Artful Alphabets: 55 Inspiring Hand Lettering Techniques and Ideas

by Joanne Sharpe

Overview

Create uniquely artful words with secrets from Joanne Sharpe!

Joanne Sharpe—author of the popular book The Art of Whimsical Lettering—has gathered together 55 of her favorite hand-drawn alphabets for this light-hearted collection. Follow simple illustrated steps to replicate each style...no lengthy instructions or extensive practice required. Any "imperfections" only add to their charm!

Try your hand at letterforms inspired by feathers, flowers, postage stamps, vintage type, doodles, taxi cabs, chalkboards and more. Equally exciting are the variety of media used, from colored pencils and markers to paints and inks.

Looking to add an artful touch to the world around you? These letters are perfect for personalizing anything from family calendars and daily planners to wall art, art journals, cards and one-of-a-kind gifts. You can even use the techniques and inspiration in this book to invent completely original alphabets of your own. With this A to Z guide, there's no limit to the statements you can make!


   • Awesome alphabets—55 in all, ranging from basic block and stick letters to fanciful illustrated fonts
   • Beginner-friendly instructions—Each alphabet is broken down into just a few simple steps
   • Creative variety of tools and media—pens, markers, brushes, inks, paints, colored pencils, fountain pens, cardstock and much more

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440353062
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/17/2018
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	657,992
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.80(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Joanne Sharpe is an energetic, whimsical artist dedicated to empowering women to embrace their creativity through online classes as well as national and international workshops that explore journaling, lettering, textiles and mixed-media art. She is the author of the bestselling book The Art of Whimsical Lettering, named an Amazon's Editor's Pick for the Best Craft Book of 2014. Joanne is proud to be a BERNINA Artisan Ambassador, sharing her love of thread and fabric with an audience eager to learn how to bring these expressive media into their own artwork. Her second book, The Art of Whimsical Stitching is a colorful handbook of ideas and techniques for playful art sewing. Get into the coloring groove with her interactive, playful coloring book, The Art of Whimsical Living or combine doodles with hand lettering in Joanne's fourth book Doodle Art and Lettering. Joanne resides in Rochester, New York, with her very supportive husband, and is the mom to a daughter and three sons. She is also a first-time grandma to a precious baby girl. Follow all Joanne's artful adventures at joannesharpe.com.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

PART 1 ALPHABET ART AND LETTERING

PERHAPS YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF fascinated with the ubiquitous lettering appearing all over social media lately or skimming the dozens of books on the subject. It's a really hot topic! This is not a book about technical rules of designing type or making letters digitally on a computer or iPad. The focus is to use personal handwriting as a foundation for creating inventive alphabets for lettering as a tactile expression enhancing our human experience. This book is about taking the skills you learned as a child — personal handwriting, print or script — and transforming those simple letters into glorious works of art to connect your voice to your world.

YES, LETTERS SHOULD HAVE A "LOOK"

If you think that all of my letters look similar, you are correct. A personal lettering style should reflect and identify the individual creator. All of the sample alphabets illustrated in this book use my personal print or script handwriting as the foundation. Handwriting is unique to each of us, and it's my hope that as you are inspired by each of the 55 alphabet techniques, your personality and style will shine through. As you incorporate the artful alphabet techniques and styles, allow your own handwriting to evolve and influence what you create so when someone looks at your lettering, they recognize you in the lettered messages.

GET IN YOUR OWN ZONE

As you work through the creation of these hand-drawn lettering styles, be sure to keep your own rhythm and pace. You're not taking notes for a meeting or a class, so don't rush. Take your time creating complete alphabets and stylizing letters with your own imagination. You'll be much happier with the results when the process flows naturally and you are comfortable moving your materials around to achieve a specific result. If you're frustrated and struggling to make letters that look exactly like mine, it won't be your style shining through. You can copy the exact same fonts, but the end result should have some indication of your own personal style. You can do this!

ARTFUL ALPHABET PROJECT IDEAS

What's the big idea behind creating a collection of hand-drawn alphabets and letters? If you dabble in art journaling, write in a planner or make any kind of artwork, chances are you will use words and lettering in projects. Use your new alphabets and letters, changing the sizes and materials appropriate for each individual project. We are becoming so disconnected from having actual physical and tactile creative experiences with our new-found dependency on technology and digital communication that we are craving and appreciating more things that are handmade and handwritten. How can we use our hand-drawn art and letters in our everyday life?

WONDERFUL WAYS TO PURPOSE YOUR HAND LETTERING

» Art journaling

» Cardmaking

» Planners and bullet journals

» Scrapbooking

» Decorative invitations and announcements

» Envelopes

» Canvas wall art and paintings

» Room décor

» Faith and Bible journaling

» Party and celebration décor

» Handmade gifts and wrapping papers

» Cake decorating

» Signs and banners

Keep a lettering notebook in an inexpensive composition book or sketchbook to record your alphabet style ideas, plans for lettering projects and practice pages.

Do you have more ideas to add to this list? Find your own style and purpose for lettering expression with inventive artful alphabets that speak your message.

EVERY MOMENT MATTERS

In my annual year-long art journaling class "Artfully Inspired Life™," participants are encouraged to colorfully and playfully invent new lettering styles to illustrate phrases, thoughts and mantras. As an expressive art form, the alphabet offers limitless possibilities to hand draw and design letters that create visual interest and impact.

CHAPTER 2

PART 2 SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS

AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION as one takes on a new craft or hobby is deciding what quality of materials and how much to invest in supplies. This can seem especially daunting if you are just testing the waters of a topic and you're not sure if you are going to continue with a new interest. My best advice is to acquire supplies a little bit at a time and get the best materials you can afford. Rather than purchasing an entire list of supplies, ease into the process and acquire the things that actually spark your interest.

BRUSHES, PAPER AND EVERYDAY SUPPLIES

» Paintbrushes

» Waterbrushes

A good assortment of paintbrushes is essential to the art of lettering and to expand and stylize your own personal hand lettering. My personal brush kit includes mainly synthetic blend watercolor brushes sizes: round no. 2, no. 4, no. 8 and no. 12, and a ¾" (19mm) flat, that work smoothly with liquid acrylics, pan watercolor paints and inks.

Another one of my "go-to" painted lettering tools is a good waterbrush. It's a pen-type apparatus with a squeezable barrel and nylon bristles that allow you to control the flow of water as you dip into your paints and inks. To make a variety of lettering styles, I use fine-, medium- and broad-tip water brushes. When creating painted lettering you are basically writing with a paintbrush, so it's important to use something that is most comfortable in your own hand.

» Assorted papers: Any size 8½" × 11" (22cm × 28cm) plain white paper (inexpensive printer paper is a good choice for practicing and sketching ideas). Any size white cardstock or bristol paper to test out the compatibility of various pens, pencils and markers.

» Graph paper for charting and sizing letters

» Watercolor paper

» Sketchbook or composition notebook for ideas and practice

Paper is another personal preference and the type of paper you choose will depend on the specific lettering project. If you are making wall art to frame or greeting cards with watercolor or pen and ink, 90-lb. or 140-lb. (190gsm-300gsm) hot- or cold-pressed watercolor paper will be most appropriate. It's easier to paint, write and letter on hot-pressed paper, which has slick and smooth surface. Cold-pressed paper has a bumpy texture, which makes it a little challenging to get clear, crisp lines if lettering with pens and markers. Bristol paper is smooth like hot-pressed paper, but is not as absorbent as watercolor paper. It is perfect for lettering with markers, especially with alcohol or solvent pens (like Copic, Prismacolor, Sharpie, etc.) that bleed through to the back.

» Scissors

» Glue stick

PAINTS AND INKS

» Watercolor paints: transparent pan paint

» Gouache: opaque watercolor paint

» Liquid watercolor paint

There are so many choices when it comes to acquiring art supplies, especially watercolor paints. My best suggestion is to use tube watercolors by brands like Daniel Smith, Schmincke and Winsor Newton, to name a few. Squeeze paints out into half or full pans in a tin palette, use them up and easily refill with your own favorite colors. Another option is to get a pre-made set of paints that come in "cakes" that include a palette of basic colors. Liquid watercolors are an exciting option as well. These are dye-based ink-like watercolors with clean, vivid, vibrant colors that flow effortlessly off a brush or ink pen.

» Acrylic paints

Fluid acrylic paints are ideal for lettering because the consistency is somewhat runny, making them perfect for creating precise brush strokes and lines of letterforms. A good quality fluid acrylic is critical, because they won't need to be watered down, which compromises the integrity and intensity of the paint pigments. My own fluid acrylic palette includes my five or six favorite colors as well as black and white. Use a soft watercolor brush to paint letters and layer colorful patterns on the shapes.

» Permanent acrylic ink

» India ink

Try new inks. Again, there are several options that I use in my personal lettering art. Acrylic inks are waterproof and perfect for lettering with a brush and then adding washes of watercolor inside outlines or backgrounds. India ink is deeply pigmented and fountain pen inks come in assorted colors. These are water reactive and create interesting patterns and backgrounds if wet. Experiment with brands and consistency to determine your personal favorites for adding flair to your letter making.

MARKERS, PENS AND OTHER WRITING TOOLS

» Dye-based markers: assorted coloring markers by Tombow or Sakura

A good dye-based marker, like my favorite, the Tombow Dual Brush, or Sakura Koi Brush, is a handy pen for creating brush lettering, drawing and even making background washes. Since the ink is dye-based, meaning it will react to water, it can be brushed across a porous watercolor paper and then activated with a brush and water. A light colorful wash can be used for interesting backdrops for lettering art.

» Permanent markers: brands like Copic, Prismacolor, Sharpie

Most permanent markers are made with alcohol and solvent-based ink (which does not react with water), each with proprietary formulas and varying degrees of performance. Again, it's a personal choice. I am always curious to try different brands to see what is most pleasing to my own art experience. Know that a permanent marker will almost always bleed through papers, so these are not the best choice when lettering in journals and sketchbooks. When choosing what to purchase, consider the color range available, pen tips and price points because these vary from brand to brand. Are they refillable? Do they have a strong odor? These are things to consider in a quest to find that perfect permanent marker.

» Colored pencils

Any colored pencil brands will work to enhance your lettering and alphabet design. Many brands on the market offer varying degrees of waxy, creamy and blendable pigments. Since you are making your alphabet letters little works of art, it's good to have a set of colored pencils on hand. A personal favorite, since my high school days, is the Prismacolor brand colored pencils, which are long lasting with an expansive range of colors.

» Black waterproof pens: in assorted tip sizes and shapes

The essential black pen is the "little black dress" of my lettering process. I would not be honest if I said there is just one black pen to use with all your lettering art. Having been a lettering artist since my teens, I have fallen in and out of love with so many pens as I have evolved my craft. Over the years my favorite brands include Micron, Pitt, Zig, Tombow and Sharpie, and they land at the top of my "go-to, use everyday" pen list. My best advice is to explore brands and features to find your own "unicorn black pen" because you might not like what I like, so it's best to give yourself some options.

In defining the purpose for some of my black pens, I use fine/extra-fine tips for sketching and drawing shapes and details of letters, and bullet and chisel tips for bolder, thicker hand-drawn-type letters. A personal mantra of mine is, "You can never have enough shoes or pens!" Sorry, not sorry to be an enabler!

» White gel pens

» Acrylic paint pens

» Fountain pens

» Calligraphy pens

Designing alphabets, drawing and hand-writing letters requires a good selection of decorative pens. In the creation of drawing and even painting letters, gel pens, acrylic paint pens, fountain pens and calligraphy pens each have a specific purpose. These serve to decorate or embellish letters or can be used on colored papers.

» Watersoluble graphite pencil such as Derwent

» Mechanical or old-school yellow no. 2 pencils

» White erasers

When it comes to pencils, choose your own favorites that are personally the most comfortable to you. There is no need to spend a lot of money for these tools. But, it's interesting to try mechanical or wood pencils to see what rests in your hand best and creates a smooth motion as you sketch and design letters. Even erasers perform differently. I prefer white or gum erasers, which do not leave marks behind on my art papers.

CHAPTER 3

PART 3 ART BASICS FOR LETTERING

ALL 55 ALPHABETS in this book incorporate the use of basic art and design principles along with mixed-media art techniques and materials. Using a combination of these concepts will transform ordinary personal handwriting into unique art visuals.

Hand lettering is drawing letters of the alphabet, not writing them. It's making expressive letters an art form for illustrating favorite quotes, messages, phrases and words in artwork. Understanding basic art principles and seeing where they fit is the first step in making letters of the alphabet an art form.

My technique incorporates the seven art principles of line, shape, form, color, value, texture and space. If you stand back and analyze alphabet lettering, you see that using some or all of these art principles will define entire collections. Having spent my whole life studying art, making art and teaching art, it's second nature to me to include all these ideas in my own lettering and handwriting and is the basis for my sharing and teaching lettering ideas. Explore and elaborate the basic ideas and principles that are the ingredients for designing artful lettering. Own the techniques and add your own spin, transforming personal handwriting into dynamic expressions of the basic alphabet. Imagine the hundreds of ways an alphabet can be invented and made into a real art form.

THE 7 BASIC ART PRINCIPLES

LINE

In art, lines are horizontal, vertical, diagonal, thick, thin and curved. Every letter requires using line to define the appearance. In my personal lettering art, I consistently use repeating lines to outline and fill in details, adding interest to the face of a letter. With a pencil, I exaggerate the letterform by drawing and extending and stretching the lines that change the shape, making it a brand new letter unique to my art style.

SHAPE

Shape is two-dimensional, geometric or organic in appearance. Again, I change the shape by re-creating and moving lines in a loose, free-form, organic style or with straight lines making geometric shapes. Every angle of a letter can be redesigned with creative shapes.

FORM

Form refers to shapes that are visually three-dimensional, such as cubes, cones, spheres, etc. Adding hand-drawn perspective lines to the letter shape will give the illusion of a three-dimensional form. Fill in the perspective lines with color to show dimension. Be very attentive to the possibilities of changing the form off a letter whether it be geometric or organic in appearance. (See the large, blue "I" in the alphabet to the right.)

COLOR

Color is how light reflects off an object. It's no secret that I love to use color (too much sometimes!) when expressing my art. The variations of adding color to a letter shape and form are endless. Use markers, paints, inks or colored pencils to fill in letter shapes with color, creating miniature artworks.

VALUE

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. You can create interest and movement in letters by changing the value of tones. Using assorted supplies like paints, markers and colored pencils in your alphabet-making can create a different visual aesthetic as you change color palettes and lights and darks. (See the blue "Z" in the alphabet to the right.)

TEXTURE

Texture refers to the "feel" of an object. When making letter art, add texture to the appearance of letters using repeating patterns and multiple shapes and by drawing actual details of dimensional textures that appear in nature. In this book, you'll even find some ways to create textured letters with paintbrushes, paint, markers and water.

SPACE

Space refers to the positive and negative space in, around and within an object. Make hand-drawn letters pop by adding color or pattern in the negative spaces around the letters. Think outside the letter to make powerful imagery and create page presence. (See the large, blue "C" in the alphabet to the right.)

MIXED-MEDIA ART LETTERING

What's most exciting about creating your own alphabets is to explore all the art materials and techniques you can use to make original handmade fonts. It's not just about using a basic pen or pencil!

Include all the seven art principles in your lettering and bring them to life with assorted art materials. Experiment with a variety of pens, markers, paints, papers and other tools to find what's most comfortable and works best for you. This is another reason it's so important to use your own handwriting as the base for every alphabet you make. Maybe you will love to draw all your letters with black pens and colorful markers, or will find exhilarating success with a brush, inks and paint.

The goal is to elevate your handwriting, develop your style and become an artful letter maker.

MIXED-MEDIA LETTERING

Experiment with ideas illustrating alphabets and lettering with mixed-media techniques. Shown here is a watercolor painted paper collage that serves as a background for lettering, an alphabet hand drawn using India ink on a bamboo skewer.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Artful Alphabets"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Joanne Sharpe.
Excerpted by permission of F+W Media, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION, 6,
Part 1 Alphabet Art and Lettering, 8,
Part 2 Supplies and Materials, 16,
Part 3 Art Basics for Lettering, 22,
Part 4 Drawing Awesome Alphabets, 28,
DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, 142,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, 142,