Topic: Bible Journaling
Well, I had a big surprise while teaching this lettering lesson.
Several people said it was the hardest they had tried to learn! Really??? I chose this style because I thought I'd give them a break from all the difficult ones we had been doing.
Boy, was I surprised at how hard they found it to be.
Here is the lesson - as well as some tips I shared with them to help solve their dilemma.
Today we’re going to learn a lettering style that is graphic – kind of cartoon-like in all caps. It is one that would be good used in sign making. But our word is still thought provoking. We’re going to ‘LISTEN’.
I’ve shown the samples in a variety of sizes so you don’t have to feel locked into making giant letters. It is easily scalable.
Follow the steps, line by line, and you’ll be writing ‘in style’ in no time at all. I wrote the steps directly on the design page so you can print it and have them right at hand. I’ll also detail those for you here:
· - Even if you’re using grid dot paper, start with guidelines to keep your height consistent.
· - In pencil, draw base letters in a block style (elements of the letters are the same width throughout whether horizontal, vertical or diagonal, straight or curved.)
· - Adjust the letter outline with wonkiness. The tops, bottoms, ends of letters will ‘bulge’ a little (like a dog bone)
· - Add a shadow line to left and bottom, using a diagonal to connect to the letter.
· - Ink your letters and erase the pencil (including guidelines).
· - Decorate the shadows if desired.
· - Color letters as desired.
We’re going to use the same steps as yesterday to create our entire alphabet.
Since you won’t need to write all those instructions at the bottom of your page, you’ll have room to create a set of numbers, as well.
I didn’t decorate my shadows or color my letters as this page will be a reference sheet on letter construction in my lettering notebook.
I encourage you all to remember that this lettering style is very casual, imprecise and totally personizable. Do not distress if your letters are skinnier or fatter than the example. No need to worry if the bulges are not consistent.
Think of these as some regular block letters that got left out in the sun and have started to melt a little. They wouldn't do that in a precise manner!
The thing that will pull them all together in your project is to have the shadow depth consistent. So, make that shadow line an even amount from the letter edge and I think you'll be happier with your results.
Use your new lettering style to create a ‘sign’ with a quote on listening. I found this one to be thought provoking.
I varied the sizes of the guidelines to emphasize some words and deemphasize others.
I did not decorate the shadows on the letters and I used a rainbow order for coloring my words.
Lots of options – what will YOU do?
You may choose to use a shorter verse with the word ‘listen’ when you write on your practice paper. But doing a long verse provides the practice needed to really get those letter forms into muscle memory.
Again, I did not draw or color in the shadows. But I did get to use those numbers we talked about on day two.
Look how you can use the same style for punctuation, just bulge the ends of lines and add a shadow.
Crazy coloring today!
Since this lettering has a distinct shadow, look how much dimensionality you can get by using a white gel pen to add some highlights!
Highlight sparingly INSIDE the letter on the UPPER RIGHT with a single curved line. This makes the letters appear to have a rounded surface instead of lying flat.
Today we are going to use the ‘listen’ font in our Bibles.
Because this is a font that takes up a lot of horizontal room, I chose to turn my Bible and work on an edge-strip. I also saved space by mixing in a script font so the emphasis is on just two key words. You could also use a simple single-line block print with either all-caps or a mixed case font. I wouldn’t use a faux-brush style with thickened letters as it would then compete visually with the featured lettering.
I DID color my shadows for this final piece – with gold gel pen!
The addition of the flowers was to fill in some white space and balance the piece visually.
Another lettering lesson in the books.