Hey there, welcome to Lettering with Ning!
I've been into typography and lettering since I was a kid. I even made my own crappy fonts when I was like 12!!
Back then, typography design wasn't a big thing in
Thailand, until, ฟอนต์.คอม
(f0nt.com) was founded. Then, there was a surge of enthusiastic
people. I was on the first wave of it all because I couldn't stand the
boring typefaces on my computer! So, I started creating my
fonts and putting them up there. Admittedly, I doubt anyone
used them because they were pretty bad. But it was a great learning
experience for me, helping me understand the different
personalities of typefaces.
Eventually, I got into
listening to hip-hop and got drawn to graffiti. While making typefaces
has its rules and structure, graffiti feels like solving a
puzzle. You've got to know the alphabet inside out and figure
out ways to twist, pick, and blend them in the available space. To me,
graffiti represents a kind of fierce freedom where people
express themselves with passion. It's bold, colorful, and
unapologetically demanding of attention. I had been on my
graffiti/hip-hop/b-boy phase a few years before switching gears to
explore other interests.
I started my interest in lettering again when I found
calligraphy. It’s elegant, yet logical. The way each letter
flows into one, but also has its own rhythm depending on the
word, was so fascinating. Modern calligraphy is more
relaxed and much more suitable for lettering design. To me,
it’s like graffiti, just with a different vibe. I bought some brush pens
to try out for a bit, but didn’t stick to them very long because
schoolwork got in the way. Also, doodling in classes is much more fun
than writing more words! LOL
I dabbled a bit in logo
design for my marketing classes. Now it's all about
nailing the alignment and creativity in shaping letters into
objects. A different puzzle! Great! Because branding needs some
basic brand color palette, I also picked up some tips on color theory.
It's amazing how using colors alongside typefaces can enhance
your message.
People say, "Use your words," but the truth is that we can even use each letter to speak for itself!! And even the colors! What a fascinating thing the world has given us.
You’d think I’m an expert after reading this, but no, I'm just a beginner learning bit by bit. Lettering has always been a secret passion of mine, tucked away in the corner of my heart until now. But I think that has to change. It’s time to make my love for lettering shine, to have a dedicated space for it.
So, this blog, Lettering with Ning, is the place for expressing my love of lettering and honing my skills. This will be about my lettering journey: what I've learned, what I've practiced, and the work involved in my behind-the-scenes process. Consider it as a work log that will help me, or anyone trying to get into lettering, better understand this art form.
Let’s have fun, and say cheers to lettering!