December 1, 2024

10 Examples of Hand-Lettering Design Work

Hand-lettering is an artistic craft so beautiful that the bewilderment only makes it more alluring. Whether you’re a calligraphist or just an appreciator of the arts, these 10 examples of hand-lettering will surely arouse some internal curiosity.

Spook City U.S.A. by Philip Eggleston

Philip Eggleston is one of my favourite artists, even more so because he churns out epic illustrated lettering on a regular basis. He’s simply a delight and this grunge-style shot is no different.

Spook City U.S.A. by Philip Eggleston

Trophaeal by Joachim Vu

Joachim Vu is a hand-letterer from Paris, France. He crafts anything from elegant scripts to monograms. His raw ink work is astounding from his technical prowess & attention to detail.

I’d encourage you to really get a good look look at the closeups!

Trophaeal by Joachim Vu

One Hell of a Brew by Mary Kate McDevitt

Mary Kate McDevitt hand-crafts stunning illustrations to accompany her explosive hand-lettered typography. These vector curves are quite unique and intoxicating.

One Hell of a Brew by Mary Kate McDevitt

WMC Fest 4 Artwork by Jeff Finley

Designed to appear on stickers, labels, and other merchandise, Jeff Finley incorporates his lovely hand-lettering into this illustration that combines both grunge and minimal styles.

WMC Fest 4 Artwork by Jeff Finley

Make Old Things New Again by Adam Trageser

This is one of those shots you just have to check out in fullview; the tiny Dribbble shot does not show off its entire beauty.

Hand-lettering works well when combined with vintage styles and unsaturated colours. After all we’ve gotta remember there was a time when 100% of design work was done by hand.

Make Old Things New Again by Adam Trageser

Frank’s Barber Shop by Jeff Rogers

Historically barber shops have had some of the most stunning vintage signs. These vintage examples serve as inspiration in modern work;

For this piece Jeff Rogers illustrated his own contemporary take on the style.

Frank’s Barber Shop by Jeff Rogers

AAF Cincinnati Addys 2014 by Danielle Evans

Hand-lettering doesn’t limit you to pen and paper; according to Danielle Evans you can even use malt. Actually, using food to create beautiful typography is more common than you might think.

AAF Cincinnati Addys 2014 by Danielle Evans

Hermit Style Iceberg by Mary Kate McDevitt

Inspired by Bjork, Mary Kate McDevitt designed this epic desktop wallpaper which you can download for free. The sharp hand-lettered typography was created for the Fox Is Black Project.

Hermit Style Iceberg by Mary Kate McDevitt

The Haunted by Philip Eggleston

Another one of Philip Eggleston’s best work is The Haunted, creepily hand-scratched on a black background where the texture looks a little like a woodblock print. Splendidly eerie!

The Haunted by Philip Eggleston

Look Up In The Sky by Philip Eggleston

It’s quite amazing how this hand-lettering emphasizes a sarcastic tone with its overly flamboyant swirls and bold colours.

There really isn’t anything better than modernized, digitized hand-crafted typography – especially when the message is conveyed with such a personal touch. Great job Philip!

Look Up In The Sky by Philip Eggleston

Any thoughts on these examples? What do you think about hand lettering for the web?

Share

Daniel Schwarz is a full-time design writer and digital nomad. When he’s not writing about design and code he’s actually doing it(sometimes) at Airwalk Studios, a creative studio of which he's the founder. 24 years of age, originally from London.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *