Brush Lettering

I have been wanting to try brush lettering for a while. It seems like such an easy way to make cool gifts-- just write an inspirational statement in the fancy lettering and you've got something suitable for framing!

So I'm taking Brush Lettering: Cards, Envelopes & More by Krislam Chin on Craftsy.

And like most things, I'm discovering that there's a learning curve. The general idea is easy -- press harder on the downstrokes (to make a thicker line) and use very light pressure on the upstrokes (to make a very thin line. Simple right?

But, as Krislam says, practice makes progress!

Krislam's instruction is encouraging and the camera work makes it very easy to see what she's doing. She gives lots of helpful tips and her work isn't always perfect. It's always nice to know that even the experts don't do everything perfectly. And just about the time I was getting really frustrated with transitioning from thick to thin lines, she says that this is the biggest problem most beginners have. Ok, cool, I'm normal.

So, hand-lettering, brush lettering, modern calligraphy, are all very hot right now. You can visit my Pinterest Lettering board to find lots of free resources. So why pay for this course on Craftsy? Well, I admit, I paid for a year of Craftsy Unlimited, so the class didn't cost me anything extra. But I really found the videos helpful and her constant encouragement and reassurance that it doesn't have to be perfect helped me through some frustrating areas. She also showed some creative ways to combine the brush script with other kinds of lettering and design elements to make cards and embellish envelopes.

That being said, I would encourage you to look at a variety of different sources. Styles are slightly different and you may find one you like better or combine them to create your own signature style. I found the tutorial at Destination Decoration to be helpful, especially her suggestion to start the letter O at the 2:00 position (Krislam teaches it starting at 12:00). My Os looked horrible, now they look great (ok, much better anyway), just by starting at the 2:00 position. (The left side should be thicker on the 2:00 version, but at least it's round!)

I plan to stick with it, try out some other lettering tutorials, work on my own individual style. I'd like to try incorporating embellishments, watercolor, etc.

What about you? Have you tried any the hot lettering styles? What tutorials or blogs did you find useful? I'd love to see your work! Don't be embarrassed, I've shared my first efforts with you...


Follow my blog with Bloglovin