Illuminated Fonts

[RobinMcL]

Hello Everyone,

I wonder if anyone can suggest how I may go about getting and using illuminated fonts. I don't simply mean colored fonts nor the use of effects. I would like to be able to create really fancy and colorful letters. Ideally, I would like the fonts but would also like some UI that would help me select and use various colors on them in a consistent way. Next to that wish would come a set of vector characters where in, say, Designer, I could color each piece by hand and then scale them. My last option, but perhaps too much work for me, would be to simply copy a letter as an image file and paint over it in Photo.

Kind regards,

Robin McLeod

[Paul Mudditt]

2 hours ago, RobinMcL said:

Hello Everyone,

I wonder if anyone can suggest how I may go about getting and using illuminated fonts. I don't simply mean colored fonts nor the use of effects. I would like to be able to create really fancy and colorful letters. Ideally, I would like the fonts but would also like some UI that would help me select and use various colors on them in a consistent way. Next to that wish would come a set of vector characters where in, say, Designer, I could color each piece by hand and then scale them. My last option, but perhaps too much work for me, would be to simply copy a letter as an image file and paint over it in Photo.

Kind regards,

Robin McLeod

Not sure if this is what you mean but there are quite a few tutorials on you tube how to create illuminated text such as

 

[jmwellborn]

@RobinMcL  I made some marble styles which I have used as the background for illuminating some text —particularly drop caps.   There are free calligraphy brushes available on the web plus some excellent brushes shared by @StuartRc here in the RESOURCES section that can do amazing things painted over the marble.  You could create many styles in the colours you want or with the background effects you want so that you will have consistent colours.  I have found a website, Textures.com, that has many interesting .ttif files that you can use as a basis for creating your own decorations.  I have included two samples in the PNG below as well as some fonts that I fiddled with.  Bear in mind that I am most definitely not an artist, and can draw nothing without a ruler.  (Ex violinist, however.  So not entirely a cultural zero.)  You can become a free member of Textures.com and download a few each day.  

Sorry for the huge image.  My iPad wouldn’t let me shrink the view.  I hope this will get you on your way.  It is fun!!

 

 

[RobinMcL]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I have used effects on fonts but have not tried the calligraphy brushes yet but will do so now. I would really like to get the capability of doing things like the attached.

I'll keep working on it.

Thanks to all,

Robin 

[walt.farrell]

17 minutes ago, RobinMcL said:

I would really like to get the capability of doing things like the attached.

The capability is there. That is basically a painting, not simply a letter. And your skill at painting (or possibly compositing) will determine whether you can produce something like that.

[h_d]

3 hours ago, RobinMcL said:

I would really like to get the capability of doing things like the attached.

Wouldn't we all? 😋

[RobinMcL]

Hello Everyone,

Once again, the Forum (YOU) have helped me solve the problem, this time in a rather serendipitous way. 

For my project the need is only for an illuminated W, P and F. I have, in this same project, made good use of (what I call) effects to enhance text but now I needed the really elaborative illuminated letters (but just three of them). In an effort to make the clear distinction between the two concepts, I thought I would try to get one example and attach it (the "N" that I attached) but I did not want to rip off someone's work from the Internet. Then I thought I would try AI Art (Midjourney). I have been experimenting with several AI art generators to see if, in the future, they may help me. (During the past five years I have been hiring artists for illustration work.)

So I asked Midjourney to give me "The letter W as an illuminated letter using various birds, hyper-detailed, rich colors, intricate, beautiful, Renaissance style"

That's right, I asked for a W and got an N! But it was a very nice N. So, I plugged away. All I needed was a W, P and F. The "N" was so nice that I thought I would keep trying. By the time I had the W, P and F, I had most of the alphabet - so I kept going. Now, hard to believe, I have the complete alphabet in gorgeous, illuminated letters. I suppose I could easily repeat the process, asking Midjourney to use, butterflies, trees, flowers etc.

This episode makes me ponder. In replying to one of your comments, I wanted to give an example but did not want to "steal" someone else's work. Have I done even worse? Certainly, legally, I have not. The (paid) user of Midjourney has the right to anything they produce (Midjourney also holds non-exclusive rights). So, I am "free and clear" on the legal side. But what about the people who paint such things as their livelihood? I could go on, but this is not the forum where I should philosophize. I just want to let you all know that my current problem is now solved, and you made it happen.

Thanks,

Robin