Lettering suggestions, please

house · 07-19-2010, 08:46 PM

Hi you guys and gals. It's been suggested to me, by someone with whom I greatly respect, to really try and push my lettering skills. So I'm here to do just that. Please let me know what works, what doesn't and where I stand so I can really start to drive my lettering to the next level. Thanks!

First, from our now-defunct and waiting for a new home, Zuda submission.

page 1

page 3

page 5

page 8

So, there we go. Thanks for taking a peek.

-House

Jason Arthur · 07-19-2010, 09:23 PM

Ok, a few things first... very nice for someone that just started. You show a pretty good understanding for how this process is supposed to go.

BUT... you show some common beginner mistakes too.

1. Crossbar I's are generally conserved for instances of "I, I'll, I'm, I'd" and occasionally names "Iraq, Iran, Iman, Ingrid" but I rarely use crossbar I's for names, myself.

2. Tails/pointers should always appear to come from the middle of the balloon (imagine an X right in the dead center of the balloon and draw a straight line from there to the speaker's mouth. Your tail should do just that).

3. Breaking panel borders. You do it a few times and none appear to be necessary. Try to keep everything in panel unless the art absolutely prohibits it or if it somehow aids the reader along from panel to panel without distracting them.

The biggest thing that jumped out at me was on your page 8. What order am I supposed to read those panels in, because you butted a balloon to the right side of what I guess is panel two, but then you also broke the panel with text at the bottom. Which way do I go?

Again, this is better than I started out at, so nice work. Just a few improvements to help push you to the next level.

-- J

t_orzechowski · 07-20-2010, 03:25 AM

What Jason said. The most important consideration a letterer brings to a page is a clear order in which the balloons/captions are read. If it's ambiguous, the reader looses the rhythm of the page and the spell of the story is interrupted.

house · 07-20-2010, 05:31 AM

Thanks a bunch. I had a feeling I was going about that page 8 dialog wrong...

I swear I knew that about the crossbar "I"'s... grr, fat fingered the very first balloon. Nice.

Thanks for that bit about the tails. I will definitely work on that. Visualizing an X will help.

So breaking horizontally is reserved for cluttered panels and to enforce the reader that there's no time gap between the panels. Got it.

I can understand not breaking borders vertically. That's just dopey. Who would even do that...

Thanks for everything so far! Some of the things that take me the longest to get satisfied with are the SFX. On page 3, the robot's binary transmission effect. Does that work? Should I think to do it differently?

btw, I love that. The "spell of the story". I know exactly what you mean by that and can absolutely see how that pesky page 8 distracts the reader from that.

-House
(the "other" JasonM)

t_orzechowski · 07-20-2010, 04:42 PM

The binary transmission is fantastic. I'll find an excuse to use it myself!

house · 07-20-2010, 05:22 PM

Very cool, thanks! I was specifically worried about that. Like I was saying, I'm still trying to build up my confidence with SFX, so that was a nail biter.

Here's a couple more pages from that story. Please disregard the coloring. That's a whole issue unto itself with drama, payments, and junk that would be perfect for forgetting. Please just look at the lettering, and let me know again what does well and what's just pure junk. You can't hurt my feelings

Page 2

Page 4

Page 6

Thanks again for looking. Rest assured, I'm taking the comments to heart!
-House
(the "other" JasonM)

house · 07-25-2010, 06:59 PM

Ok, a new page... Fresh off the lessons learned. Plus, it's a sneak peek at our DWP 2.0 story

Let me know if any of your comments are sinking in or whether I'm just a bone-head, thanks!

Again, thanks for everything. I honestly do feel like I'm evolving... Do the tails seem to center better now? Also, what's your thoughts on the SFX "Ding". Much obliged

-House
(the "other" JasonM)

Comics Commando · 08-06-2010, 04:52 AM

Overall, not bad, but like a lot of new stuff out there--the SFX are pretty lame.

Like yer just typing the word and rotating it.

Look at pro-level comics and see how the sfx relates to the art [and to the story]--it's a slippery slope, but with keen observation, you can crack the code.

And why are they semi-transparent? Or is that my monitor playing tricks on me?

A sound-effect is supposed to have visual power....not blend with the background.

Best,

Kurt Hathaway
Cartoon Balloons Studio

Lettering / Logos / Fonts / Pre-Press / Page Design / Motion Graphics
for Print or Web / Entertainment, Advertising or Education!

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETGevjPkZso

07-19-2010, 08:46 PM	#1
house the other JasonM Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: near Wash. DC Posts: 64	Lettering suggestions, please Hi you guys and gals. It's been suggested to me, by someone with whom I greatly respect, to really try and push my lettering skills. So I'm here to do just that. Please let me know what works, what doesn't and where I stand so I can really start to drive my lettering to the next level. Thanks! First, from our now-defunct and waiting for a new home, Zuda submission. page 1 page 3 page 5 page 8 So, there we go. Thanks for taking a peek. -House

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07-19-2010, 09:23 PM	#2
Jason Arthur Starving Letterer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 4,501	Ok, a few things first... very nice for someone that just started. You show a pretty good understanding for how this process is supposed to go. BUT... you show some common beginner mistakes too. 1. Crossbar I's are generally conserved for instances of "I, I'll, I'm, I'd" and occasionally names "Iraq, Iran, Iman, Ingrid" but I rarely use crossbar I's for names, myself. 2. Tails/pointers should always appear to come from the middle of the balloon (imagine an X right in the dead center of the balloon and draw a straight line from there to the speaker's mouth. Your tail should do just that). 3. Breaking panel borders. You do it a few times and none appear to be necessary. Try to keep everything in panel unless the art absolutely prohibits it or if it somehow aids the reader along from panel to panel without distracting them. The biggest thing that jumped out at me was on your page 8. What order am I supposed to read those panels in, because you butted a balloon to the right side of what I guess is panel two, but then you also broke the panel with text at the bottom. Which way do I go? Again, this is better than I started out at, so nice work. Just a few improvements to help push you to the next level. -- J

07-20-2010, 03:25 AM	#3
t_orzechowski Old School student Join Date: May 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 669	What Jason said. The most important consideration a letterer brings to a page is a clear order in which the balloons/captions are read. If it's ambiguous, the reader looses the rhythm of the page and the spell of the story is interrupted.

07-20-2010, 05:31 AM	#4
house the other JasonM Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: near Wash. DC Posts: 64	Thanks a bunch. I had a feeling I was going about that page 8 dialog wrong... I swear I knew that about the crossbar "I"'s... grr, fat fingered the very first balloon. Nice. Thanks for that bit about the tails. I will definitely work on that. Visualizing an X will help. So breaking horizontally is reserved for cluttered panels and to enforce the reader that there's no time gap between the panels. Got it. I can understand not breaking borders vertically. That's just dopey. Who would even do that... Thanks for everything so far! Some of the things that take me the longest to get satisfied with are the SFX. On page 3, the robot's binary transmission effect. Does that work? Should I think to do it differently? btw, I love that. The "spell of the story". I know exactly what you mean by that and can absolutely see how that pesky page 8 distracts the reader from that. -House (the "other" JasonM)

07-20-2010, 04:42 PM	#5
t_orzechowski Old School student Join Date: May 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 669	The binary transmission is fantastic. I'll find an excuse to use it myself!

07-20-2010, 05:22 PM	#6
house the other JasonM Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: near Wash. DC Posts: 64	Very cool, thanks! I was specifically worried about that. Like I was saying, I'm still trying to build up my confidence with SFX, so that was a nail biter. Here's a couple more pages from that story. Please disregard the coloring. That's a whole issue unto itself with drama, payments, and junk that would be perfect for forgetting. Please just look at the lettering, and let me know again what does well and what's just pure junk. You can't hurt my feelings Page 2 Page 4 Page 6 Thanks again for looking. Rest assured, I'm taking the comments to heart! -House (the "other" JasonM)

07-25-2010, 06:59 PM	#7
house the other JasonM Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: near Wash. DC Posts: 64	Ok, a new page... Fresh off the lessons learned. Plus, it's a sneak peek at our DWP 2.0 story Let me know if any of your comments are sinking in or whether I'm just a bone-head, thanks! Again, thanks for everything. I honestly do feel like I'm evolving... Do the tails seem to center better now? Also, what's your thoughts on the SFX "Ding". Much obliged -House (the "other" JasonM)

08-06-2010, 04:52 AM	#8
Comics Commando Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 590	Overall, not bad, but like a lot of new stuff out there--the SFX are pretty lame. Like yer just typing the word and rotating it. Look at pro-level comics and see how the sfx relates to the art [and to the story]--it's a slippery slope, but with keen observation, you can crack the code. And why are they semi-transparent? Or is that my monitor playing tricks on me? A sound-effect is supposed to have visual power....not blend with the background. Best, Kurt Hathaway Cartoon Balloons Studio Lettering / Logos / Fonts / Pre-Press / Page Design / Motion Graphics for Print or Web / Entertainment, Advertising or Education! Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETGevjPkZso