The Art of Watercolor Lettering Review & GIVEAWAY

Learn how to hand letter with watercolor - no experience necessary! New from the founder of KellyCreates and author of The Art of Brush Lettering (highly rated) this is The Art of Watercolor Lettering: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Modern Calligraphy and Lettered Art by Kelly Klapstein. The Canadian lettering expert takes readers methodically through the process of watercolor hand lettering. Learn about the essential supplies you'll need - paints, brushes, and paper. Review some watercolor basics. This includes practical exercises to help develop your technique and style. The watercolor exercises continue throughout the book. Look at a variety of lettering (drawing) and calligraphy (writing or brush script) techniques using watercolor. Explore more advanced techniques, tools and materials for creating a range of effects with watercolor. Use your new skills to make designs for gifts, home decor, cards, journals and more! At the back of the book are 19 perforated sheets for trace and learn practice. Paint on these large 8.6 x 10 inch (21.8 x 25.4 cm) pages directly or photocopy them to make multiples. The table of contents is listed below. It's a complete guide to creating beautiful watercolor lettering! Quarry Books released the 144 page paperback on October 22 2019. A Kindle edition is available. Get your copy below!

Contents

INTRODUCTION

My watercolor journey & the beauty of watercolor lettering

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Essential supplies: paint, brushes, paper & more

GETTING STARTED

Working with color, how to hold a brush, making swatches & warm-up exercises

IN LOVE WITH LETTERS

Typography & lettering styles

COLOR PLAY

Techniques & projects for creating with color

CREATIVE TECHNIQUES

Creating & enhancing lettering with watercolor pencils, brush pens & other tools

DREAMY DESIGNS

Painting quotes, adding designs & other special touches

TRACE & LEARN

Alphabet exemplars, words & quotes for lettering projects

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Index

  

INTRODUCTION

Combining my love of writing, calligraphy, and paint brings me to a very joyful place right here in this book. And I hope it brings you all those wonderful artistic creative feelings too. I wish you a joyful, peaceful, and beautiful experience exploring the art of watercolor lettering.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

When it comes to learning and practicing lettering with watercolor, there are a few important considerations, which you’ll read about in this chapter. Choosing the right brushes, paints, and paper will help make your learning experience easier and stress-free.

GETTING STARTED 

This book isn’t about all the technique and terminology of painting with watercolor, but I share basic knowledge to help you appreciate this wonderful medium. In this chapter, we also do some creative warm-up exercises to help you get well acquainted with your brush and feel more confident. 

IN LOVE WITH LETTERS 

With watercolor, you can paint the letters as you would in hand lettering, applying paint to form the structure of letters and words. In this chapter, we look at a variety of lettering and calligraphy techniques using watercolor. 

COLOR PLAY

Watercolor’s properties as a liquid medium help us achieve beautiful results with lettering. Learn how to layer paint for monotone patterns, blend watercolor paints for rainbow and galaxy lettering, create dramatic results with metallic watercolor, achieve eye-catching white lettering, and more. Let’s take advantage of the mobility of the water and create some wonderful effects with color.

CREATIVE TECHNIQUES

Watercolor lettering can be achieved in a variety of ways, not just with paint in tubes or cakes or liquids. You can create lettering with watercolor pencils, water brushes, markers, and more! Learning how to use these tools will help expand your watercolor lettering tool box when you’re designing projects.

DREAMY DESIGNS

After learning how to use watercolor paint and practicing some lettering styles, you can now apply your skills and create some colorful designs for gifts, home décor, cards, journals, and more.

TRACE & LEARN

In the pages that follow, you will find brush script worksheets for repetitive practice. There are also exemplars of other alphabets that will help you develop an understanding of how to paint different styles, block, serif, sans serif, decorative and more. By practicing with these guides, you will be on your way to creating beautiful, artistic watercolor lettering!

The Art of Watercolor Lettering is available worldwide at Quarry Books, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Quarry Books. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until April 5, 2020. Canada & the USA only. Good luck!

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An Introduction to Hand Lettering with Decorative Elements Review & GIVEAWAY

Looking for decorative elements? An Introduction to Hand Lettering with Decorative Elements is a collection of decorative elements, alphabets and numbers, all hand-drawn by illustrator Annika Sauerborn. It's packed with hundreds of fun and playful designs like ornaments, motifs, decorations for special occasions, seasons and more. See the complete table of contents below. The graphics are organized by category making them easy to reference. Add visual interest to anything - from simple to fancy. Combine decorative elements, alphabets and numbers for endless design possibilities. Whether you use a pencil, pen or brush this wonderful resource is perfect for use in your creative projects. Dover Publications released this 128 page paperback on April 17, 2019. A Kindle version is also available. Get your copy below!

Table of Contents

Foreword

Materials

Borders - Frames - Corners

Borders

Frames

Corners

Flourishes

Leaves - Flowers - Garlands

Leaves

Flowers

Garlands

Ribbons - Arrows - Patterns

Ribbons

Arrows

Hearts 

Stars

Patterns

Illustrations

Seasonal Illustrations & Occasions

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Christmas

Birthday & Parties

Picnic

Kitchen

Home

Love

Wedding

Beach & Sea

Alphabets

Numbers

Gift Tags

Home by Annika Sauerborn.

Leaves by Annika Sauerborn.

My copy.

An Introduction to Hand Lettering with Decorative Elements is available worldwide at Dover Publications. Dover, Great Books, Variety & Value Since 1941. Check out their catalog at Dover Publications. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until May 19, 2019. Canadian & US addresses only. Good luck!


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A Dangle a Day Review

Want to create beautiful letters and intricate strings of charms? Angela Porter (the best-selling coloring book creator) is the author and illustrator of A Dangle a Day. It's a fun workbook for anyone interested in learning how to dangle. Angela demos how she builds her dangles, layer-by-layer, from pencil sketch through adding color. She dangles the letters of the alphabet, numbers and all four seasons. Her dangles become more elaborate as you progress through the book. Following every demo is a space called "Now it's your turn!". This is where you get to practice and experiment with dangling. Follow the authors example or do your own thing. There are 68 step-by-step dangling exercises. I've included the first two below. Use the tools and materials of your choice or follow the authors recommendations. Dangles are perfect for accenting artwork, stationery, planners, and journals. An introduction to bullet journaling also known as BuJo is included. Race Point Publishing released this 144 page paperback on January 15, 2019. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

What Is a Dangle?

Recommended Materials

Bullet Journals A Primer

PART ONE:  DANGLE CAPS & NUMERALS

PART TWO:  DANGLE DESIGNS FOR EVERY SEASON

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Dangle Directory

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Page 14

Page 15

My copy. Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 1.7 x 25.4 cm (8 x 0.6 x 10 inches).

A Dangle a Day is available worldwide at Race Point Publishing. Check out their unique catalog at Race Point Publishing. Race Point Publishing is a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA.

Hand Lettering A to Z Workbook Review

Learn and improve your lettering with the Hand Lettering A to Z Workbook by Abbey Sy. Her terrific new volume is a workbook for practicing letters. It contains instructions and guided exercises related to hand lettering. With over 80 two-sided worksheets, you'll get plenty of practice. These full-size pages are perforated for easy removal. Abbey leads you through a wide range of styles. See the detailed Table of Contents below. I've included an excerpt from the Tools & Materials section to show the tools needed to get started. You probably already have them - a pencil, colored pencils, various pens and markers. Abbey's new workbook makes lettering practice easy - just follow the prompts! Rockport Publishing released the 192 page paperback was October 16, 2018. Get your copy below!

Contents

INTRODUCTION

How to Use This Book

Essential Terminology

Fonts & Type Styles

Tools & Materials

Starting with Pencil

Working Freehand

Letters & Layouts

Alternative Letters

Flourishes & Embellishments

Using the Practice Sheets

PRACTICE SHEETS

Warmups, exemplars, and practice sheets for 6 lettering styles, including numerals and punctuation

Sans Serif/Serif Warmups

Simple Sans Serif

Embellished Sans Serif

Simple Serif

Swash Serif

Script Warmups

Simple Script

Embellished Script

Practice sheets for taking your lettering to the next level

Bounced Words

Flourishes

Embellishments

Inspirational Quotes

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hand Lettering A to Z Workbook is available worldwide at Rockport Publishing, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Rockport Publishing.

My copy. Product dimensions: 8.6 x 0.6 x 11.1 inches (21.8 x 1.7 x 28.2 cm).

Hand Lettering & Calligraphy Review & GIVEAWAY

Turn letters into art with The Complete Photo Guide To Hand Lettering & Calligraphy by Abbey Sy. Her book is suitable for those new to hand lettering and calligraphy, or those seeking to improve current skills. It covers the basics, traditional calligraphy, modern hand lettering, decorative lettering and digital lettering. See a detailed table of contents below. You get over 30 large practice sheets. There are exercises and creative projects throughout. The author encourages you to read and take notes, learn the terminology, use the practice sheets for application of skills and experiment and have fun. Several Philippines based artists are introduced and share their work. This 192 page paperback was released June 12, 2018 by Publisher: Quarry Books. It's part of the Complete Photo Guide Series: The Essential Reference for Novice and Expert. A Kindle edition is also available. Get your copy below!

Contents

Preface

How to Use This Book

Tools and Materials

Traditional Tools

Modern Tools

Digital Tools

Other Tools for Lettering

Surfaces

Lettering and Primer

Anatomy Lesson

Alphabet Characteristics

Forming Letters

Adding Weight Lines

Connecting Letterforms

Classic Calligraphy

Using Traditional Tools

Using Modern Tools

Italic Calligraphy

Copperplate Calligraphy

Spencerian Calligraphy

Blackletter Calligraphy

Roman Calligraphy

Offhand Flourishes

Project

Modern Hand Lettering

Using Traditional Tools

Using Modern Tools

Basic Script

Adding Bounce

Flourishes

Flowers and Leaves

Projects

Decorative Lettering

Using Liners

Serif

Sans Serif

Letters and Layouts

Creating Illustrations Within Letterforms

Projects

Digital Lettering

Getting Started

Tools

Scanning and Basic Editing

Drawing Letterforms

Creating Special Effects

Adding Dimension

Projects

Practice Sheets

Resources

Glossary

Contributors

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Index

My copy. Product dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 11.2 inches (21.6 x 1.7 x 28.4 cm).

Hand Lettering & Calligraphy is available worldwide at Quarry Books, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Quarry Books. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until February 12, 2019. Canada & the USA only. Good luck!

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The Little Book of Lettering & Word Design Review & GIVEAWAY

Want to create stunning calligraphy and hand lettering? New from Walter Foster Publishing this is The Little Book of Lettering & Word Design: More than 50 tips and techniques for mastering a variety of stylish, elegant, and contemporary hand-written alphabets by Cari Ferraro and‎ John Stevens. Inside the meaty 128 page softback you will find approachable instruction on calligraphy, lettering and word design. It begins with the basic tools and materials of calligraphy followed by techniques and includes numerous stroke-by-stroke alphabet templates and specially lined and blank pages to practice your letters. Part II explores the addition of color, starting with tools and materials and moving on to embellishing with colored lettering, illumination, backgrounds and flourishes - all shown in detailed step-by-step diagrams. Third is creative hand-lettering or doodling with plenty of inspirational samples, letter exercises and practice pages to explore your own style. And finally, put your new skills to use with some lettering projects, in particular lettered wall art. Part of The Little Book of ... series. "In this new series from Walter Foster Publishing, artists and art hobbyists alike will delight in learning a variety of fun and interesting art topics in a portable format boasting a fresh, contemporary design." Get your copy below! 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Part I:  Traditional Calligraphy

Tools & Materials

Basic Techniques

Skeleton

Foundational

Uncial

Runic Versals

Versals

Italic

Blackletter

Contemporary Calligraphic Styles

Brushstroke

Fun & Funky

Quirky & Curlicue

Part II:  Illuminated & Colored Lettering

 Tools & Materials

Lettering in Color

Illuminated Letters

Illuminated Ancient Runic Style

Illuminated Gothic Letter

Backgrounds & Flourishes

Part III:  Creative Hand-Lettering

Fun with Letters & Numbers

Doodled Letter Composition

Doodled Number Composition

Part IV:  Lettering Projects

Brush-Lettered Wall Art

Watercolor-Lettered Wall Art

Gouache & Watercolor Wall Art

Digitizing Your Lettering

Watercolor Gift Tags

About the Authors

A photo I took of page 17, terminology. Ductus in red. The term "ductus" refers to the direction and sequence of the strokes. 

The Little Book of Lettering & Word Design is available worldwide at Walter Foster Publishing, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Walter Foster is one of the most recognized names in art instruction. Check out their unique catalog at Walter Foster Publications. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy of The Little Book of Lettering & Word Design! One winner will be selected at random. Open until February 24, 2018. Canadian and USA addresses only. Good luck!

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Written by Hand Review & GIVEAWAY

I admire the artistry of beautiful penmanship, lettering and calligraphy. I do not like my own handwriting - it's inconsistent, sloppy, even hard to read. I would love to refine it. Whether I'm jotting down a to-do list, writing a greeting card or filling out a form I would like my handwriting to be expressive, unique and readable. I came across a new book aimed at doing exactly that and more Written by Hand: Techniques and Tips to Make Your Everyday Handwriting More Beautiful by Erica Tighe. This 160 page write-in workbook features guided exercises for improving handwriting. Just add a No. 2 pencil, pen and eraser. The smooth pages are specially lined to help you practice form, size, height, spacing etc. until they become second nature. The soft, light colored pages are easy on the eyes. Jump right in to the exercises by examining your own handwriting. Move through a series of practical handwriting exercises which are broken down to show the line strokes of how each letter is made. Try out various font styles. Mix it up with some hand lettering. Continue with prompts for further practice. I'm finding it rather interesting. Despite our reliance on keyboards for communication, good handwriting is still a valuable skill in everyday life. Would you like to improve your handwriting too? Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

Introduction

Fun Facts about Handwriting

Practice Quotes

Look at Your own Writing

Grasp

Tools

Basic Terminology & Anatomy of Type

Practicing the Downstroke

Spacing

Sizing

Types of Lined paper

Types of Fonts

 Sans Serif

 Bold Serif

Script

Faux Calligraphy

Get Playful!

Alphabets

Writing Correspondence

Mixing Lettering Styles

Graphic Text

In Closing

50 Writing Prompts

Dedication & Acknowledgments

Works Cited

Fun Facts About Handwriting

Graphology is the study of handwriting analysis.

Small letters indicate that you are shy or withdrawn.

Average letters indicate that you are well-adjusted.

Large letters indicate that you are outgoing and seek attention.

Wide spacing indicates you enjoy your freedom.

Narrow spacing means you can’t stand to be alone.

No slant means you tend to be logical and practical.

Slant to the right means you are open to new experiences.

Slant to the left means you tend to keep to yourself.

Rounded letters mean you are creative and artistic.

Pointed letters mean you are more aggressive and very intelligent.

Connected letters mean you are logical and systematic.

Heavy pressure indicates that you are good with commitment and have high levels of energy.

Light pressure indicates you are sensitive and show empathy as well as lack energy.

An open 'o' means you are talkative and social with little secrecy.

A closed 'o' means you are very private and an introvert.

From page 14.

Photo of some exercises on page 44.

"Beautify your life by perfecting your handwriting!" Photo I took of back cover.

Written by Hand is published by Rock Point Gift & Stationery a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check our their unique catalog at Rock Point Gift & Stationery. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy of Written by Hand! One winner will be selected at random. Open until December 17, 2017. Canadian and USA addresses only. Good luck!

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Draw Color & Sticker Creative Lettering Sketchbook Review & GIVEAWAY

Are you interested in lettering? Here's a FUN creative lettering activity book with a variety of drawing, coloring and stickering exercises! The 64 page paperback was released July 1, 2017 from Quarry Publishing - Draw Color & Sticker Creative Lettering Sketchbook: An Imaginative Illustration Journal by Marissa Giambrone. There are more than 60 letter journaling practice pages, all on good quality uncoated stock paper - plus 500 awesome stickers. Simply follow the prompts, making the pages your own by adding a personal touch to the unfinished illustrations. Use your preferred medium - pencil, colored pencils, markers, even watercolor. Creative lettering is an enviable and useful skill. Start practicing and you’ll be on your way to creating unique and personalized text for any occasion - for example gift tags, labels, cards, invitations, party banners, even hand-lettered art. This book is part of the exciting Draw Color & Sticker series. Get your copy below!

ISBN: 9781631593376

Quarry Books | July 1, 2017

USD: $19.99 | CAN: $25.99

Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.4 x 10 inches

Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 1 x 25.4 cm

Inside. Top, journal pages and bottom, stickers.

The Draw Color & Sticker Creative Lettering Sketchbook is available worldwide at Quarry Books, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Quarry Books. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until October 15, 2017. Prize includes shipping. Canada & the USA only. Good luck!

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The Art of Drawing Dangles Review & GIVEAWAY

I'm learning how to dangle with this gorgeous new workbook – The Art of Drawing Dangles by Olivia A. Kneibler. It's a 144 page paperback from Race Point Publishing. The authors smashing book cover shows what's possible with dangle art! Inside she shares how to do it with over 50 dangle exercises. The exercises include a traceable guideline to get you started and room on quality paper to practice. Begin with the alphabet, put the letters together to form words, then add charms and/or mandalas, and you're dangling! Whether you like to doodle, draw, design or craft, dangles are a unique way to add flair to your letters and artwork. Get your copy below!

Contents

What is a Dangle?

Dangle Letters

Dangle Words

Dangle Shapes and Mandalas

Everyday Dangles

Charming Projects 

Charm Directory

Color Gallery: Letters and Words

About the Author 

Acknowledgements

The Art of Drawing Dangles is available worldwide at Race Point Publishing. Check out their unique catalog at Race Point Publishing. Race Point Publishing is a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy of The Art of Drawing Dangles! One winner will be selected at random. Open until August 31, 2017. Canadian and USA addresses only. Good luck!

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Hand Lettering A to Z Review & GIVEAWAY

Hand Lettering A to Z: A World of Creative Ideas for Drawing and Designing Alphabets by Abbey Sy. This 128 page Paperback released– April 15, 2017 by Rockport Publishers shows you how to get creative with lettering. You will learn which hand lettering tools to use–  the basics and the nice-to-haves, depending on your preferred medium. Start practicing right away by creating your own alphabet, using your unique handwriting as a starting point. Continue by experimenting with 13 different alphabet styles in serif, sans serif and script fonts. International artists–Meg Hyland, Joao Neves, Tippy Go, and Lisa Lorek all contribute lettering exercises. You will find quote samples in different languages. Two pages of embellishments show ideas for patterns and details you can incorporate into your designs. Do it yourself projects let you show off your hand-lettering skills. A gallery showcases works for inspiration. The wonderful whale illustration below is just one example. And then you are well on your way to creating unique and personalized text for any occasion. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

Introduction

TOOLS & MATERIALS

The Basics

Paper

Pens, Pencils,  Brushes & Paint

Finding and Filtering Ideas

Fonts and Type Styles

LETTER EVOLUTION

SERIF

Swash Serif

Lazy Serif's

Bone Type

Woodpecker by Guest Artist Joao Neves

Midwestr by Guest Artist Lisa Lorek

SANS SERIF

Condensed Capitals

Inline and Outline

Nature Story

Bubble Letters with Gradient by Guest Artist Googly Gooeys

SCRIPT

Freehand Brush Script

Lined Script

Retro Script

Swish & Flick by Guest Artist Meagan Highland

EMBELLISHMENTS

APPLICATIONS

Custom Artwork

Art Journal

Notebook Cover

GALLERY SHOWCASE

Abbey Sy
Joao Neves

Lisa Lorek

Acknowledgements

Index

About the Author

My creative space is one end of the dining room table.

Guest Artist: Joao Neves. The objective of the artwork was to show some of the historical figures that were born during the life expectancy of a whale. Page 115.

Hand Lettering A to Z is available worldwide at Rockport Publishing, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Rockport Publishing. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until July 16, 2017. Prize includes cost of shipping. Canadian and USA addresses only. Good luck!


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