So in my last "Comic Paige" vlog, I talked about Speech bubbles which are a really important tool for adding dialog into your comic pages. However, We all know it's what's on the inside that matters, So I wanted to do a little blogpost to go along with todays video all about fonts.
However, This seemed like a great opportunity to try to learn more. And there are a few little tidbits I've picked up over the years, that I thought why not give this topic a try? If you watch the video, you'll see that one of those "tidbits" was clearly not how to produce the word "kerning" megafail...
So without further ado, here's some of my thoughts
When it comes to choosing a font for your comic, one thing is really important. Don't settle! This font is probably going to follow you for at least a few issues of your comic. Take your time and test different styles out. You want to pick something that compliments your artwork, style and that your happy with.
A wise curly mustache man once told me "A poorly chosen font is like a badly mixed song, you can't focus on the piece as a whole with the thumping bass drowning out the melody." I agree with this 100% We're all sometimes tempted by the whirly twirly ways of fancy scripts. But 80% of the time these are going to distract from your art not enhance it.
Not totally sure what I mean? Check out this example from my comic Pumpkin Spiced.
Who doesn't love a good spooky font? And considering this panel not only features a zombie, but also takes place during halloween, my first thought might be to try out something like Friday13th from DaFont. First negative here? It's probably not the safest bet to use a font based on a famous movie, and secondly it's pretty hard to read, and doesn't suit the panel at all.
Riding the spooky train, I tried out a font called "Mister Vampire" from Dafont This is the perfect example of a busy font that has so many details it really just doesn't work in a speech bubble. There's just a lot going on here, and it's a really hard text to read.
Not going to lie you guys, when I first saw "SweetiePie" from DaFont I really really liked it. Anything dotted with hearts is a winner in my book. However this would definitely not suit all of my characters, and when you look closely at the letters they're actually a little blurry. It's has the cuteness factor, but definitely wouldn't work for me.
The font actually used on this page. I'll admit there are better, but there are certainly worse! And I do really enjoy that it has a slightly hand drawn look and is still clear and easy to read. I've since switched over to Ladylike BB from Blambot (which I love!) But back then this worked pretty well.
The style of font you're looking for is probably going to vary depending on your comic, but one thing that should stay consistent is trying to find something high quality and readable. (and that doesn't mean boring) They're the main tool to convey sound, words, Fonts can also be used to express personalities, with a different font for each character. (kaBOOM! Studios titles do this so well!)
Articles & Resources
Time to start studying!...Also maybe a snack?
Kern Type: Learn more about the spacing in your letters with this fun (and slightly addictive) game.
Hand Lettering for beginners-Selfmade Society This contains so many resources! There's a ton of links to books, and even a course you can take to improve. (for only $20!)
The best typography resources- Nubby Twiglet This is a wealth of knowledge! There are great links on where to find fonts, as well as advice. Definitely worth a read.
Comic Lettering-Paperwings A great article all about comic lettering. Everything on their blog is so helpful, no matter if you've been making comics for years or are just getting started.
Dafont Free fonts with a lot of different options which vary from awesome to pretty silly.
Blambot Free/Pay fonts that are designed for comic artist. I recently found this site, and can't recommend it enough.
That's all for now, If you'd like to see more blogposts in the future, Let me know in the comments down below. :)
xo Paige
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