Lettering Archives - Ceindy Doodles

Featured Work: Wonder Warrior Tribe Logo

January 19, 2020

by ceindydoodles Design Lettering Logos and Branding

The Need

Sometimes a logo is needed for a new business, sometimes it’s needed because the old logo doesn’t resonate their brand. This time, it’s a passion for a coach who wants to inspire others in her accountability group.

Meet Ashley

Ashley and I actually went to middle school together; I remember her being the first friend to call me at my new house in Virginia. We went on to high school together and stayed friends and I remember her being such a strong young lady, full of opinions, and always stood her ground.

So I’m not surprised at how well she’s adulting. She is a super mom of two kids, super wife, and she also rallies for a small group of women (including yours truly) to work out and eat well as a coach for Beachbody. Monthly coaching calls, weekly meals plans, and daily check-ins are what you can expect in this group. And if you have a question, she will find you an answer. Such a Facebook Group always has a little picture, a moniker that tells the rest of the social media group, a tribe you belong to.

And in that, lies the need for a logo.

The Logo

This logo needed to be versatile, personal, and inspirational. It needed to represent the strength of a warrior and also be approachable. The Beachbody videos are all different, but they all run on the basis that you can do it at home with minimum equipment. So, it also needs that personal touch.

As always, we start with some sketches. Here are some I came up in the beginning, thinking of ways to incorporate a bow and arrow – a graphic chosen by Ashley to represent the Wonder Warrior.

From there, I worked on my Ipad and straightened the lines, cleaned up some ideas and presented them to Ashley. And in that, we found that- she really loved two.

Can you have two logos?

Yes and no. I wouldn’t normally recommend a business to have two logos, but in this instance, we found that it’s truly a personal brand more than a business. In this case, why not have an alternative for T-shirts, stickers, and things like that? We kept a consistent color palette to keep it all cohesive.

Wonder Warrior Tribe Sticker on Bottle Mock Up

It’s been a fun new year to be a part of her group and see how well everyone is doing – and the encouragement is fucking awesome, especially since you’re alone, at home, trying your best. I can’t wait to see how far these graphics will go this year!

If you want to read more about my logo process, I detail the how I created the Strong Not Sorry logo.

Have a need for a logo? I’m your girl! Let’s chat: ceindyton@gmail.com

Lettering on Acrylic

September 21, 2019

by ceindydoodles For the Home Letter Better Lettering

Hello internet friends! I made my first youtube video where I’m actually talking in it! If you’re not interested in watching that but, still want the lowdown on lettering on acrylic – let’s get to it.

Why Lettering on Acrylic?

I love the look of lettering on acrylic. It looks very modern and chic and I love the ability to paint the different colors. I also love the sheen and semi gloss of the acrylic sheet and look of the layers.

Supplies

Here are the things you’ll need:

Your artwork (it can be a sketch if you’d like)
Acrylic Sheet (you can find these in hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s)
Oil-based paint pens (I like to have different points – extra-fine, fine, and medium)
Rubbing Alchohol (this helps you to clean off that paint pen)

Tips on Lettering on Acrylic

After centering the sketch and/or design under the acrylic, I basically trace what I need. Some tips to work on the slippery surface and with paint pens:

If you need more than one stroke on your thick lines, draw them immediately. If you allow the oil paint to dry, it will become tacky and it will streak instead of adding on to the stroke.
Make sure you blot your marker well and have a place to blot it out. If you watch the video, you’ll see that even my marker will overflow. Don’t worry! That’s where the alcohol comes in. You can get a handy dandy spray bottle kind at any pharmacy 😉 Spray some/ soak some on a paper towel and wipe away.

Want more lettering tips? Check out my blog post for beginner lettering tips.

Painting the Back of the Acrylic

The most important thing to remember when painting the back of your acrylic sign is that you have to paint backwards. First, I painted the stars, and then the colors peeking through the black along with the black streaks. To bring in more color, I layered the back with more color and they shined through some of the lighter areas on the acrylic. Using acrylic paints is helpful with the drying time, and since it’s big blocks of color, the chance of the paint getting scratched off is low.

Have any questions or want to talk more about lettering or crafts? Email me at ceindyton@gmail.com. I’d love to chat!

Ceindy Doodles on iPad Pro using Procreate

Favorite Procreate Brushes for Lettering and Illustration

August 28, 2019

by ceindydoodles Design Lettering

About a year and a half ago I professed my love for my iPad Pro and the app Procreate. I am happy to report this love is still going strong and I see a bright future ahead for us. In case you’re still on the fence or you’ve been impressed by some of the lettering I’ve drawn on the iPad, here’s a list of my favorite procreate brushes.

For Sketching

When it comes to sketching, I like to use the Default 6B Pencil you find under the Sketching section. It acts just like a soft pencil and I love the romanticism of it as I try to sketch. I also like how dark it can get as I layer the sketch marks. Sometimes I’ll use this in the final drawing, but usually, I start off with this brush to help layout and get some ideas on the page.

For Digital Chalk Lettering + Illustrations

Ian Barnard’s Chalk Dust kit is my absolute FAVORITE to use for digital chalk lettering. In the drawing above, I used this kit to create the background as well as the lettering. I think the look of these chalk brushes are so authentic and also very easy to use. This pack has a brush called “classic” and I love using it because it’s made more for drawing than for calligraphy (like the default brushes are made for.) If you don’t want to invest in this pack, the default Chalk and Shale brushes are great substitutes under Calligraphy. You can also use pencils in white to give the texture, too.

For Thick and Thin Script Lettering

For this style of lettering, I use a customized version of the default Script brush under Calligraphy. When you double-tap on the brushes, you can move the toggles to create versions of brushes that work best for you and your style. I am still tweaking this one, but I think I’ve found the formula for this style. I love how smooth it is and how much easier it is for me to vectorize in illustrator.

For Fun Illustrations

My absolute GO-TO BRUSHES for illustration (and lettering, too to be honest) are my Bardot Brushes. My favorite set is the mid-century set, which I’m pretty sure is what I’m using in all of the above drawings. I also have the COPICat Markers and those are so much fun to draw with. These brushes bring so much life to my drawings, and there’s such a great variety of them that I can use them for so many different styles. I would love, love, love to get more of her brushes soon to play with. She puts so much care and thought into her sets, and they come with great instructions and she even has video tutorials that teach you how to use them. I mean, is there anything better?

So there you have it, my top favorite procreate brushes. Have you tried any of these? Which do you like, I would love to know! Email me at ceindyton@gmail.com or DM me on instagram to start a nerdy procreate brush conversation – it will be absolutely delightful.

2019 Wedding Signage Trends I’m Excited About

June 10, 2019

by ceindydoodles Design Inspiration Lettering

The wedding season is well underway and I thought it would be fun to share some exciting wedding signage trends I’ve been seeing! We can’t ignore that mirrors, chalkboards, and wooden signs are still going to be very prevalent in weddings. However, I’m here to embrace these new mediums that are becoming more and more popular.

*Please note that not all of these examples are my own work.

Let’s start with my favorite – Acrylic!

I love these see-through beauties. I love it when they are painted on the back, too. They are sleek, modern, and brings such a great air of sophistication. Here’s an awesome table chart I lettered for a bride last year on these panels in the coolest frames.

Table Seating Acrylic Sign by Ceindy Doodles — Photographs from Sara & Brad’s Wedding at Ford’s Colony Country Club in Williamsburg, Virginia. Photography by Justin B. Hankins.

And here’s a dessert table sign for a styled shoot where I convinced my hubby to make a black block stand.

Will Hawkins Photography

Another trend I’ve been seeing are really slick sign holders.

You can go the rustic route with a wooden stand or even a more contemporary route with a painted block. I’ve also seen really modern metal ones which give me heart eyes all over, like the one below from Ink Love and Paper.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ink Love and Paper (@inkloveandpaper) on Apr 30, 2019 at 11:29am PDT

Lastly, a trend that is slowly creeping in is fabric signs, more specifically fabric backdrops.

These are soft and romantic. When adorned with lettering, you’re sure to give your wedding an air of classical, modern, romance.

Here’s a total throwback to a Gilmore Girls styled shoot where was one of my first attempts.

Caitlin Gerres Photography

But truly, these huge backdrops full of beautiful letters are to. die. for.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mason Dixon Designs (@masondixondesignsnc) on Feb 22, 2019 at 8:36am PST

Do we have the same heart eyes going on for these wedding signage trends? Find out more about my wedding signage services and I hope I get to make something dreamy for your wedding.

I Painted a Mural!

March 31, 2019

by ceindydoodles Lettering

Bucket list item check! I painted a mural! This process was pretty different from my previous ones – I think the scariest part about painting a mural is its permanence. Make a mistake and the “erasing” of it is a lot different than chalk or window marker. (Which I did make a mistake and it added some more time- I’ll get into it later.)

Location, Location, Location

I will be the first to tell you that I’m not the best at keeping to personal projects. I love coming up with the ideas and then they sit on that back burner until the water boils out because I never move it to the front. Luckily, Virginia Beach’s VIBE District was looking for artists to donate murals along 18th street.

Normally, I don’t like the idea of free artwork but I decided this was a great boost for me to move a “large mural project” to the front burner, while also being able to paint anything that I wanted. There wasn’t huge pressure on time and it would be the greatest experience of trying and although the exposure didn’t pay my bills, my supplies were being reimbursed and I had experience under my belt. So, I the pros outweighted the cons.

The Idea

Coming up with the mural was a little harder than I expected but it was fun, too. Of course, I wanted to letter a phrase, but I didn’t want anything too long. So I settled with LEAD WITH LOVE for a couple of reasons.

It wasn’t an overused phrase. It wasn’t peace, love, happiness or anything like that. But it had a great message and was inspiring (at least to me).
The words were short, which lent the opportunity to big letters and boldness. It is something I am trying to do every day. I’ve been trying to be more grateful and to be more present in my own life. Why not make your first mural a message that is important to your own life?

FREEBIE ALERT: Here’s a free coloring page inspired by this mural.

The Supplies

After getting the art approved, it was a trip to the hardware store. This specific mural was painted on plyboard since it’s a rotating art piece. Ryan helped me pick up a 4×8 piece of plyboard and off I went scouring the oops paint for matching colors. Whatever I couldn’t find in the oops paint area, I found swatches for and got made. We just recently painted Arik’s room, so we also had some white from that project and many, many brushes.

The Process

First, I digitally mocked up the painting on my iPad in the Procreate app. (I absolutely love this app, and if you’d like more blog posts about it – let me know. I can go on and on about this app.)

After the supply shopping trip, I started on the backdrop. The background of this piece was a gradient of blue to white in the middle. Because of that, I painted the entire white first, so that the blue color will have a primed background. Now, I’m not sure if this step is needed if you were painting a wall, but I wanted to make sure the gradient was very consistent and I didn’t want any of the wood to show through the paint. After the white dried, I poured some white and blue into disposable cups and started painting a gradient. To do this, I started with the blue and would gradually layer in white and went back and forth until it looked right to me. It’s a little nerve-wracking, but after a while, it’s just fun to paint broadly and pretty freely.

Next were the letters. I taped off some of the straight lines and started painting them in. I went back and forth, looking at the mock-up and measuring the board. Since I don’t own a projector, this was honestly the only way I had to transfer this over.

Which led to my mistake.

AGH! I painted the stem of the D way too close to the A. In order to correct my mistake, I had to paint over it. I taped off the A, so I didn’t get any paint on it by accident and painted over the D while I continued to work on the details of the letters. Another tip may be to have taped off the middle decorations in my letters. The yellow I had was very thin and it took multiple layers to paint the decorations in the word LEAD.

For the script, I did lay a light layer of pencil down as a guide. I did have to paint some areas over to cover the pencil marks.

My Finish Line

And then I put on all the finishing touches, the shadowing, the decorative aspects. I did choose to keep this mural on the “easier” side, because of timing, expertise level, and supplies. But overall I am SO proud of it. It will be beautifully hanging on 18th street in Virginia Beach – if you feel compelled to take a photo with it, I would love to see it. Please tag me on social media @ceindydoodles.

Want to learn more about my process? Check out this blog post on my chalk lettering process. Would you like a hand-lettered mural for your business? Email me at ceindyton@gmail.com.

Beginner Lettering Tips

March 3, 2019

by ceindydoodles Letter Better Lettering

Are you just here for the free March wallpaper? Clickity here. If you’d like some beginner lettering tips, read on internet comrade!

I have been lettering for almost 5 years, and I am still learning new things about it all the time. Here are some beginner lettering tips that will help you get a head start if you want to learn how to letter.

Study the alphabet.

This may seem very silly, but since lettering is the act of drawing letters – you should know what they look like. A lot of people knows the gist, but if I was to ask you, when you draw a capital A as a serif – where is the “heavy” stroke – the left or the right? If you didn’t know what I meant when I said serif or didn’t say the right stroke, you should take a hard long look at an alphabet.

I happen to know a few handy fonts that help with this. One of them is called Didot. Didot has very extreme thins, so it’s very easy to look and get a feel for the letters.

Learn some terms – these are the basis of all letterforms

Sans Serif
Serif
Slab Serif
Script
Display/Decorative

Learn some more terms: Google Anatomy of Letters or Typography diagram.

I don’t think you need to know these terms to be good at lettering. But, I do think knowing these terms can help you talk to others when you need help. If you asked “Why does this word look weird?” and someone answered, “Because you have inconsistent x-heights,” you’ll know what they are talking about.

Here’s a quick guide to what’s what (the most important – there’s more) and an example of pretty bad kerning – because that is the killer of all good lettering.

Grid Paper, Tracing Paper, Pencil, and Crayola Markers

Many beginners want to know what pen is this, what pen does that, but you don’t have to invest in a ton of supplies. You really only need these 4 things to start.

Grid paper will help you with sizes and how to keep everything straight and proportional.
Tracing paper will help when you’ve done 3 of the letters perfectly, but you messed up somewhere on the 4th. Tracing paper is a lifesaver.
Pencil – because duh.
Crayola Markers are perfect for practicing your thicks and thins. If you like modern calligraphy but don’t want to spend a ton on new pens, start here.

If you have been using these for a while and want to know my favorite pens and pencil for lettering, check out this blog post.

Are you reading this thinking – GIRL! I KNOW ALL OF THIS ALREADY!

Well, I did say these are beginner lettering tips.

Alright, here’s some more pro tips.

**Practice. Observe. Practice purposely.**

None of this comes “naturally” it comes after a lot of practice. It might come with less practice for some and more for others, but it’s only with purposeful practice that great lettering comes out.

Want more lettering tips? Email me your questions: ceindyton@gmail.com.

Go After Dreams, Not People Chalk Lettering Process

July 17, 2018

by ceindydoodles Design Lettering

Hey there! It’s been quite awhile since I’ve last written a blog. This year, 2018, has been super crazy – and is anyone else feeling like it’s in 2x mode? No? Just me? Anyways, you’re here to learn more about the most recent chalkboard art I created that reads “Go After Dreams – Not People.”

This quote was important to me because, for a very long time, I was always trying to please people. Whether it was my mom, dad, husband, child. I thought it was selfish to work on my ambitions and dreams when obviously, I have to take care of so many people and things. But this year after a crazy (still ongoing) situation that I found myself saying yes to, I’ve realized that I really need to learn how to put myself and my dreams first. I’m still a great daughter, wife, and mother, and I’m constantly working on my temperament and attitude, but I think I’m going in the best direction.

Anyways – enough self- realization! Here’s the process a great chalk lettering composition takes.

First, I did layout sketches in pencil.

Then, I inked it so I can make sure I really liked how it looked. I inked these using Micron pens.

Finally, I worked on the chalkboard. The materials I used was a white chalk pencil to sketch, water and old t-shirt scraps to wipe/clean, and the Chalk Ink markers. I am still in the midst of working with different chalk markers to see which I like best.

I’ve uploaded a video to youtube that shows the process of the chalk lettering. The entire chalk process took about 30 minutes, granted this is with about an hour of sketching and inking beforehand. There was actually a messier sheet of sketches before that, as well. I also spent about 15 minutes after adding embellishments, working on the balance, etc. Here, the video is shortened to 4 minutes, with the whole process speeding up by 8x. I’m hoping to do these process videos at least once a month. Let me know if this is something you would be interested in by emailing me at ceindyton@gmail.com.

Love processes? Check out my blog post on a logo process.

Me and My iPad Pro

March 24, 2018

by ceindydoodles Design Just an Update Lettering

What happens when you get Ceindy a Wawa White Chocolate Mocha in the afternoon? A Ceindy that’s blogging at 2 a.m. Oops. Anyways, the point of this blog is to ooo and ahhh over my new technological bff my iPad Pro. I’ve had it for a few months now and I’ve gotta say I LOVE IT!

Side note about the featured image – my son was watching me write I love my iPad and added in and my son. And who am I to disagree?

About a year ago, I was ANTI-IPAD for the LONGEST TIME. I thought it was an easy way out, it was going to take away the authenticity of lettering, it was bastardizing the soul of HAND lettering and I WAS NOT GOING TO FALL FOR IT. But then, I did. I fell for it, like the pizza at the end (okay, beginning) of the week. And I thought, just like that pizza, I would feel sick to my stomach after a few hours, and I did – because damn that’s a lot of money to drop on a tablet. But like that pizza, I got over it and still had to eat the cheesiest, biggest slice I can. Well, I guess I didn’t really because I didn’t get the 12-inch, but I did splurge on the newest 10.5-inch and the Apple Pencil, or as the grouchy Target cashier said, “$100 stylus.” No sir, it’s not a stylus – you can’t just use it anywhere (eye-roll).

So why do I love it so much?

UNDO! SCALE! REPOSITION! It’s like all the bad parts of hand-lettering made easier. Oops, your kid or dog bumped into you? You don’t have to rework those hours of marker work, just double tap and undo! Oops, you didn’t quite center it? Just select and drag it on over. Seriously, it’s cut my time working in half. Wanting to show a client color samples or better ideas of what their sketches will turn out as? BAM. DONE. My newest love for this tablet is how EASY it is to make my own letters become cut-outs, like one hundred times easier. (For example the piece below.)

Here are the iPad Drawing and sketch.

But is the lettering on an iPad really HAND lettering?

Yes! Mostly. I’m still drawing all of the letters by hand. Yes, the brushes do help make the thicks and thins very smooth, but it’s with my own hand’s pressures that it is creating that specific look, thanks to that $100 stylus. And yes, there is some automatic smoothing on some of the brushes; I have mine at the juuust riiiight sweet spot for myself. But overall, it’s still many hours staring at a screen (which was what I was trying to deter from when I picked up lettering, how funny things get.)

Do I still letter with pencil and paper?

I still yearn for the authenticity of a good pencil-sketch. (In fact, I created a whole styled shoot invitation suite in graphite, all old school, almost no iPad magic at all. And can I just say, friggen gorgeous!) So, yes – I do still do many sketches in pencil, sometimes the ideas just fly out faster. And yes, I still work with a scanner and lightbox – but I seriously haven’t had all the spare time in the world to play with pens and ink and paint like I used to. There’s little setting up and cleaning up when it comes to an iPad drawing, so it’s hard to choose traditional mediums over the digital kind when you’re really pressed for time.

So there you have it, my new technological bff. I could probably go on for hours, but I think the coffee buzz is wearing down. Have questions about my process or iPad? Email me at ceindyton@gmail.com

P.S. Between me starting the blog and finishing it, I bought my mom an mp3 player… Online shopping at 2 a.m. was probably not the best idea…

P.P.S Between this blog post and creating an image for the blog post I set up my mom’s mp3 player and she LOVED it, so good job 2 a.m. Ceindy, good job.

Strong Not Sorry – Logo for Personal Trainer Aubrey Mester-Webb

November 11, 2017

by ceindydoodles Design Lettering Logos and Branding

I was so excited to work on Aubrey’s new logo and business card for her business Strong Not Sorry.

My favorite part about working on this logo was Aubrey. She’s a personal trainer, a power lifter, and an avid Starbucks drinker. She’s amazingly strong in every way and she motivates others to not only exercise and lose weight, but to find inner confidence. Her work as a personal trainer is customizable for anyone, a newbie beginner or someone who’s been working out for a long time. Also, she taught me how to pick my dirt bike up when I fall (which is very often)- now that is seriously priceless.

I wanted to create a logo that represented this confident woman who made working out fun and approachable.

The Strong Not Sorry logo-making process took a few steps.

We start with sketches.

I basically draw the words Strong Not Sorry as many different ways as possible (the sketches shown are my favorite ones). Aubrey chose two at this point to explore further.

Next, we took it to refined sketches.

My first exploration, using tracing paper to try a lot of different variations.

These are marker sketches to show the client.

The final step in the Strong not Sorry logo were the colors and digitizing.

Her previous business card was purple and black and she really loved that color. I decided to punch it up with some neon green, to create a friendly, spunky, and fun color scheme.

Then we took it a step further and applied this new, awesome logo to business cards.

Lastly, we worked on a flyer to promote her personal training program.

What the client had to say-

Ceindy made me the most badass business cards! I came to her wanting a revamp to my original cards that were made at a local print shop… she listened and was able to create the perfect card… I never could’ve imagined and created on my own! I wanted something softer, fresh and funky, and she killed it. I will recommend Ceindy Doodles to anyone who wants custom lettering or logos!

Everyone who sees my new cards comments on how cool they are…and they ARE fabulous!

Need a just-for-you logo? Email me at ceindyton@gmail.com

Favorite Pens (and Pencil)

August 20, 2017

by ceindydoodles Design Lettering

I know, I know – it’s been awhile. But I’m back to share with you a list of some of my favorite pens and pencils. I’m listing my top 4 pens and my favorite pencil. These are the tools I use whenever I need something that I know I can count on. Let’s get straight to it!

Favorite Pens and Pencil

Of course, the ultimate duo- the Tombow Fudenosuke . Both hard and soft have different purposes. If you’re a beginner, I suggest the hard tip. It’s very easy to use, and the variation between thick and thins are easier to maintain.

Pigma Microns are some of the most versatile pens for lettering artists and illustrators. There’s a huge variety of tip sizes and I LOVE IT. It’s great for stippling, detailed thin lines, and also really great for monoline lettering. But there are other variations of Pigma pens that are also great, like the graphic and brush pens.

Sai Watercolor Brush Pens are definitely super fun and has beautiful colors. I also really love the dry brush effect that happens when you write with the quickly. If you’d like to see an example of how I used these pens for a wedding invitation head to this blog.

Pentel Sign Pens have a felt-tip and writes very similar to the hard Tombow. The greatest thing is that they come in all different colors and are pretty easy to use.

And lastly, my favorite pencil, in fact, my absolute FAVORITE pencil is a Paper Mate Clearpoint Lead Pencil. Pencils are awesome at drawing everything, making marks, and sketching out all the ideas and layouts you have. There’s something very permanent about pens, and I think it makes me scared to push the limits of letters. Whereas a pencil is much better since it’s not permanent. Plus, I have an absolute love for the sketchy lines. And this lead pencil is awesome because I love the way it feels in my hands and the eraser is the best. Really great wooden pencil that I’ve been using a lot of lately is a Ticonderoga pencil. I love how sharp the lead can get!

Honorable Mentions: Whenever I have to draw on dark paper, I do love me some Sakura Gelly Rolls. They are usually dependable and give great bright colors. For really great guides and articles on pens, I refer to jetpens.com