Live lettering events are a great opportunity for clients to engage their customers in a memorable, personalized experience and boost brand awareness through word of mouth and social media.

I and Belinda Skou, a fellow lettering artist, have both been commissioned by brands like Coach to provide on-site live painting customizations for leather bags. We collaborated on this article to share with you our experience and some tips for how to prepare for a live lettering event.

The tips that we will be covering are:

• Tip 1: Plan in advance what you will offer to the customer

• Tip 2: Prepare your materials

• Tip 3: Practice before the event

• Tip 4: Keep timing in mind

• Tip 4: Make customization decisions easy for the customer

free PROJECT GUIDE: BEHIND THE CLIENT PROCESS

Learn how to navigate a live lettering event inquiry with a client, from negotiation to event-day. Access our 5-page project guide for FREE by signing up below.

Tip 1: Plan in advance what you will offer to the customer

Plan out what motifs and lettering styles you will offer. It’s good to find a balance between showcasing your brand aesthetic and choosing what will appeal to the brand’s customer base. Additionally, brands will often require you to share a selection of motifs for them to select from and approve prior to the event.

This is helpful because you will be working with designs you know how to execute and give you a good idea of how long it will take you to complete each customization.

Tip 2: Prepare your materials

Make sure you have packed all the materials you need before the event — don’t wait until the last minute! Check out PART 1 of our series to see what materials you should bring, and at the end of the article for your free download.

Tip 3: Practice before the event

If you’ve never lettered on leather before, practice first. Painting on a dimensional leather product is very different from painting on a canvas or paper. You can pick up some leather scraps from fabric and craft stores to practice on. 

Tip 4: Keep timing in mind

Having motifs and selected type styles ready for the customer is helpful since you will have an idea of how long each style will take you. Occasionally, a customer may have a very specific vision in mind and it will be up to you, how comfortable you are, and how busy the event is to determine if you can provide that customization for them. 

We usually take about 15 minutes per customization. If the customer looks like they’d prefer to browse while waiting, or can even come back a different day, you can tell them to come back later to pick up their product. 

Tip 5: Make customization decisions easy for the customer

Depending on the brand and the staff you are working with, you may need to be ready to offer consultations to help the customer bring to life the vision they have for their product. 

It’s also just nice to make conversation with the customer while you are working so they feel comfortable while they are waiting. Since the brand is also looking to boost social media engagement, it doesn’t hurt to ask the customer to take a picture or video (sometimes they don’t know that they can!) and to tag you and the brand online.

Besides having motifs ready, it also helps to offer color samples on light and dark leather to help your customer choose their colors based on what product they purchased.

Most importantly, have fun!

Live lettering events are naturally fun, exciting events! There’s no need to stress too much about being perfect with your art on a personal level. These on-site events are more about providing a good, very personalized customer experience on behalf of the brand you are working with, and it is so rewarding to see customers’ faces light up when they watch what you can create on their product right in front of them!

BEFORE YOU LEAVE, DON’T FORGET TO GET your FREE COPY OF THE 5 EVENT LETTERING PRO TIPS: BEHIND THE CLIENT PROCESS

Learn how to navigate a live lettering event inquiry with a client, from negotiation to event-day. Access our 5-page project guide for FREE by signing up below.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Belinda Kou is a lettering artist and illustrator based in Chicago. Known for her colorful and energetic illustrations, she often draws inspiration from food and beverages to develop thoughtful storytelling. She has had the pleasure of working with clients like NPR, Coach, The Washington Post, Logitech, and Michaels.

Roselly Monegro is a lettering artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles, CA. She is specialized in digital art pieces, murals and live-lettering customizations for events and mostly known for her colorful art pieces that incorporate a mix of shapes, florals, textures and unique letterforms. She's passionate about creating art with powerful messages for women about self-love and mental health. Roselly has worked for brands such as Coach, Prudential, Facebook, Cariuma