Pandemic Quotes

Digitally hand-lettered words of encouragement during the pandemic. I personally experienced this feeling of guilt and wanted to shape it into a positive message of encouragement once I discovered many of us felt the same way.

Positive words of encouragement for the pandemic. Hand lettering created in Procreate by Chicago artist and illustrator Belinda Kou

The process: sketch, color block, and refine line work before applying final colors and textures.

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Going from socially distant right back to socially awkward. 😬 Put a humorous spin on socializing after lockdown restrictions lifted.

Digital hand lettering on a green gradient background with speech bubbles and emojis. Illustrated by Chicago artist Belinda Kou

Rough concept sketches that show a variation of playful type styles mixed in with speech and thought bubble inspired layouts. I chose the one with multiple speech bubbles for its potential to play with larger blocks of color and interactive movement. It also reminded me of talking in fragments, which is exactly how I feel when socializing again. 😬

Rough color block concepts to determine the general final color palette. A cool green with brighter pink and yellow accents seemed fitting for an "awkward pause while internally panicking" vibe.