Lets just get to the point. Talking sh*t is for those that talk sh*t - and thats all I’m going to say about the state of sh*t talking. “Old School” vs. “New School”, Been There, Done That, He Said / She Said...and general “That's not how you do it”, and “By the way..he/she/it “stole” that style, from (Fill in the blank; ). 's all bullshit. Anybody that knows me, knows that's not how I get down. I'm just doing my own thing, and all that I really care about is that these guides are helping people with their lettering. That's it. My guides are not meant to be a ‘script-off”, or some sort of fountain pen federation meeting where every single stroke counts. Listen, we're not changing the world, most of us are just trying to doa nice tattoo, get some photos for our portfolios, and keep it moving. As I mentioned in the last book, I would never say my style of lettering is the ‘gospel’ and that it needs to be done my way. I'm just trying to put it out there how it works for me. Every day T 2m inspired and pushed by a ton of great tattoo and lettering artists. I’m constantly blown away at their interpretations ofa line, a flourish, a shadow ora letter that I have drawn and redrawn a mil- liom times and yet - takes it all to another level. Explaining how I do “it” is sometimes pretty difficult. I'm really just trying to convey the “why” and “how’ of it all... and sometimes I really don’t know, the “why” or the “how” it just looks right to me, is really all I can come up with. Suffice to say, it all starts with an initial sketch, and layout. Once the sketch looks ‘right'. (even if the sketch is just “eh”) but at minimum somewhat aesthetically pleasing, you can work out the specifics. On the other hand, if the sketch starts shitty, then there’s no way to go but shittier. Things like spacing (kerning), the angles of the letters, even the dots and exclamations make the tattoo. Anything worth learning takes time. Good lettering - regardless of the style - is no ex- ception. DON’T FAKE IT! LEARN IT! How many times have you seen a REALLY nice tattoo....initially, but then the lettering just blows. Itkills the tattoo. Take the time to learn good lettering. Draw and redraw. There’s no short- cut for study and hard work. If you tattoo, then learn your craft. Take lettering, like any other as- pect of tattooing. SERIOUSLY. Remember one bad piece is a lifetime of advertisement for your inability to take it seriously. I've talked to a lot of tattoo artists that I really respect, that do some amazing lettering, and they all consider it an art in itself. I agree. But let me back it up a bit. Start from the beginning. Twas drawn to the graffiti scene back in the early 80's. | was young and seeing all that wild sh*t just blew me away. I was hooked. I spent all my time drawing and trying to create a system to make sense of it all. A few juvenile charges later, I thought I was really getting somewhere. I started doinga bunch of posters, flyers, and other announcements for clubs and local events. Eventually I found my way toa Vo-Tech high school studying Commercial Art, Photography and design, and for some reason, I was always attracted to fonts, especially hand drawn lettering. I remember this old time sign painter coming into our class one day to teach us thing or three about lettering. Watching him do some lettering on the glass front door, BACKWARDS, just blew me away, and really made me want to learn that, and learn it now. We had sign painters, pin strip- ers, the guys that did the “Fresh Produce” signs at the grocery stores.. I mean, everybody. My shop teacher was probably in his late 50’s and that was in the early 80's, so all these cats he was bring- ing in to our class were REAL old school. As I mentioned Andy Cruz of House Industries fame, father Angelo is one of the old'school Hot Rod pin stripers from way back, and is one of the best in that field. It’s just amazing seeing that art still alive with all the computer generated graphics and Il- lustrator programs these days. It’s So much easier with just a few clicks of the mouse and you've got a graphic ready to print and not a drop of paint on your hands or pants. I guess my story on how I got into tattooing, is the same as a lot of other tattoo artists. Some- body talked me into trying it out, and I fumbled around for a few years, and then landed a spot at 2 shop, and never looked back. The lettering part just stuck with me over the years, and here we are. I've been real fortunate to meet a lot of amazing artists and work on some real dope projects over the years with companies like Adidas, Puma, New Balance, House Industries/House33, Ad- dict, Crooked Tongues, etc, all because of tattooing/design in one aspect or another. I've met a grip of celebrities and tattooed a few of ‘em, but at the end of the day, they're really not any more im- portant than the dude who walks in the shop and wants his kids name on his arm. Give it your all, whether it’s a name ora sleeve. Give it the same attention, and don’t half ass it. So enough of that. Ill wrap it up with a big “Thank You’ to everybody that bought the letter- ing guides and have supported me along the way, I greatly appreciate it. All the best, BJ. Betts“Me Seb NSPULMANT, Yee WE Re AGH. fre ate Foye Bags |e HeLa “Budontooiy “ry = Gon We I. Peon Civ |e, Some Shen THe Beal AND ITE Bal yee lRiGreas mee Some PRAT | PRUCHTANS Wis one, END OF SBEING Some aF tile Lerrcian “In | ee Ve Baan fobtun ONCE. Beat) GC wees | Hel? © INDUT From Aen! ef Same $ (SeeTTe puss — CNT Aa & HS srr ele ee) wince moacron s+ ee Leta AvUPAS wee wi Ca a eo tole season. “eat aby Re ICE “We Chen Ore Bea NO SFTH E., C-LAW , oS] Copa) PARES YW Big Me STAN @ 2evoude —tow'T KNOW WHT = Ux yo) NERS CHE WeANSube —TeaDeMne xia? | THES GLU Stay NES, Bie topn? ovbe ving]! UERMT, NY wine & DANGER Re Perrinb vewITR ts | Tae ———._ |AS A RESIDENT OF THE SHELTERED WORLD OF GRAPHIC DESION, VM ALWAYS FASCINATED BY THE LETTERING STUNTC MR. BETTC CONTINUES TO PULL-OFF ON HUMAN FLEGH. IN A DAY WHERE GOMETHING AG PEDESTRIAN AS ‘OLD ENOLIGH' IS WHAT MOST FOLKS WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FLAUNT, BJS ACUMEN IC WHAT HELPS PUGH THE CRAFT BEYOND OFF-THE-GHELF LETTER FORMS. - ANDY CRUZ / HOUSE INDUSTRIESTUN aaa aaaJit G LING OWISE. ADVEL TISEL AMELES 16 TRE. all ACHIS EXCREG- APL ITH “y SCOR ETHIECEKKKAKALALARAAAKAAALAKALALAKAAKALAKAAKKARARKKKRKLK“| IPARSTUVW XYZ o . Bee SC ADCDEFGHITKLMN\ V1 Spouk ¥ Lif Quy Li PL i iad wp aieaN | (OM en IG) = OWT? SES) pled HONITsiti | ue yy ke dngyee ) i \) PEPLLLOLRCLOLALHLARRAAERAAERAERALERELLLLLLLT~