$149.00
Add excitement to ordinary serif & sans serif lettering with decorative swashes and eye-catching embellishments—great for all skill levels!
NOTE: This is a recording of the Swash Lettering Workshop conducted on June 21, 2025. You will receive the PDF guidebook and a link to the Zoom recording via email < em>within 24-48 hours after checkout. To view the recording, you need to provide the email address associated with your Zoom account. You will have unlimited access to the recording until the link expires on October 1, 2025.
PLEASE READ: By signing up to view this recording you agree to the Terms and Conditions* listed below. Taxes may apply. Unfortunately, we cannot offer non-profit tax exemptions at this time. Make sure that your email address is correct before you complete purchase.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Flashy flourishes and inviting typographic ornaments are perfect for bringing serif and sans serif letters to life. The looping, curling, and flowing forms of decorative embellishments add energy and attract attention to all kinds of lettering, from professional applications like logos and advertisements, to personal pieces and passion projects. In this entertaining info-packed workshop, you’ll learn how to use lively swashes to turn ordinary serif and sans-serif styles into exciting hand-lettered creations.
This in-depth online class begins with a overview of swash letters, covering fundamental concepts, key terminology, and important structural details. Next, we examine the forms of several foundational typographic styles, identifying ideal points for extending flourished strokes. After discussing placement, you’ll learn methods for drawing and composing swashes in hand-lettered layouts, with a focus on construction, sizing, and positioning. You’ll also understand how to produce consistent strokes, establish good proportions, and balance negative spaces inside and around swash letters. Whether you’re an experienced pro, aspiring artist, or just an enthusiastic lettering buff, you’ll gain practical hands-on know-how for producing stunning swashes and looped letterforms in a variety of design settings for commercial jobs and personal projects alike.
We delve into these topics and more as I illustrate them in real time. Sketch along with me as I answer swash-related questions during this comprehensive instructional presentation and drawing demonstration.
You’ll receive a detailed 38-page PDF guidebook to help you create your own dramatic decorative letterforms. Add the 27-page bonus workbook to your purchase for extra concepts and exercises as you dive deeper into the exciting world of swash lettering!!
Viewing time is approximately 5 hours.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to:
• How to energize standard serif and sans serif letter styles with stunning swashes
• The best letter styles to embellish with decorative strokes
• How to construct and compose swash elements in lettering layouts
• Common structures of swash and flourish embellishments
• How to properly size and space ornamented letters
• Techniques for modifying the contours of swashes and their components
• How to optimize swash letters in different design contexts
• Hands-on drawing methods for creating well-crafted and attention-getting swash lettering
This workshop is ideal for:
• Beginners and novice artists interested in establishing a practical foundation for drawing swash letters
• Experienced letterers who want to add excitement to ordinary serif and sans serif lettering
• Students from my previous workshops who are ready to upgrade their skill set and expand their range of styles
• Designers seeking a broader typographic palette to aid in type selection and style pairing
• Typeface designers who would like to add embellished letterforms to retail or custom fonts
• Art directors who want to confidently hire skilled lettering artists, and improve their communication with professional letterers
• Illustrators and other creatives interested in adding decorative swash letterforms to their work
You'll need these materials if you choose to draw along with me:
• pencils and a pencil sharpener
• an eraser
• tracing paper
• grid/graph paper
• a ruler
• a computer or other electronic device, a reliable internet connection, plus a Zoom account to join the live online meeting and to watch the video recording
• access to a printer if you want to refer to a hard copy of the PDF guidebook
• a copy of my Lettering Manual is strongly recommended
• Although I draw in Procreate on an iPad, no hardware or software instruction is given.
Swash Lettering is perfect for enthusiastic students of all skill levels—watch the workshop today!
Hi! I'm Ken Barber, a lettering artist, type designer, educator, and author of the award-winning Lettering Manual. I blame Don Martin comics, Santa Cruz skateboard graphics, and speed metal logos for my infatuation with letterforms. For 30 years, I've produced dozens of fonts, as well as brand identities for companies worldwide—including Sandals Resorts, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Only Vegas, the city of Los Angeles, and the Broadway musical, The Cher Show. My work is in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. I'm the type director and studio letterer at House Industries, and an instructor at The Cooper Union in New York City.
*TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF TICKET PURCHASE:
1. Ownership and Usage Rights: By registering for access to this recording, you hereby agree to the following stipulations:
a. Individual Use Only: The playback of this recording is exclusively intended for the individual who has purchased a ticket and is strictly prohibited for collective, corporate, or educational group use.
b. Restricted Use of Workshop Materials: All PDF workshop materials, including guidebooks and/or workbooks, are designated solely for personal use and must not be disseminated, duplicated, in part or in whole, or otherwise shared. You are authorized to produce one single copy for your own personal reference.
c. Ownership of Workshop Materials: Swash Lettering PDF guidebook and Swash Lettering PDF workbook is the exclusive property of Ken Barber.
2. Refund Policy: Due to the nature of this digital product, no refunds will be provided after purchase. It is imperative that you ensure your capability to access a reliable internet connection for viewing the workshop and receiving the PDF materials.
3. Access Expiration Date: Access to viewing the workshop will expire on October 1, 2025.
4. No Guarantee of Success or Profit: You acknowledge and agree that there is no guarantee of the ticket purchaser reaching a level of success or that you will gain any professional profit by viewing this workshop and using the class materials.
5. Non-Acceptance of Terms: Should you decline to acknowledge and abide by these terms, please do not purchase a ticket for this recording.
6. Group Use: If you require access for a group or intend to employ this material in a collective setting, please contact us to discuss group rates and request authorization for such usage.
By proceeding with the purchase of a ticket, you affirm your understanding and consent to the aforementioned terms and conditions.