Sketch for Hallelujah Holiday Card for Creative Papers

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In my early career, I learned hand-drawn typographic drawing by working in the Creative Lettering Department, Hallmark Cards, Kansas City (1971–72) and by copying reproductions of the work of Tom Carnese and Tony Di Spagna, lettering artists who worked with Herb Lubalin, to learn their drawing techniques. 

This example shows my process, which begins with a pencil drawing, often on graph paper, then retraced on translucent vellum. 

Once the sketch is refined as it is shown here, I would use a technical pen (Rapidograph pen) to ink in the letters. The final artwork was photographed with a stat camera and applied to a mechanical artwork.

I did a line of calligraphic holiday cards for Creative Papers, New Hampshire in the early 1980s.

Typographic drawing
Typographic drawing