An Introduction To Hand Lettering With Decorative Elements

A treasure trove of lettering styles and decorative elements, this handy reference offers an abundance of eye-catching alphabets, numerals, ribbons, borders, flowers, banners, and other easy-to-trace embellishments. With this guide, it's easy to add a personal touch—humorous, dramatic, or romantic—to any handwritten message or meditative journal. Hundreds of ornaments, all of them hand-drawn by the author, include dozens of alphabets and numerals. You'll also find frames, flourishes, and corner designs that provide pages with a stylish finishing touch. Decorative motifs range from arrows, hearts, and stars to leaves, blossoms, and wreaths. A wealth of fanciful graphics for special occasions includes designs for birthdays, weddings, holidays, and all four seasons. Calligraphers, crafters, and illustrators as well as anyone who wants to add a bit of pizzazz to their writing will prize this imaginative source of inspiration.

A treasure trove of lettering styles and decorative elements, this handy reference offers an abundance of eye-catching alphabets, numerals, ribbons, borders, flowers, banners, and other easy-to-trace embellishments. With this guide, it's easy to add a personal touch—humorous, dramatic, or romantic—to any handwritten message or meditative journal. Hundreds of ornaments, all of them hand-drawn by the author, include dozens of alphabets and numerals. You'll also find frames, flourishes, and corner designs that provide pages with a stylish finishing touch. Decorative motifs range from arrows, hearts, and stars to leaves, blossoms, and wreaths. A wealth of fanciful graphics for special occasions includes designs for birthdays, weddings, holidays, and all four seasons. Calligraphers, crafters, and illustrators as well as anyone who wants to add a bit of pizzazz to their writing will prize this imaginative source of inspiration.

Are you a curious hand lettering beginner or long-time enthusiast looking to take your craft to the next level? Or are you a DIY guru or event planner wishing to breathe new life into a boring gift, event signage, or party décor? Extraordinary Hand Lettering opens your eyes to the endless possibilities in the world of creative lettering, showing you how to work with types of surfaces, such as wood, glass and acrylic, chalk, and even mirrors. First, learn the simple tools and tricks of hand lettering essentials—cursive and basic typefaces, creating balance and composition, and how to draw letters, as well as secret tips on what words you should choose to spotlight or shadow. Then, discover the lettering potentials of everyday items by transforming household objects or discarded items, such as old vintage mirrors, jewelry, and furniture, into a customized gift, unique decoration, quirky art piece, or stunning signage—all with the right lettering and choice of pen, pencil, or marker. For all DIY art-and-crafters, homemakers, and small business entrepreneurs, lettering is a versatile and necessary skill that can repurpose the old into something that is new, beautiful, and functional. Finally, draw inspirations from twelve whimsical projects suited for the girlie girl, the sophisticated man, or the modern minimalist. Combine the art of lettering and upcycling crafts to bring beauty into your everyday lifestyle.

The Complete Book of Calligraphy & Lettering provides expert instruction on the intricacies of traditional lettering techniques, as well as an introduction to contemporary hand-lettering formats. From selecting the appropriate tools, such as pens, nibs, brushes, inks, and papers, to learning optimal hand positioning and understanding the intricacies of lettering angles, heights, spacing, and strokes, The Complete Book of Calligraphy & Lettering will help lettering enthusiasts swiftly master their craft. Step-by-step lessons, practice templates, and a range of stunning alphabets demonstrate the breadth of artistic achievement that comes with practice and dedication. Four professional artists guide you through traditional calligraphy techniques, as well as an introduction to contemporary hand-lettering art forms, such as brush lettering and mixed media, for a well-rounded approach to the craft. Additionally, a short section on Chinese brush lettering and several mixed media lettering projects inspire creativity and demonstrate how calligraphy and lettering can be used in wider artistic contexts and projects. Including practice templates for several featured alphabets in addition to mixed media "bonus" projects designed to inspire artistic creativity, The Complete Book of Calligraphy & Lettering will inspire lettering enthusiasts of all skill levels to strengthen their existing skills and delve into new, lesser-known variations of the trend.

In recent years, calligraphy has evolved from an esoteric art form to an everyday pursuit for artists, students, and amateurs. This guide for novices with some experience offers the chance to advance to the next level. Well-illustrated, step-by-step instructions by an expert calligrapher explain every detail of the two most popular calligraphic alphabets. Author Eleanor Winters introduces the Italic hand, which originated during the Renaissance, and the Copperplate style, which dominated European calligraphy during the eighteenth century. Her three-part approach begins with a review of the basics, advancing to variations in letter size, form, weight, and flourishes. It concludes with a wealth of advice on layout and design as well as inspiration for original projects.

Absolute beginners can learn how to get started on the basic Italic hand in this practical guide. Detailed discussions cover spacing and connecting letters; forming words and sentences; drawing "swash" capitals; changing nibs; using color; making corrections; waterproofing; addressing envelopes, making invitations, and stationery, and transcribing special texts. Numerous black-and-white illustrations.

A beautifully illustrated practical guide to creating beautiful modern lettering with brushes and brush pens. Learn brush lettering with this creative guide from calligrapher extraordinaire Rebecca Cahill Roots, aka Betty Etiquette. In this quirky and relatable guide, she guides you through how to use brushes and brush pens to make exquisite letterforms. One of the most popular hand-lettering techniques, brush lettering is a beautiful, free-spirited style that, once mastered, is easy to develop into a unique personal style. The book is divided into chapters by type of media, covering ink, watercolour, gouache and brush pens. Each section contains a set of exercises for practising the technique including an alphabet and a set of numbers to copy. To finish off, there's a selection of pretty and practical projects to make using brush lettering, including beautifully decorated celebration cards, cushions and tableware.

In an age of myriad computer fonts and instant communication, your handwriting style is increasingly a very personal creation. In this book, Margaret Shepherd, America's premier calligrapher, shows you that calligraphy is not simply a craft you can learn, but an elegant art form that you can make your own. Calligraphy remains perennially popular, often adorning wedding invitations, diplomas, and commercial signs. Whether it is Roman, Gothic, Celtic, Bookhand, or Italic style, calligraphy conveys class and elegance. Margaret Shepherd makes this ancient art form accessible in a completely hand-lettered technical guide that will: * Provide context for calligraphy as an art, exploring the rich tradition of hand-lettering and mapping the evolution of the most popular styles. * Give detailed technical advice on choosing pens, paper, and inks, setting up your workspace, mastering various pen angles, along with step-by-step illustrations to guide you as you practice. * Explain which alphabets are appropriate for different forms of writing. For example, the Roman alphabet works well for short, unpunctuated passages, while the Italic alphabet is more suited to informal everyday communication. * Encourage you to personalize your lettering by using variant strokes and interpreting how you would like the words to look on the page. * Inspire you with carefully chosen illustrations and examples, which bring letters to life. In Margaret Shepherd's own words, "Calligraphy trains not only your eye and hand, but your mind as well." Learn Calligraphy is the authoritative primer for this age-old craft, and will help develop a new appreciation for lettering as you discover your creative personality.