Lettering to the Max

by Ivan Castro, Alex Trochut (Foreword)

Ivan Castro’s new volume on the art of creating distinctive hand-drawn letterforms approaches the subject from a less technical perspective than its predecessor, The ABC of Custom Lettering. It’s a beginner-friendly workbook that outlines the essential tools and materials required to get started and uses a wealth of lettering samples, sketches and drawings to explain, step by step, how to produce stylish design, crafts and DIY projects. The basic principles of lettering are covered in detail – from understanding letter structure and anatomy and giving letters shape and expression, to using them to create complex compositions – while practical exercises allow the reader not only to hone their newfound skills but to experiment with and develop their own ideas. In-depth but accessible, this is a fun guide for budding lettering artists that also provides a wealth of information for experienced or professional designers.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2018

About the author

Ivan Castro is a graphic designer based in Barcelona, Spain, who specializes in calligraphy, lettering, and typography. His work involves everything from advertising to editorial, and from packaging to logo design and gig posters. Although Ivan claims to have no specific style, one could say that he has a strong respect for the history of popular culture. He has been working in the field for 15 years, and has been teaching calligraphy and lettering for 10 years in the main design schools in Barcelona. He travels frequently, holding workshops and giving lectures at design festivals and conferences.

Reviews

[Nela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's shorter and less detailed than "The ABC of Custom Lettering" by the same author. I'll probably give this one away because there's a lot of duplicate information in the two books, and what is unique for this book isn't very interesting to me. It's more intended for crafty people that like scrapbooking, home decor, and such. The ABC is more useful for designers, professional lettering artists, and sketchnoters/graphic recorders, as it covers more calligraphy and lettering styles in more detail than this book.