Words and letters are written, pictures are drawn, but can you also draw letters? Put your handwriting to the next level! How? With lettering! Make your gifts and cards more interesting and dive into the world if creative writing. Don’t copy these images of lettering from Instagram anymore, make them yourself.
The different facets of art
Art is an opportunity to express oneself, to become creative, and to create something new. A dictionary describes it as a “skilful production of the beautiful in visible forms”. One can find it in photography, dancing, music, drawings, sculptures, and much more.
The good thing is, you don’t need to be a born artist to create something beautiful. With a few skills learned in a short time, you can let your imagination flow and express yourself and your mood. One way to do it is in lettering.
What is lettering?
The term “lettering” stands for the art of drawing letters. The artist doesn’t concentrate so much on the phrase but every single letter. So, every letter gets its attention, serves as an illustration, and at the end plays a part in a composition, that is a complete word or phrase.
The lettering is actually found in various aspects of everyday life. Hundreds of years ago people used it for creative letterheads, writing books and letters, for posters and even today the lettering is used for brands and business wordmarks, such as logotypes like the famous brand Coca-Cola.
In today’s era of digital possibilities artists, hobby-artists, and drawers can choose between hand lettering with brush pens or pencils and digital mediums.
Handlettering in different styles and techniques
The term lettering serves also as an umbrella word for different styles like calligraphy, brush lettering, and hand lettering. But where are the differences?
Handlettering anytime and everywhere
All one needs is a pencil, a felt pen, or something alike. Every letter will be unique and can be drawn with bows, lines, twirls, or other creative elements. Decide beforehand which word you like to emphasize and how you want to write the different letters, bold or more subtle. If a pen with a fine tip is used, the whole picture will seem precise at the end.
The easiness of brush lettering
The drawing of letters will be done by brushes and brush pens. Even watercolours can be used for it. Depending on the brush a letter and its lines will appear more soft or bold. Like in hand lettering the letters can be connected or stand for itself. In this way, it’s important that the same letters don’t appear identically but each in connection with the context.
The charm of calligraphy
To write in calligraphy the writer needs a fountain pen, ink, or Indian ink. The way of writing is a bit different from the other lettering styles. Every letter needs to be perfectly and equally drawn. That requires time in learning the shapes of the letters together with the upstrokes and downstrokes. To get it perfectly, the letters of the alphabet should be learned and repeated until this way of writing is firmly established.
Make your cards and presents more interesting
With lettering, creativity and imagination can flow. That is not only good for oneself but also others can rejoice in it. To engage in this kind of drawing will help you to calm down, to meditate, and to get more ideas for Thank you Cards, Birthday Cards, Table Cards, and even presents like little giveaways.
Learn how to do it and become your own lettering artist
Are you about to grab a pen and start drawing? The first steps may not be that easy, but a lot of artists in that field like to share their tricks, ideas, and handlettering alphabets for practicing together with a description of how to learn lettering. It’s time to get creative!
