a thing for ampersands. I want to get better at designing the "decorations" that go with the lettering... like this. And, I love the faded and slightly distressed peach-colored background behind everything.

Better Call Saul... Tobias Saul, that is.

I LOVE this! I want to learn how to do this amazingly detailed type of lettering. And, I love that Tobias Saul, the letterer (check out his website below), used the title of one of my favorite TV shows, "Better Call Saul" for his self-promotion! SO cool.

http://www.tobiassaul.de/

Here are a couple more of his lettering pieces:

Weekly Lettering Project #2: Makers Gonna Make

I'm sure this phrase has been said/made before. I'm getting ready to go to three "maker's" workshops on the next three consecutive Saturdays. One is paper-making, one is screen printing, and one is hand painted lettering. I'm really excited for all three of them, and I hope that at least one piece will be good enough to enter into the abCU show in Downtown Champaign, April 8-10!

I'm really happy that I am starting to figure out how to do this three dimensional look on my lettering. The next thing I need to learn is how to make realistic-looking shadows. I should look online for a tutorial. Also, I have free access to Lynda.com classes through my Champaign Public Library card! I'll check there, too.

I wish I had added more detail to the background for this piece, but maybe it doesn't need it. On to weekly lettering project #3!

Have a great week!