Hand Lettering
Category:
Skill development
Class Length:
4 Hours
In this class students will learn the fundamentals of hand lettering and traditional sign painting techniques while creating a series of painted lettering studies and, progression dependent, the beginnings of a sign of their own. Guided step-by-step through layout, spacing, brush control, and letter construction, participants will develop confidence working with paint, brushes, and lettering tools while learning how sign painters create clean, balanced, and expressive text by hand.
Students will explore the relationship between typography, composition, and surface design while practicing foundational techniques such as stroke consistency, serif and sans-serif letterforms, spacing, and paint application. Whether you plan to create a small decorative sign, a painted phrase, or a functional workshop label, this class offers a practical introduction to the craft of hand lettering and sign painting while encouraging experimentation and personal style.
Upcoming class dates:
Class topics and tools:
- Basic lettering structure and composition
- Brush and paint marker handling techniques
- Stroke control, spacing, and consistency
- Layout and transfer methods for painted lettering
- Traditional sign painting approaches and decorative flourishes
Open to:
Adults ages 18 years and above and youth ages 16-17 with guardian permission.
Skill level beginner, intermediate, or advanced:
Beginner
Prerequisites (if required):
None
Safety notes:
- Plan to arrive a few minutes before class starts. For safety and instructional reasons, we are not able to allow participants to join the class more than 10 minutes after the class has begun.
- Comfortable shoes! You will be standing at your easels for most of the class.
- For all classes that involve the use of tools and other equipment:
- Please do not wear dangling jewelry or baggy clothing.
- Closed-toed shoes are required. Sandals are not permitted.
- Long hair must be tied back.
Not yet available!
Cost:
$125
participation. Learn more about our scholarship options below.
Financial support
All of the programming at MAC is supported by donations, which enables us to offer classes at a lower cost to all participants. We also understand that our class fees may still be a barrier to participation for individuals with limited expendable income.
To ensure that our courses are accessible to as many community members as possible, we currently offer three levels of financial support: 25%, 50%, and 75%. If one of these discounts would make your participation possible, please select the option that best aligns with your personal needs and circumstances.
Individual participants may enroll in up to three discounted classes per calendar year.
To receive a financial support discount of 25%, enter “community25” in the Promo Code field of the registration checkout page. To receive a financial support discount of 50%, enter “community50” in the Promo Code field. To receive a financial support discount of 75%, enter “community75” in the Promo Code field.
More classes
Here's a sneak peek of a few of our upcoming classes.
