Sketch Your Fonts by Type Design Class

Sketch Your Fonts is a self-paced online video course by type designer Viktor Baltus, sold through his school, Type Design Class. It is a hands-on, draw-along course that teaches eight techniques for drawing type by hand, from generating ideas to refining letterforms. You only need pencils, markers and paper; there is no computer work at all. The official page says it suits everyone from beginners to experts, and the price is $179, excluding VAT.

Most type design teaching moves into software quickly, and many designers end up drawing their first ideas directly with the pen tool. That often produces stiff, similar letters. This course goes the other way and stays on paper, where it is faster to try many ideas and throw most of them away. Within Type Design Class it is the most accessible course, and a natural warm-up before the software-based ones.

What You Will Learn

The course is about thinking through type with your hands. Topics include:

• Eight different techniques for drawing letters by hand
• Generating ideas for a typeface quickly on paper
• Exploring many directions before committing to one
• Refining rough sketches into clearer letterforms
• Using pencils and markers to control weight and contrast
• Building a sketch you can later take into font software

Note that it is not a calligraphy or hand-lettering course; the focus is on sketching type designs.

Who Is Sketch Your Fonts For?

The official page describes it as suitable for beginners through to experts. Beginners get a low-cost, low-pressure way into type design without buying software. Experienced designers and illustrators can use it to loosen up their process and find ideas they would not reach on screen.

It is not the right choice if you want to learn calligraphy, brush lettering or font production. For the digital side, look at the school's Font Making Course instead.

Course Structure

The course is built around drawing along with the videos:

• Materials: pencils, markers and paper
• Eight techniques: each a different way to draw and explore letterforms
• Idea generation: producing many options quickly
• Refinement: developing the strongest sketches into clearer designs

The official page does not give a lesson count or total running time, so check it for the full outline.

Price and Access

Sketch Your Fonts costs $179, excluding VAT. The Type Design Class courses page says enrolment opens twice a year, with the next enrolment listed for March 2027 and a waitlist in the meantime. Some course pages show a direct purchase button, so check the official page to see whether you can buy now or need to join the waitlist.

About the Instructor

Viktor Baltus is a type designer and illustrator with more than 20 years of experience in Adobe Illustrator, and the founder of an award-winning package design studio. He also created The Futur's Grids and Layout kit, which is listed on this site.

Things to Consider

• Materials: have a range of pencils and markers, including a broad marker, and plenty of cheap paper.
• No software: you do not need a computer for the exercises, only to watch the videos.
• Time: no total length is published; the real time goes into drawing, so plan short daily sessions.
• Not calligraphy: if you want to learn a formal hand, choose a calligraphy class instead.
• Next steps: take your best sketch into the Font Making Course from the same school.
• Feedback: share sketches with a type or lettering community to get outside eyes.

How to Get the Most From It

Keep every page you draw during Sketch Your Fonts, including the failures. Date them and look back after a few weeks; patterns in what you like will show up. Try each of the eight techniques on the same word, such as "hamburgefonstiv", so you can compare the results side by side and pick a direction worth developing.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with Type Design Class?

Start Sketch Your Fonts

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official Type Design Class website.

Looking for more ways to learn? Browse all courses and learning resources on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: November 12, 2026