The Ultimate Brush Lettering Guide: A Complete Step-By-Step Creative Workbook
Transcript of The Ultimate Brush Lettering Guide: A Complete Step-By-Step Creative Workbook
Copyright©2018byPeggyDeanAllrightsreserved.
PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyWatsonGuptillPublications,animprintoftheCrownPublishingGroup,adivisionofPenguinRandomHouseLLC,NewYork.www.crownpublishing.comwww.watsonguptill.com
WATSONGUPTILLandtheHORSEHEADcolophonareregisteredtrademarksofPenguinRandomHouseLLC.
OriginallypublishedintheUnitedStatesbyThePigeonLetters,in2017.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataTitle:Theultimatebrushletteringguide:acompletestep-by-stepcreativeworkbooktojump-startmoderncalligraphyskills/PeggyDean.Description:California|NewYork:WatsonGuptill,2018.|Includesindex.Identifiers:LCCN2018002117Subjects:LCSH:Lettering.|Alphabets.|BISAC:ART/TechniquesCalligraphy.|ARTTechniquesPen
&InkDrawing.|SELF-HELPCreativity.Classification:LCCNK3600.D362018|DDC769.5—dc23LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2018002117
ISBN 9780399582196EbookISBN 9780399582202
v5.3.1
prh
Introduction:HowtoUseThisBook
ToolstoGetStarted
FirstSteps:TheAnatomyofLettering
BrushLettering101
OneStepFurther:IntroductiontoBounce,Variety,andFlourishes
PutItTogether:CompositiononthePage
UseandShareYourSkills:DIYProjects
Conclusion
FurtherReading
Acknowledgments
AbouttheAuthor
Index
toolstogetstartedHavingtherighttoolsandmaterialsisessentialtoyoursuccessinyourbrushletteringjourney.Yourpensmatter.Yourpapermatters.Therearesomanyoptionstochoosefrom,soI’vecreatedacomprehensiveguideofsomeofmyfavoritego-tosupplies.Suppliescanbefoundinlocalartstoresandonline.Amazonisagreatresourceifyoudon’thaveastorenearbythat’sloadeduponletteringsupplies.
It’simportanttounderstandthedifferencesthatbrushpensoffer,suchastheirtips,flexibility,andcontrol.Papermattersbecauseyouwanttoensureyou’renotdamagingyourpentips.Allowmetoelaborate.
brushpensBrushpensrangeinflexibility,whichisthemainthingyou’llnoticeasyouusethem.Formorecontrol,you’llwanttipswithlessflexibilitybecauseyourupstrokeswon’tgetawayfromyouasyou’relearning,meaningthetransitionbetweenaddingandreleasingpressurewillbeeasier.Themorecomfortableyouget,themoreyou’llbeabletoconfidentlyusebrushpenswithmoreflexibility.
PrismacolorPremierMarkerSmallbrushtip—4Flexibility—9Control—5
Smalltomediumlettering TombowFudenosukeHardandSoftTipSmallbrushtip—3Flexibility—3,4Control—7,8
Smalltomediumlettering PentelFudeTouchSignPenSmallbrushtip—4Flexibillity—6Control—6
Smalltomediumlettering PentelAquashWaterBrushSmall,medium&bold—5,8,10Flexibility—10Control—5
Mediumtolargelettering TombowDualBrushPenLargebrushtip—9Flexibility—5Control—7Largelettering
finetippensThesepensaregreatforworkwithconsistentlinethickness.It’swhatyou’llusetopracticebuildingconsistentalphabets,learningfauxcalligraphy,andcreatinghandletteredillustrations.
MicronPigmaInkPensFaderesistantSeveralcolorsManysizeoptionsDoesn’tbleed
PapermateFlairPointguardfelttipDoesn’tbleedTwenty-sixcolors
Uni-BallGelImpactVisibleinksupplyOpaque
Writesonmostmaterials ZebraSakuraGelFastdryingSmudgeproofFourteenvibrantcolorsManysizes
GellyRollbySakuraFineandmediumpointsSeveralcolorsetsandfinishes
paperWhatmostfolksdon’tknowisthatalotofpapercanruinbrushpens.Copyorprinterpaper,forexample,containsmicrofibersthatwillshredthetipsofbrushpens,causingthemtofrayandrenderingthemuseless.Youcangrabqualitypaperfromartstoresandonline.Expecttopayforqualitybecauseyougetwhatyoupayfor.Thatsaid,therearesomemoreaccessiblepricepointsthanothers,andI’dalwaysoptforthebestvalue.Coloredpapercanevenbeincorporatedifit’ssmoothenough.I’dstayawayfromconstructionpaperthough;fornow,let’ssticktothebasicsofgettingstarted.
PaperforLettering
Rhodiapadsareanexcellentchoiceformostletteringpracticeandprojects.
Thepaper'ssilkysurfaceistheperfectpartnertoabrushpen’sglide.
Whenusingwaterbrushes,Irecommendusingpapermadespecificallyfor
watercolor.Thispaperis140lb/300g,acidfree,andtextured.
BenefitsofRhodiaReinforcedstapledbindingforextrastrengthCoverisscoredtoneatlyfoldbackStiffbackcovermakeswritingorsketchingeasyandportablePalevioletlinesandgridwith5mmintervalsMicroperforatedontopforeasyandcleanremovalExtrawhite80gultrasmoothClairefontainepaper
80sheetsofblank,lines,grids,ordots
PaperforWaterBrushesWhenusingwaterbrushes,itisrecommendedthatpapermadespecificallyforwatermediabeused.Thispapershouldbe140lb/300g,acidfree,andoftentextured.Thisismarketedaswatercolorpaper.Somewatercolorpaperwillreflect98lb,whichisfine,butcanwarpeasierwhenwaterisapplied.Watercolorpapercanbefoundwithasmoothortexturedsurface.Whenyouseethewords“coldpress,”thepaperwillbetextured,while“hotpress”paperwillbesmooth.Botharefinechoices,anditultimatelycomesdowntopersonalpreference.Ilikecoldpresswatercolor
paperbecausethewaterwon’tspreadawayfromyouaseasilyasitdoeswithasmoothsurface.
tip
Onatightbudget?JustgrabaTombowFudenosuke2-packandhardandsofttipbrushpensoraRhodiadotorblankpad.Purchasingyourfirstletteringkitdoesn'thavetobreakthebank.
firststeps:theanatomyofletteringTherearealotoftermsforletteringthatyou’llseecomeupwhenyoufirstdiveintolettering.Althoughmanyofthesewordsandtermshaveevolvedfromtraditionalfontsets,you’llfindthatlearningthesetermswillgiveyouabetterunderstandingwhentheydopopup.There’snothingliketryingtopickupnewinformationexternallyandnotknowingwhatitmeans!Let’sbreakitdownandmakeitalittleeasierwithsomevisualexamples.
wordstoknow
SwashExaggeratedserif.
LigaturesLinesthatcreativelyconnectlettersorwordstogether.
CrossbarHorizontalstroke.
MoodThelookandfeeloflettersandfonts.
FlourishAdecorative,ornamentalstroke(swashesareinthiscategory).
BounceWhendownstrokesdipbelowthebaselinetocreatecharacter.
guidelines
Whatareallthoselines?
Guidelineswillhelpyouformyourletterswithprecision.Inthebeginning,
it’scrucialtopayattentiontotheselinesbecauseitwillhelpyoudevelopa
cohesivealphabet.Themoreyoupracticewithguidelines,themoremuscle
memoryyouwillbuild.Youcanevencreatequickguidelinesonyourown
witharulerandaddmorelinesorincludefewer,dependingonwhat
practiceyou’refocusingonatthemoment.
Ascender:Partoflowercaselettersthatmayriseabovethecapheight.
CapHeight:Theheightofacapitalletter.
MeanLine:Theheightofalowercaseletter.
X-Height:Thedistancebetweenthebaselineandthemeanlineoflowercaseletters.
Baseline:Thelineonwhichthetext“sits.”
Descender:Theportionoflettersthatdipbelowthebaseline.
You’llfindthattraditionalcalligraphyhasahardfocusonthestructureand
shapeofletters,whilemodernletteringhasastrongemphasisonallthe
uniquewaystostretchtraditionalrules.You’llfreeuptheserulesby
softeningletterstructureswhilemaintainingthebasicshapes,andyoucan
useguidelinesasabasewhileyou’llalsobreaktherulesandletyour
strokesreachaboveandbelowtheselinesfromtimetotime.
Modernletteringallowsforasofter,rounder,looserletterform.Itcanbe
intentionallyirregular,whichlargelycontributestoitscharm.Icallthis
imperfectlyperfect.
practicesheetsBeforewediveintotheexplorativejourneyoflettering,Istronglyencourageyoutomakephotocopiesofthepracticesheetsfromthefollowingpages.Althoughtherearespacesforpracticethroughoutthisbook,itwillbehelpfultohaveextrasonhand!TodownloadaPDFofthefollowingpracticesheets,gotohttp://rhlink.com/9780399582189a008
Thedottedpracticesheetwillhelpyoukeepstraightlineswhilemaintaining
eachletterform.Thedashedmiddlelinepracticesheetisabasicguidefor
keepingstraightlines.Thesheetthathasmultiplehorizontallinesassists
withlearningtoutilizeallpointsofaletterincludingthebaseline,x-height,
capheight,andascendersanddescenders.Youcanusebothvarietiesof
slantedlinepracticesheetstokeepyourlinesstraightwhilecreating
uniformedslantedletters.
letterformationI’mgoingtointroduceamethodthatIusetoexplainletterformation.Youwantacohesivealphabet,andlettershapesthemselvesneedguidesjustasmuchaswordsandsentencesneedguidelines.We’llusewhatIcallthefourcorner(orthreecorner)method.Thesecornersaretouchpoints.Ipreferusingonlythreemaincornerstoformmyletters.Thinkofitlikeamagnet.Insteadofcirclingbackaround,onceyourletterreachesitsthirdtouchpoint,itshootsrightbackuptothebeginning.It’sokayifyourletterslookchoppyandsharpasyoupracticethis.Theideaistocreate
themusclememory.
Aswedivein,usearegularfinepointpen.Asmuchasyoumightbe
temptedtouseabrushpen,we’renotthereyet!Thisisanimportantstepof
theprocessoflearning,evenifyou’vealreadydabbledinbrushlettering.
CreateBaseShapes
KeepParallelLines
KeepConsistentHeightandSpace
tip
It’sfineifyouprefermoreorlessheight/spadeaslongasallyourlettersremainuniform.(TheG,K,andLwouldbeagreatstylegrouping.)
practiceutilizingtouchpointsUseaballpointpentoformyourlettershapes.
letterformsa–jLearnhowtobuildlettersbeforebuildingwords.Tryliftingyourpenafteryourfirststrokeformorecontrol.Remember,you’restillusingaregular,fine-tippen.
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowingletterforms,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a007.
letterformsk–tNoticethebaseshapeofeachletterasyoupracticebuildingit.Aretheshapesuniform?
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowingletterforms,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a007.
letterformsu–zPracticingasteadypatternwillgiveyouthetoolstobranchoutintoyourownstyle.
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowingletterforms,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a007.
let’sconnect!
Thereareseveralfactorstoconsiderwhendetermininghowyouwill
connectyourletters.Understandingtherelationshipsbetweenletterswill
allowyoutobreaktherulesandgetcreative.
TheLengthofLead-inandExitStrokes
WhenIfirststartedmyletteringjourney,Iwantedtoproducebeautiful,airy
letterswithlong,wispyexitstrokes.Mynaturalprogressiondidn’tendup
thatway,somygo-tostyleisabitdifferent.Thatsaid,onceyougetfamiliar
withplacingintentionallengthinyourexitstrokes,you’llbeabletoswitch
betweenstyles!
TheDirectionofLead-inandExitStrokes
Noticehowasoftcurveupwardmakesyourwordlookalittlemorebubbly
andcute,whilethehardcurveupandoverlooksalittlemoreairy.Thisis
alsoacreativechoiceinyourexitstrokesthatwillevokedifferentmoodsin
yourwork.
rulesformakingwordsConnectionscanbetrickywhentoomuchthoughtisputintothem.Rememberthefollowingrulesandyou’llfindthisprocesstobemucheasier.
Rule#1
Stopyourexitstrokebeforebeginningthenextletter.Liftyourpenoffthe
paperforeachbreak.Basically,treateachletterasastand-aloneletter.
Thiswillcomeinhandywhenyoubeginincorporatingflourishes!
Inthewordabove,forexample,herearealltheplacesIstopped,liftedmy
pen,andthencontinuedthenextletter.
Rule#2
Don’tworryaboutyourconnectinglinesmatchingupperfectly.Noticewhere
my“n”connectstomy“b”inbothexamples.Ididn’tworryaboutwherethe
lead-informy“b”wouldconnect.Rather,Itreateditasitsownbeginning.
Belowisthesamerulewithaflourishincorporated.
Rule#3
Besurethatyourconnectingstrokesareconsistentinlength.Evenwitha
solidbaseshape,ifspacingisinconsistent,thewordcanturnoutabit
sloppy.Itdoesn’tmatteriftheconnectingstrokesarelongorshort,but
consistencyiskey.
practicecreatingwordsFindyourstylebywritingthesamewordwithshortspacingandthenlongspacingtoseewhichresonateswithyoumore!You’restillonlyusingaregularfine-tippen—don’tforget!
Nowthatwe’vecomethisfar,howaboutaproperintroduction?Writeyour
nameusingyournewletterformations.
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowing"HelloMyNameIs"sheet,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a005.
Howaboutsomemoreaboutyou?
fauxcalligraphyOnceyoufeelcomfortablewithyourletters,youcanbegintoaddweighttothem.Notonlywillthishelpyoulearnwhereyourweightlineswillgo,butitwillalsoprepareyouforoddprojectsthatcan’tbedoneonasmallpieceofpaper.Forexample,ifyouwanttodoletteringonawindowwithapaintpen,thistechniquewillcomeinhandy.We’renotquitereadyforthebrushpenthough,sodon’tjumpinjustyet!Wewillbeginaddingweightusinganiftytechniqueknownasfauxcalligraphy.It’seasy!Here’showyoudoit.
Whenyouwritealetter,payattentiontoyourupstrokesanddownstrokes.
Strokes1and3aredownstrokes,amdstrokes2and4areupstrokes.Draw
alineveryclosetothedownstrokesofyourletters,connectingthelinesat
alineveryclosetothedownstrokesofyourletters,connectingthelinesat
thebeginningandendoftheweightline.Keepyourlinesconsistentand
choosewhetheryouwantyourconnectionsroundedormoresquare.
Afterfamiliarizingyourselfwithweightlineplacement,allyouneedtodois
fillinthewhitespace.Youcandothisbycoloringintheemptyspace,which
imitatestheappearanceofabrushpen.
StepOne:UseconsistentbaseshapestoletterawordStepTwo:AddweightlinetodownstrokesStepThree:Colorinwhitespace
PracticeAddingWeightFollowthepromptsbelowtopracticeaddingweight.Havefun!
tip
Keepthesamedistancebetweeneachletteranditsweightline.
FauxCalligraphyPracticeIencourageyoutouseyour
creativityanddrawapatterninsidetheemptyspacesyou’vecreatedbetweentheletterlineandtheweightlineinyourletters.Fillthisspacewithacolorotherthanblack.Tryusingpink,blue,orpolkadots!
tip
Tryusingalternatingcolorsinthelettersorwords.
PatternPlayHowmanycanyoucomeupwith?
brushlettering101
We’vegoneoverhowtoformyourletters,howtoexperimentwithdifferentcreativechoices,howtobuildwords,toalterthestyleandmoodofyourwords,andwheretoapplyweightlines—andit’sfinallytimetopickupthebrushpenthat’sprobablybeenstaringatyoubeggingtobeused!
Asyoustartthischapter,it’simportanttorememberthatpracticemakesprogress.Themoreyouuseyourbrushpen,themorecomfortableitwillfeel.You’llprobablysurpriseyourselfwithyourprogressasyoupractice,sokeepatit!We’llstartsimply,andlearnhowtoproperlyusebrushpenswiththeirbasicstrokes,whichwillhelpyoueasilytransitionintolettersandwords.
beginningpracticestolearnhowtouseabrushpen
Keepingallpreviouslessonsinmind,addthisrule:pressfirmlyonyour
downstrokes.Thiscausesthebrushtoflattenandcreateathicker
downstrokeline.Thisaddsweighttoyourletters.Releasepressureonyour
upstrokes.Thiswillmakethebrushreturntoitspointedtip.
basicstrokes
Holdingyourpenata35-to45-degreeanglewillhelpyouachievetheideal
weightlinesbygivingyoumorecontrol.I’manoverwriterwhenitcomesto
regularwriting,whichmeansIgripmypenslikemylifedependsonitand
thetipreachestowardmeinsteadofawayfromme.Chancesareyouwon’t
holdyourbrushpenslikeyoudowithregularpens.Remember,you’re
drawing,notwriting.Youwantyourbrushpentositlooserinyourhandso
thatitcanflowwithease.
Whenpracticing,you’llfindthatyougothroughatonofpaper.Iencourage
youtousetracingpaperoveraguide,whichwillhelpalotwithyourend
result.Don’tunderestimatethepowerofusingguidelines!
Takeacloserlookatdownstrokesandupstrokes.
FullPressure:Thethickstrokethatbeginsandendswithathick,full-belliedmotion.
EntryStroke:Thehairlinestrokeleadingintothebeginningofaletter.
Underturn:ThescoopingU-shapedstrokethatbeginswithathickdownstrokeandcurvesupwardinascoopingmotion
intoathin,hairlineupstroke.
Overturn:Thearchedupside-downU-shapedstrokethatbeginswithathinupstrokeandcurvesoverintoathick
downstroke.
CompoundCurve:Combinestheunderturnandoverturnstrokestocreateaseamless,wavystroke.
Oval:Combinestheunderturnandoverturnstroke,creatinganenclosedroundedshape.
AscendingStemLoop:Thestrokebeginninginanupward,hairlinecurve,transitioningintoathickstrokedownward.
DescendingStemLoop:Thethickstrokemovingdownwardandthencurvingupwardintoathinlinethatmeetsthe
middleofthedownstroke.
It’scrucialthatyoufamiliarizeyourselfwiththesebasicstrokesand
continuetoreturntothesepracticesalongyourletteringjourney.Each
brushpenisuniqueinitsflexibilityandsize,sothesebasicswillcomein
handywhilebreakinginthosenewtools.Whenitcomestotheamountof
timeyoudedicatetopractice,fifteenminutesadayisawesome.Ifyoudon’t
havethatmuchtime,evenfiveminutesdoeswondersbecauseyou’re
puttingenergyintothework.Don’tstrayawayfromapplyingyourcreativity
becauseyoufeellikeyoudon’thavetimetositdownandcreateabig
project.Justsitdownandcreatesomebasicstrokes!
Nowgousethefollowingtocompletetwolinesofeachoftheseshapesand
watchyourstrokesimprove!
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowing"BasicStrokes"sheets,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a002.
practicebasicstrokes
strokesinletters
Nowwe’llusethesebrushstrokesinourletters.Youwillfindsomeofthese
brushstrokesinthefollowingletters.Afteryoutakealookattheletters
below,trytore-createthemusingyourbasicstrokes.
TodownloadaPDFofthe"TryItOut"sheet,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a011.
lefthanded?
Youcanjustassuccessfullylearntomasterletteringasyourright-handed
neighbor.Thestruggleisreal.Thebiggestroadblockforboth“lefties”and
“righties”alwayscomesdowntomentalbarriers.Youwillbetheonlyone
holdingyouback.Ifthisblockstemmedfromthefeelingoffailure,perhaps
duetoamessyattemptcompletewithanink-stainedhandandsmudgedup
paper,holdontothisthought:Mentalbarrierscanexistevenwhenyou
haven’ttriedyetbecauseoffearoffailure.Well,guesswhat?Everybody
startssomewhere!
Hereareacoupleoftipsforleft-handedaspiringletterers.
Tryadjustingtheangleofthepen.
Left-handedwritersarebothunderwriters(keepingthewriststraightand
holdingthepenabove)andoverwriters(curlingthewristandholdingthe
penunderneath).Ifyou’reanoverwriter,youmaybefamiliarwithsmudging
yourworkasyourhandfollows.Ifusingadifferentanglewiththepen
doesn’tworkinyourfavor,trykeepingaregularpenangleandinsteadjust
adjusttheangleofthepaper.
Someleftiesusehandguards.
Theycreateabarrierinbetweenyourlettersandyourhand.Youcanfind
themonline.Ican’tvouchforthembecauseI’veneverusedthem,butthey
mayworkgreatforyou!Therearealsoalotoftutorialsonlinebyleft-
handedletterersthatwanttohelp!
alphabetsampler
Doyoueverseeapieceofartworkthatmakesyoufeelaparticularway?
Perhapsachalkboardadvertisementforfreshnavelorangesthatgivesyou
asenseofitscitrustexture?Orastunning,delicateweddinginvitation
invokingthefragilefeelingofpreciouslove?Howaboutaneye-catching
sleek,modernbusinesscardthatgivesyouconfidencethatthecompanyor
individualis“therealdeal”?
Thesemood-invokingdesignsarelargelyduetothestylisticchoicesofthe
lettering.
Thefollowingpresenttendifferentwaystocreateeachuppercaseletter,ten
waysforeachlowercaseletter,andtenwaystocreatenumbers.
alphabetstyles
numericstyle
Howmanydifferentstylescanyouthinkofforeachnumber?
onestepfurther:introductiontobounce,variety,andflourishesBounceletteringisalltherave!It’swhatreallymakesmoderncalligraphystandout.Bouncingyourletterstypicallyoccursinascendinganddescendinglines,asyoucanplaywiththemtoreachmuchhigheranddropmuchlowerthantheirtypicalguidelines.You’llalsofindthatyoucanbreakuprepetitionbystaggeringrepeatingletters.Bounceletteringaddsenergyandpersonalitytoyourletters.Onceyoufeelcomfortablewithyourbasicforms,Iencourageyoutodiveintoexperimentingwiththisprocess,anddon’tbediscouragedifitdoesn’tcomeoutexactlylikeyouthoughtitwould.Practicemakesprogress!
bounce
Whentheexitstrokeofaletterisnaturallydirecteddownward,youcandip
belowthedescenderline.Besuretoreturntothebaselineeveryfewletters
tomaintainbalanceinyourwords.
Whentheexitstrokenaturallydragsupward,youcanreachabovethe
ascenderline.
PracticeYourBounce!
Chooseananimalandletteritsnameafewdifferentwaysusingbounce
lettering.
lettering.
tip
Returnyourpentothebaselineeveryfewletters.
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowing"Bounce"practicesheet,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a003.
practicecreatingswashesSwashesbringalittlemorelifetothebeginningandendinglettersinawordorasentence.Insteadofabasic,boringbeginning,swashesaddabitofflair!
CreateYourOwn!
tip
Avoidcrossingthicklineswithotherthicklines.
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowing"Swashes"practicesheet,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a010.
practicecreatingascendersanddescendersPracticeincorporatingswasheswithascendersanddescendersbyletteringthenamesofyourfriendsandfamily.
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowing"AscendersandDescenders"practice
sheet,gotohttp://rhlink.com/9780399582189a001.
Let’sPlayMakeBelieveDidyoueverusemade-upwordsasakid?Doyourecallanycrazycombinationsoflettersorsounds?Well,yougettorevisitthattimeandcreatenewmade-upword.
Usethisboxtojotdownyourwordideas.TodownloadaPDFofthe
following"Let'sPlayMakeBelieve,"goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a006.
Onceyou’vechosenyourfavoritecreation,displayitproudly!Writeithere.
You’vegotyourword,butitneedsadefinition!
styleexplorationDoyoufindthatyoufeeldifferently
readingthiswordversusthisword?
Dependingonthestyleappliedtoaword’sstructure,itwillnaturally
translatetodifferentmoods,creatingauniquefeeltoeachvariation.Let’s
giveyourwordsomenewvibes!Usethepromptstoletteryourfreshly
createdword.
Theoptionsgoonandon!
Howmuchfunisstyleexploration?!It’sagreatactivitytoreturntowhen
preppingadesign.Let’skeepgoing.Seehowmanydifferentwaysyoucan
letteryourname!
TodownloadaPDFofthefollowing"StyleExploration"sheets,goto
http://rhlink.com/9780399582189a009.
practicemorevariety
Creativityhastheabilitytoblossomwithhandlettering.Incorporatesome
varietyandexperimentwithdifferentletterstyles!
There’salotyoucandowithsimplerletterssuchas“c”and“o,”whichwouldn’tseemlikethey’dhavemuchvariety.Trytendifferentswashes.Circleyourfavorite.Practiceavarietyofexitstrokes.Trydroppingbeneaththedescenderafewtimes.Trydrawingadifferentstyleforeachletter.Youcandoit!Practicevaryingdegreesofunderstrokes.Trysomewispyhairlinestrokes.
flourishes
Aflourishisanornamentalflowingcurveusedtoembellishlettering
designs.
Simpleflourishesarealovelyadditiontowordsanddesignsthatdon’t
necessarilyneedtostandout,butthatcouldbenefitfromasofterpolished
appearance.Elaborateflourishestransformabasicdesignbyaddingahigh
degreeofelegance.Theadditionoffancyflourishesalonecancompletea
logo,agreetingcard,anannouncement,amenu,andmore.
Wheretoaddflourishes:• atthebeginning/endofaword
• atthetopofanascendingstem
• atthebottomofadescendingtail
Youcanalsoaddthemonstemsandtailsofwords.
Lookatthedifferencesofabasicwordafteraddingsimpleflourishesand
elaborateflourishes.
AddingLigatures
Flourishescanalsobeusedforligatures,whicharelinesusedtojointwo
letterstogether,sometimesinclever,unexpectedways,asintheexamples
below.
StandaloneFlourishesLet’snotforgetaboutallthedesignpossibilitiesawaitingwhenweincorporateflourishesthatarenotattachedtoletters.Theseadd-onsareusedwithexistingflourishedwords,oftenaspagedividers,underlines,anddecorations.Therearemanystylesofstandaloneflourishestoconsiderwhensettingthemoodofyourpiece.Herearesomeexamplestogetyoustarted.
TodownloadaPDFofthe"DecorativeFlourishes"practicesheetabove,go
tohttp://rhlink.com/9780399582189a004.
putittogether:compositiononthepage
Howyoudecidetoarrangeanddrawyourwordsistheworkofcomposition.You’rebuildinganillustrationtomakesenseonpaperasapieceofart.Smallsketchesareagreatwaytodeterminehowyouwanttoplaceyourwords.Thisisalsoveryusefulinplacingflourishes.Althoughletteringislovelyonitsown,buildingapieceofarttakesthought,andcompositionshouldbepartofthatthought.
Usingapencilbeforeusingabrushpencansaveyoualotoftimeandpaper,asmistakescanbefixed.Theseexamplesfeatureseveraltipsonhowtobestexecutelayouts.
threewords,samesize
Placethemiddlewordfirst.Thisensuresthepieceiscentered.Usethe
middlewordasaguideforwhereyourwordsaboveandbelowcanreach
anddipintothemiddleword’sframe.Whenyou’rehappywithyour
composition,applyinkwithyourbrushpen.Ifneeded,eraseanyremaining
pencillines(butbesuretheinkiscompletelydryfirst).
multiplewordswithattentiontoone
Justasyouplacedyourmiddlewordasyourguide,youwillplaceyour
emphasizedwordfirst,makingitlargerthantheotherwordswillbe.
Letteringtheremainingwordsinthesamestyleislovely,andyoucanwork
insidethemainword’sframeasyoudidbefore.
Thatbeingsaid,mixingotherletteringstylescanbecomplementaryandadd
amoredynamicaesthetic.
multiplewordswithfocusonseveral
First,layoutyourmainwordsthatyouwantemphasized.
Second,addsecondarywordswhileusingthemainwordsasguides.
Lastly,addtheremainingwordstocompleteyourcomposition.
tip
Itdoesn’ttakemuchtolayoutsomepossibilitiesbeforebeginningyourpiece,soIencourageyoutopracticeafewsketchesaheadoftimesothatyou’reconfidentinyourlayout!
useandshareyourskills:DIYprojectsNowthatyou’veequippedyourselfwithnewknowledgeandmadletteringskills,it’stimetoputitalltouseinsomeprojects!UsethefollowingtoprompttheDIYerinyoutostartcreating.Youcanincorporateletteringintosomanyfunprojects!It’soneofthecreativehobbiesthatI’vepickedupandneverputdown.Ifyouwantinspiration,youprobablyknowthatPinterestisajackpotofideastotry.Justdon’tdothatthingwhereyoufeeltheurgetocreatesoyoujumponPinterestforanidea,butinsteadofdivingintosomethingfun,youstartpinninginstead.Beforeyouknowit,threehourswillhavepassedandyou’llhaverunoutoftimetodotheactualcreating!We’reallguilty.IuploadcontenttomyInstagramdaily,socomeonoverandfollowmyfeed,
@thepigeonletters,tojump-startyourmotivation!You’vegotthecreativityreadytoburstoutofyou,sofollowthatdrive!
createabuntingIdon’tknowaboutyou,butI’mobsessedwiththese.They’readorableandanythingonastringscreams“Hangmeup!”Addsomeletteringtoabuntingandyou’resetforanyupcomingevents.
MATERIALS
Whitecardstock
Coloredcardstock
Scissors
Brushpen
Adhesive
Holepunch
Twine
Step1
Selectabouttwopiecesofwhitecardorlightlycoloredcardstock.Youmay
needmoredependingonthelengthofyourwordorphrase.Cutyour
cardstockintolong,triangularsectionsinthesamequantityasthenumber
oflettersthatareinyourwordorphrase.Besuretocutyourtriangleswide
enoughtofityourletters.Cutastraightlineafterthetrianglestocreatethe
nextbatch.
tip
Cuttingastraightlineafterthetrianglescreatesanotherbatch.
Step2
Useyourbrushpentowritethelettersyou’reusingontothewhite
cardstock.Createguidelinesusingpencilifyou’dliketokeepthemextra
straight.
tip
Leaveevenmoreroomonthetoptoallowforstring.
Step3
Selectthesameamountofcoloredcardstockasusedfromthewhitepaper.
Usethewhitepiecesasaguide,andleavingasmallborder,cuttriangles
justabitlargerthanthesizeofthefirstcuts.Thebackgroundcolorwill
makethelettersreallypop!
Step4
Adherethetwopiecesofcardstock.Then,useaholepunchtopunchtwo
holestocreatethespacethatthetwinewillbethreadedthrough.Cuta
lengthoftwinelongenoughforallthecardstockflagstofitandsothat
thereisslackattheends.
Step5
Stringthetwinethrough,startingbehind,thenthroughagainfromthefront
towardtheback,andvoila!Youcannowgrabacoupleofthumbtacksand
hangyourdarlingbunting!
watercolorplacecardsEverybodylovesawatercolorwash.Addingbeautifullyletterednamestothat?Peoplewillkeepthemforever!
MATERIALS
Scissors
Brushpen
Thickwatercolorormixedmedia
paper
Watercolorpaints
Asmallpaintbrush
Step1
Determinewhatsizeyou’dlikethefaceofyourplacecardstobe.Double
thatsize(thiswillallowforthefoldsothattheystandup),andcutoutthe
numberofplacecardsyou’llbeusing.Youcanalsouseapapercutter.
Step2
Creasethemiddletocreateafold,andthenopenandlayflat.You’llnowbe
abletovisuallyseparatethefrontfromtheback,withthefrontbelowthe
crease.
Step3
Layawatercolorwashoverthefrontarea.Thisiswherestylisticchoices
comeintoplay.Youcanlaywatercoloredgetoedgeorapplythewashto
onlyaconcentratedarea.Addanadditionalcolorortwoformorevibrancy
anddimension.
tip
Layawater-onlywashfirst,andthenaddcolortocreatealovelybleedeffect.
Step4
Afterthewatercolordries,handletterthenamesforyourplacecards
directlyontopofthedriedpaint.
Step5
Refold,andyou’rereadytosetupyourplacecardsonatable!
silhouettewordcollageWordsilhouettesmakethebestgifts.Receivingapersonalizedgiftisalreadythoughtful—andsouniquewhenithasspecialwordsassociatedwiththeshape.Usingtheprofileofalovedoneandputtingwordsinthatdescribethemwillsurelybringtearsofjoy.
MATERIALS
Pencil
Paper
Brushpen
Step1
Findanimagewithaclearoutline.
Step2
Drawortraceonlytheoutlineofyourimagewithpencil.
Step3
Filltheshapewithanywordsyoulike.Someideasofwhattoincludeare:
physicalcharacteristics,purposeitserves,rolesyoumightseeitin,
aliases/synonyms/nicknames,quotes/songlyrics,whereit’scommonly
found,howitmakesyoufeel,andassociatedwords.Hugtheoutlinewith
wordstopreserveitsshape.Oncetheinkisdry,erasethepenciloutline.
Step4
Useaframetosilhouetteyoursubject.
embossingEmbossingisafunfinishtoanyproject.Youcanaddtexture,shine,andsparkletobothsimpleandelaboratedesigns.Thereareanumberofembossingtoolstoexplore,andIencourageplayingaroundwithwhatintriguesyou.Embossingpenshavereallyopenedthedoorforopportunityindesign.Embossingpenscanbefoundwithbrushtips,hardfelttips,andevengluerollertips.Differenteffectscanbemadewithdifferentpowderfinishes.Projectmoodscanbebetterinterpretedbythecolorpalette.Unlikelymaterialscanbetransformedbytheunexpectedembossedembellishments.
MATERIALS
Embossingpowder
Embossingpens
Aheattool
Cardstock
Step1
Firstuseapenciltocreateyourlayouttoeliminateunbalancedcomposition,
andthendrawtheword(s)ordesignyouwillbeembossingontoyourpaper
withtheembossingpen.
tip
Don’tinktheentiredesignifit’slargeormoreintricate—youdon’twanttoriskitdryingoutbeforeyou’refinished.
Step2
Layembossingpowderovertheentiredesign,ensuringnoareasareleft
exposed.Afterthedesignhasbeencovered,liftthepaperandpourthe
powderoff.Thepowderwillremainonlyontheareaswheretheembossing
penwasused.
tip
Don’twastepowder.Useascrappapertocatchthepowderknockedloosefromyourdesignbeforeit’scured.Pullthepaperendstowardthemiddleandcreatealightcrease/funnel,thenpourthepowderbackintoitscontainer.
Step3
Whileholdingtheheattoolabout11/2inchesawayfromyourpiece,youwill
seethepowdercuring.Thiswillbeobviousbecauseyouwillnoticechanges
incolor,shine,sparkle,andtexture.Asyouseethefirstpartlift,“chase”the
embossingbyholdingtheheattoolatanangleandmoveitacrossthe
designanditwillliftasyougo.Onceallofthepowderhasbeencured,you
arefinished!Somepowderwillstick,justuseacoarse,drypaintbrushto
sweepitaway.It’sthatquickandeasy.
tip
Goingoveradesigntwotothreetimeswillmakeitextraraised.Prettycool.
CommonUh-ohsandFixesMypapercurlsorwarps:
Turnthepaperoverandheatthebackside.Dependingonthethicknessofthecardstock,thismayneedtobedoneseveraltimes.
Thepowderorpaperburns:Movethetoolassoonasyouseethepowder
cure.Maintainadistanceofabout11/2inchesbetweenthepaperandheat
tool.
I’malldone,buttheembossingisuneven:Thiscanoccuriftheinkwasn’t
wetenoughwhenthepowderwasapplied.Fearnot—thisisaneasyfix!Just
repeattheprocessovertheareasthatneedit.
Thereispowdereverywhereafterembossing:Loosepowderwilltryto
stickonyourprojectlikecrumbs—whereyoudon’twantit!Turnyourpaper
overandlightlytaporflickthebacksideoruseacourse,drypaintbrush
andalightsweepingmotiontodustofftheloosepowder.
Variations
Combinationscanbechallengedbyexciting,newideas.Forexample,ideas
include:• blackonblack• whiteonwhite
• clearonlyfortextureeffectandwatercolorresistance• orange
onpink,redonblue,yellowongreen,etc.
Thereareavarietyofmaterialsthatcanbeembossedsuchasthefollowing:
• paper
• vellum
• envelopes
• notebooks
• terra-cotta
• ceramic
• wood
• glass
envelopedesignEnvelopedesigncanbesomuchfun.Rememberthatguidelinesareyourfriend,andenvelopedesigniswheretheyreallycomeinhandy.Youcanusearulerandlightpencillinetomarkwhereyouwantyourguidelines.Usethefollowingexamplesforsomeinspiration.
Example1
Simpleletteringwithalong,edge-to-edgenameline.
Example2
Useapenciltocreateanarchedguidelineforthename.
Example3
Enclosethenameandaddressinabanner.
Example4
Useapenciltocreateaguidelinetofollowtovarytheheightofyourletters.
Example5
Addadeliveryinstruction.
createabotanicalalphabetusingfauxcalligraphyLet’sgetyoufamiliarwithsomeveryeasy,interchangeablefloraldoodles.Grabapieceofpaperandfollowalong!
MATERIALS
Qualitypaper
Pencil
Pen
Step1
Useapenciltocreateyourletters.
Step2
Addflowersalongoneoftheedgesorinoneisolatedareainyourletter’s
frame.
Step3
Useinkoverthepencillines,butbecarefulnottogoovertheflorallines.
Step4
Applyweightlinesonthedownstrokes,ascoveredinthefauxcalligraphy
segment.Again,don’tdrawthroughyourflowers!
Step5
Eraseyourpencillines.
Alldone!Youcankeepyourdesignasis,oryoucanaddpatternsorcolorto
thewhitespaceinsidetheweightlines.
bannerdesignBannersmakefortheperfectillustratedtouchwhenaddingthemtoyourletteringpieces.Theycreatestatementsandcanbeusedinanumberofwaysincludingenvelopeaddressing,logos,slogans,labels,greetingcards,andsomuchmore.Bannerdesignsvaryfromsimple,basicstylestomoreornate,flowingflags.
Thefollowingshowsomebasicbannerstogetyoustarted.
photographandshareyourwork
Ifyouplanontakingphotographsofyourwork,it’simportanttobeawareof
what’snecessarytocreatehigh-qualityimages,butalsowhereyoucancut
corners.Thefollowingisaneasy,budget-friendlyguidetoassistthe
amateurphotographerincreatingeye-catching,swoon-worthyimages.The
bestimageswillbecrispandclearwithplentyoflight.I’veexperimented
withatonofdifferentwaystophotographmywork.I’vetriedaddingfilters,
fullydigitizingit,andusingprops,andI’vealsoexperimentedwithsomuch
lighting!Thelastthingyouwantistohaveanamazingworkofart,onlyto
haveitmutedbydarklightingthatdoesn’tshowcaseitinallofitsglory.
Also,whenyousetuptotakepicturesofyourwork,staytruetoyou!Don’t
compareyourworktoothers.Thereisroomforyou!Peoplewanttoseea
reflectionofyouandyourstylebecauseit’swhatmakesyou,you!
Lighting
Lightingis,handsdown,themostimportantaspectinproducingimagesof
professionalquality.Ifyou’vegotyourlightsourcecovered,therestfalls
intoplace.
Best:LargewindowsthatletinnaturaldaylightGood:Studiolighting(umbrella,softbox,ringlight)Okay:DaylightlightbulbsPoor:Warmlighting(fromregularhouseorapartmentbulbs)
CameraWithtechnology’sincreasinglyprogressivedesignandfunctionality,anon-complexphotoprojectnolongerdemandshigh-techequipment.
Best:DigitalSLR+photoeditingsoftwareGood:2015+SmartphoneordigitalcameraPoor:Disposablecameraorwebcam
tip
Useaflexiblearmmountwithasmartphonetocapturevideoofyourartprocess.
PhotoComposition
Creativityhasanopportunitytoreallyshinehere.Considerthefollowingkey
pointswhencapturingyourimages.Whatistheimagegoingtobeusedfor?
PhotoCompositionandUsage
ANGLE FRAMING ACCENTS
OnlineStore Headon Perimeter,atadistanceFlowers,frame,coloredortexturedwall,trinkets
SocialMedia Any!Lowandflush,tilted,above,side,headon
Any!Lowandflush,tilted,above,side,headon
Flowers,trinkets,nature,twine,coffee
BlogIncludemultipleimagestofullyfeaturethepieceinprocess
Includemultipleimagestofullyfeaturethepieceindifferentsettings
Minimal,coloredortexturedwalls,supplies
Portfolio Headon Perimeter None
Prints Headon Perimeter None
EnhanceYourPhotosApplyingeditsdigitallyallowsforadditionallightingadjustments.Belowarethemainareastofocuson.It’samazingwhatadifferenceasmallbumpinbrightnesscandotolivenupanimage.
tip
Sometimesphotospickupalotofwarmth,soyourphotowilllookneutralwhenit'sadjustedmoretowardthecoolside.
WhiteBalance
Brightness
HowtoComposeforInstagramIabsolutelyloveInstagramforitseyecandy!You’llnoticeonmyfeed,@thepigeonletters,I’mconstantlyexperimentingandchanginghowIpresentmywork.Idon’tsticktoacolorschemebecauseIthinkit’smuchmorefuntoshowmultiplefacetsofmywork.Don’tgetmewrong,however;ifacolorschememakesyouthehappiest,thenthatwillreflectinyourworkandthat’swhatpeoplewanttosee!
CommonHashtagstoKeeponYourRadarHashtagsareawaytoorganizephotosonsocialmedia.Ifyouincludeahashtagonyourpost,it’slikeaddingacategorytoyourphoto.Itwillautomaticallyshowupwithotherphotosthatusethesametag.Checkoutthefollowing:#moderncalligraphy
#brushlettering
#lettering
#handlettering
#modernscript
#handwrittenfont
#handdrawntype
#typographyinspired
#typematters
#pointedpen
#typespired
#calligrafriends
#artstagram
#qotd
#letteringchallenge
#letteringchallenge
#thedailytype
#craftsposure
#goodtype
#letteringco
#calligraphymasters
#typeinspire
#dslettering
#typegang
#makersvillage
#creatorslane
#handletteredabcs
#calligrabasics
#learnlettering
#learncalligraphy
conclusion
Lookathowfaryou’vecome!You’vejumpedintoletteringandarenowin
fullswingandreadytocreateprojectsofyourveryownwithyournewfound
knowledgeinbaseshapes,fundamentalsofbalanceandweightlines,brush
pens,bouncelettering,andadditionalenhancementstomakeyourletters
pop.Notonlythat,butyou’vedabbledinaddinginsomespecialeffectsto
takeyourworktothenextlevel.You’rebasicallyapro.Thankyoufor
choosingtoincludethisbookaspartofyourjourney.
furtherreading
MySkillshareclasseschannel:skillshare.com/r/thepigeonletters
Noteworthyblogs:
www.thepigeonletters.com
blog.tombowusa.com
www.theinkyhand.com
Shop:www.thepigeonletters.etsy.com
YouTube:youtube.com/c/thepigeonletters
Instagram:@thepigeonletters
acknowledgments
First,Iwanttothanktheamazingartcommunitythatexistsonmanysocial
mediaplatforms.Socialmediahasallowedconnectionslikeneverbefore,
andI’mthrilledthatsomanyofyouhavechosentohavemeaspartofyour
learningjourney.
I’dliketothankmywife,LauraDean.Withouther,Iwouldhavenevertaken
theincrediblyscaryleapintowhatisnowsucharewardingcareerbydoing
whatIloveeverysingleday.
IwanttothanktheteamatSkillshareforopeningthefirstdoorforme.I’ve
alwaysbeenpassionateaboutteaching,andteachingonaplatformthat
valueskeepingcreativityaccessibleismyjam.
Iwanttothankmyagent,CarrieHowland,forconvincingmethatIcouldbe
biggerthantheboxIdidn’trealizeIwastryingtokeepmyselfinsideof.
Lastly,IwanttothanktheteamatTenSpeedPressforbeingsuchastaple
inbuildingmybookintosomethingevengreaterthanIenvisioned.
Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou.
abouttheauthor
Peggyisaself-taughtartistwhois
proudtoofferanon-conventional
methodofaccessibleeducationto
anyonewhowantstothriveinthe
artscene.Shebelievesthatmore
thananythingartisabout
empoweringoneselfandbeing
proudofsomethingyou’vecreated
withyourhands.Sheisanaward-
winningeducator,andheruniqueapproachhaslandedheraninterviewon
theTodayShow,amongstseveralothernewsoutlets.Livingherpassionhas
allowedhertospendmoretimewithherfamilyinthePacificNorthwest,
surroundedbythemostbeautifulnatureintheworld.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W X Y Z
index
A
alphabet
botanical
styles
ascenders,2.1,4.1
bannerdesign
baseline
bounce,2.1,4.1
brushpens
learningtouse
typesof
B
bunting
C
calligraphy
characteristicsof
definitionof
faux,2.1,6.1
historyof
letteringvs.,itr.1,itr.2,2.1
processof
toolsfor,itr.1,itr.2
usesfor,itr.1,itr.2
capheight
collaboration
composition
crossbars,2.1,4.1
D
descenders,2.1,4.1,4.2
downstrokes,2.1,2.2,3.1
E
embossing
entrystrokes
envelopedesign
exitstrokes,2.1,2.2,4.1
F
fauxcalligraphy,2.1,6.1
finetippens
flourishes,2.1,2.2,4.1,4.2
G
guidelines
H
hairlinestrokes,2.1,4.1
handguards
hashtags
head
I
imperfections,valueof
inspiration,sourcesof,itr.1,6.1
Instagram,6.1,6.2
L
lead-instrokes,2.1,2.2
left-handedletterers
lettering
calligraphyvs.,itr.1,itr.2,2.1
characteristicsof,itr.1,itr.2
processof
termsfor
toolsfor,itr.1,itr.2,1.1
typographyvs.,itr.1,itr.2
usesfor,itr.1,itr.2,itr.3
letters
formationof
strokesin
stylesfor,3.1,4.1,4.2
Seealsoalphabet
ligatures,2.1,4.1
M
meanline
moods,2.1,4.1
N
networking
numbers
P
paper
photographs
placecards,watercolor
practicesheets
R
resources,itr.1,bm.1
Rhodiapads
roadblocks,avoiding,itr.1,3.1
S
serifs,2.1,4.1
shoulder
silhouettewordcollage
stem
strokes
basic
inletters
Seealsoindividualstrokes
swashes,2.1,4.1,4.2
T
tail
tools,itr.1,itr.2,1.1
touchpoints,2.1,2.2
typography
characteristicsof,itr.1,itr.2
definitionof
letteringvs.,itr.1,itr.2
processof
toolsfor
usesfor
U
understrokes
upstrokes,2.1,2.2,3.1
V
variety,practicing
W
watercolorpaper
weight,adding
wordcollage,silhouette
words
made-up
practicing
rulesformaking
X
x-height
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W X Y Z
What’snextonyourreadinglist?
Discoveryournextgreatread!
Getpersonalizedbookpicksandup-to-datenewsaboutthisauthor.
Signupnow.