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!