The Hidden History in Your Sketches

How iterative drawing shapes stronger lettering

Early in my lettering career, I was embarrassed to share rough sketches. I was either uncomfortable with their lack of finesse or worried that others wouldn’t understand what I was going for. Eventually, I got over that self-doubt and began to appreciate the critical role sketching plays in shaping the lettering process.

Successive sketches create a history of drawings to pull from

In his talk, Type Tricks & Troves: A Design Diary, Dutch type designer Petr van Blokland explains that drawing over prior sketches creates “a history of drawings.” This “parallel” process preserves each stage of design, letting you jump between steps or use them as launchpads for new ideas. It’s especially helpful for generating a range of lettering options without starting from scratch every time.

Differences among iterative sketches can be subtle or more dramatic

I’ve since come to rely on this handy technique in my own work, and it’s one of many concepts I’ll share in the upcoming Foundations of Lettering workshop. The 60-page PDF guidebook illustrates this process—and plenty more. You can also add the bonus 37-page workbook to put your new drawing skills into practice.

If you can’t join us for the online session on November 8, 2025, you’ll still get access to the complete class recording. This workshop is a great fit for artists of any skill level—sign up today to claim your spot!

See you there!
Ken
Type & Lettering
@typelettering