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My digital lettering faves

My iPad gear and accessories (see this blog post for an in-depth review)

• iPad Pro (12.9 inch) | I’m currently using this model and simply love the larger screen size! It’s about the same size as a letter-size sheet of paper.

• Apple pencil (second generation) | A must-have for the iPad Pro for digital lettering! I’ve tried other styluses and the pressure sensitivity is hard to beat.

• Paperlike screen protector | I really hated the slippery feeling of drawing on glass when I first got my iPad. I love the papery texture and have found it gives me better control than drawing on glass. Extra points for the nice ASMR paper sound!

• Otterbox iPad Pro Case | I have this case in gray. The flap that goes around the pencil is a nice feature to keep your pencil secure when storing BUT it won’t close if you’ve got a grip or sleeve on your pencil.

• NimbleSleeve for Apple pencil | Comes in pretty colors and adds better grip to the pencil! I have it in mint and pink.

• NimbleGrip for Apple pencil | Works great when you’re using your pencil for a long period of time. I’ll switch out of the sleeve to this grip when I notice my hand cramping.

My favorite Procreate brushes

• Procreate has some great default brushes included in their app! The go-to’s are: 6B pencil brush, HB pencil brush, studio pen, syrup, and noise

• The Grid Builder brush set | These are like digital rulers and save you time setting up guides

• Gouache Shader brush set | I love mixing these brushes to create lovely texture combos on my final pieces. Check out my 36 Days of Sweet Type project to see them in action.

• Ink and grain liners set | I often use the texture line brushes here to add a rough, organic quality to my art. My fave is the small ripper liner

• Grain shaders brush set | So many yummy textures in this set! I often use them to shade and add texture to the background.

Photoshop mockups

• Book cover mockup (flat and side angles) | I used these to showcase my designs in my Hungrily Ever After series.

• Stationery mockup scene creator | I love that you can use this to customize your mockup so it doesn’t look the same every time! This pack has many objects, lighting, shadows, and different greeting card sizes. See it in action in the second image here (Trader Joe's also licensed this design a few months later)

My drawing apps

• Procreate | My go-to drawing app. (see a more in-depth review on my blog here)

• Adobe Fresco | Similar to Procreate. But with unlimited layers and vector features! It’s also a great app to pair with other Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator.

My business apps

Drawing & Design

• Procreate | My go-to drawing app. It’s deceptively robust! (see a more in-depth review on my blog here)

• Adobe Fresco | Very similar to Procreate and there’s a FREE version. It's great if you already used other Adobe products and the cloud file syncing across devices is a huge time saver. Also, unlimited layers and vector features!

• Adobe Creative Cloud | It may be because I used to be a designer, but I can’t live without Adobe! From most used: Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign, Illustrator (see a more in-depth review on my blog here)

Photo Editing

• Lightroom | I use this to edit any photos from photoshoots

• Photoshop | I use this for photo retouching and generating my assets for social media

Video editing (Phone Apps)

• InShot | Free app that lets you edit your videos and add voice-over and text right on your phone. Perfect for reels and TikToks and easy to learn!

• Adobe Premiere Rush | Works on mobile AND desktop! You get more control and options with editing in Rush compared to InShot. I use this for longer videos outside of reels and TikToks.

Video editing (Desktop Apps)

• Adobe Premiere Rush | If you’re used to InShot but ready to move to desktop editing, this is a great program to start with. Way less overwhelming than Premiere and also works on mobile!

• Adobe Premiere Pro | I usually only use this for long-form videos, otherwise Rush and InShot are so easy and fast for social media.

Social media planning

• Notion | I use their linked databases and kanban boards to plan content.

• Preview | Easy-to-use app to plan out your Instagram posts .

Organization / Productivity

• Notion | When my husband asks what I’ve got planned for the day, my response is always “let me check my Notion.” Aka my second brain! I store all to-do’s, brain dumps, creative ideas, and links to where I squirreled away Google docs in this aesthetic hub. Big fan, been less scatterbrained since I started using it!

Website

• Squarespace | What I use for this website! I like that you don’t need to code but there are still enough custom options for you to personalize. The biggest selling point is it’s easy to update and maintain.

Newsletter

• Kit | (Formerly ConvertKit) Love their customer service. Intuitive newsletter segmentation with visual automation that makes planning sequences very easy. It gets pricey once you have a large subscriber base, though, so it's something to consider (I still think it’s worth it).

Photography & video

My tripods

• Gooseneck tripod for phone | Great for overhead shots and attaches to tables and other flat surfaces.

• Mini tripod for phone with flexible legs | Useful for side angle shots with helpful flexible legs that can attach to many more objects.

• Selfie stick tripod for phone (extendable to 51 inches) | This is a lightweight, portable tripod that makes recording videos for TikToks, IG Reels, and process videos super easy! You can even rotate your phone from portrait to landscape.

• Manfrotto tripod with ball head | This is a newer version of what I use. The ball head offers much more flexibility in camera positioning than a pan and tilt.

• ALZO horizontal camera mount | Budget friendly mount to attach to a camera tripod for overhead product photography. Easy to use!

• Mobile phone tripod adapter | Adjustable adaptor to mount your phone onto your tripod. I use this with the horizontal mount to record overhead videos.

My lights

• Square Type-A soft boxes (2) | Comes with a travel case and helpful if you don’t have natural light to work with.

• Ring light kit | Comes with a travel case, stand, phone holder and wireless remote. Works great as a third light to balance out the soft boxes, and also for portrait photos and video.

My camera and accessories

• Apple iPhone 13 Pro | Your phone is the perfect tool for making videos for social media! I use this the most, and would not recommend looking at anything more until you’re in a situation where you will need it.

• Sony a6000 mirrorless digital camera (body only) | Mirrorless allows you to shoot RAW but doesn’t have the bulk of a DSLR.

• Sony a6000 mirrorless digital camera with kit lens | If you don’t know what lens to get, this comes with a good starter lens.

• Sony SEL35F 18 35mm f/1.8 prime fixed lens | Produces some nice shallow depth of field images (aka hides that messy bg 😂)

• Sony screen protector | Extra protection from scratches.

• Sony rechargeable battery | A must-have if you use a camera a lot, don’t want to waste time charging your battery!

Favorite wireless remotes

• Bluetooth remote for iOS and Android smart phones | Super easy to use and very small. Prevent camera shake when you press record.

• Wireless remote for Sony cameras | Also helpful to prevent camera shake.

Favorite editing apps

• InShot | Free, simple-to-use app that lets you edit your videos and add voice over and text right on your phone. Perfect for reels and TikToks.

Books in my library

Hand lettering

• In Progress by Jessica Hische | Very helpful to get you started on the basics of lettering and vector lettering.

• The Golden Secrets of Lettering by Martina Flor | Learn the fundamentals of lettering and a guide to digitizing with this beautifully illustrated book.

• House Industries Lettering Manual by Ken Barber | A pretty comprehensive book filled with techniques, tips, rules, case studies, and lots of visual goodies.

• Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design’s Golden Age by Steven Heller & Louise Fili | Ample script reference material.

• Shadow Type by Steven Heller & Louise Fili | Ample shadow type reference material.

• The Little Book of Lettering by Emily Gregory | A cute little book that contains loads of talented work from various artists.

• Vintage Hand Lettering: Create Beautiful Fonts with Old Time Flourish by Lisa Quine | It’s filled with lots of different vintage styles and step-by-step breakdowns on how to letter them

Creative marketing

• Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon | Super quick read but very helpful tips on sharing your work.

• This is Marketing by Seth Godin | Still reading through this, but loads of good material.

General creativity

• Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon | Easy read with hard hitting points.

• Keep Going by Austin Kleon | Easy read and provides great tips on how to stay creative.

Community

• Superfans by Pat Flynn | Easy to read and lots of quick tip info nuggets for how to genuinely serve your community.

• Tribes by Seth Godin | A quick read that offers great points on leadership for anyone.

Freelance & business

• The Pricing and Ethical Guidelines Handbook | Omg get this book if you do any commercial freelance work! You will find better pricing comparisons here than what you’d find frantically searching the internet.

• Freelance, Business and Stuff by Amy Hood & Jennifer Hood of Hoodzpah | Also an amazingly helpful book for freelancers

• Pocket Full of Do by Chris Do | Insightful advice covering creativity, mindset, pricing, marketing, relationships, and more condensed down into bite-sized pieces and bold graphics.

Productivity

• Atomic Habits by James Clear | I swear it’s one of those books you can read over and over again. Practical tips to apply to your life and great for creatives to establish sustainable habits. If you hate books but you’re intrigued, subscribe to his newsletter!

• Essentialism by Greg McKeown | I had a problem wanting to say yes to every freelance inquiry in the beginning. It was great for experience, until it became bad for my mental health and family responsibilities. I read this book during the pandemic and it helped shaped my mindset around saying “no” and develop a practical list for when to say “yes” to the projects that light me up.

Online learning

• Skillshare | I love checking out classes here to learn new skills and refine old ones. It covers a huge variety of topics like creativity, business, and lifestyle, and access to classes is unlimited with a subscription. Use this link to get a free one month trial of Skillshare Premium Membership.

Sketching & drawing

Pencils

• Palomino Blackwing pencils | The lead on these are buttery smooth. 🤌 The matte (soft graphite) pencils are my go-to’s for thumbnail sketches.

Pens & Markers

• Sharpie fine point pen | Handy for taking notes.

• Micron pens | For fine line work.

• Tombow fudenosuke brush pen (soft and hard tip) | Great for calligraphy.

• Tombow dual brush marker | Great for calligraphy.

Erasers

• Staedtler eraser (soft) | Helpful to erase light sketches without wearing down paper.

Pencil sharpener

• Staedtler pencil sharpener | Simple lil’ thing that sharpens nicely.

Sketchbooks

• Moleskin Art Hardcover (5” x 8.25”) | I’m a sucker for these nice hardcover books. Love the smaller size for easy portability.

Hungry for more resources?

Head on over to my blog for freelance tips, lettering tutorials, book reviews and more!