Writing with style

Designing letters and logos in an artistic way can be a creative outlet for many, and on Thursday, Sept. 25, students had the chance to attend a workshop to improve those hand lettering skills.

The workshop was hosted in conjunction with the Liberty chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts’ (AIGA) monthly meeting.

Kelsey Phillips, an instructor of Studio and Digital Arts (SADA), taught the workshop.

“We thought it would be fun to do something more hands-on, like a workshop, for a future meeting,” Phillips said. “Hand lettering is so prevalent, but people don’t necessarily know how they can make it function.”

Phillips began the meeting by showing some of her earliest works as a way to teach students that “we all start somewhere.”

“I knew a lot of people did some really crazy stuff to letters, so I thought I’d just throw in some embellishments,” Phillips said. “And that’s OK to start with. We all have a different style and a different approach. But it’s OK to have things that really progress as you move on through. If we were all great at what we did right away, there would be no growth.”

Phillips has come a long way since her first drawing of a number series on a plane and her first “Happy Birthday” script. In March, Phillips launched her own brand, Clever and Bright Lettering and Paper Goods.

“I’m really blessed because it was something I wanted to do,” Phillips said. “I really wanted to experiment with it, but I had no idea where it could actually go. There were a lot of avenues that I had no idea were going to be opened for me through this actual learning thing.”

While showcasing her current work, Phillips encouraged students to build a web presence, something that has helped her achieve success.

“As soon as I got a website, people started taking me more seriously,” Phillips said. “People can contact you through forms, and it’s a good way to get your foot
in the door.”

In April, Phillips was able to showcase her work at a conference in Philadelphia. She also designed the cover for an up-and-coming author’s new teen novel, “Between Us and the Moon.” She said the author discovered her work through Instagram. One of Phillips’ prints, “Modesty is Treating your Beauty with Dignity,” which the coordinator of a camp found on Phillips’ website, was used in conjunction with a camp that taught young girls the importance of being modest.

Phillips used the example of the “Modesty” commission to teach students the importance of dealing with commissioned works.

“It’s important to have a contract,” Phillips said. “You don’t want people going out and making several copies of your work without your knowledge and making a profit off it.”

Phillips also advised students to carefully organize the works they show online.

“Find your style,” Phillips said. “Curate what you want the audience to see. Make sure you give them exactly what they want, and you will have a following, which will ultimately grow and really help you in your business endeavors.”

After sharing about her beginnings and success stories, Phillips demonstrated the basics of hand lettering. She encouraged students to be patient while drawing.
“You may erase 15 times and that’s OK,” Phillips said. “You don’t want to settle for mediocrity. You want to maintain a standard of excellence. … If you keep at it, you will grow.”

Phillips was surprised with the attendance at the event.

“It was great to see so many students interested in learning how to enhance their skillsets,” Phillips said. “I know we have a great number of hardworking students, so it was no surprise that they were there, wanting to learn, but it was surprising to see a room built for 40 people hold over 100.”

For more information about the SADA department and future AIGA events, visit liberty.edu/sada. For more information on Phillips’ work, visit cleverandbright.com.

MAURER is a feature reporter.