If you know how to write the alphabet, then you can hand letter! In this article, you’ll find seven tips for honing your skills. The most important tip? Practice whenever you have the chance!
In a nutshell, hand lettering is the art of illustrating letters. It’s approachable because it doesn’t have strict rules (aside from keeping your words legible), requires no special tools, and allows you to experiment with modifications. Whether you’re following along with the Hand Lettering 101 eCourse or just exploring on your own, it’s fun to see how many ways you can bring letters to life.
If you want polished results, pencil guidelines are a must. Simply use a ruler and a pencil to draw a top guideline, then repeat the process to draw a parallel bottom guideline. These two guidelines dictate how tall your letters should be, and they ensure that your writing is nice and straight.
You need two elements to achieve eye-catching hand lettering. First, your letters need to look nice. Second, and equally important, they need to have a good layout. You can ensure that you achieve both clean letters and a nice layout by making a pencil draft of your letters first.
Once you draw the pencil draft and everything looks good, you can go over the draft with ink.
The best way to improve your hand lettering is to practice regularly. Consider starting a sketchbook just for hand lettering; or add lettering practice to a sketchbook you already use for illustrations. Use it as a place to experiment with different letterforms and styles as you build your skills.
For inspiration, check out Draw Your Day by Samantha Dion Baker. It’s a quick read, and one that will inspire you to start keeping a sketchbook journal! You don’t have to draw/letter every day; whatever practice you can fit in your schedule is perfect.
I say find the perfect pen *for you* because we’re all going to have different preferences! Recently, I’ve been lettering with a Muji pen. I like Mujis because the ink flow is great, and whatever you’ve written doesn’t smudge when you erase over it.
There are so many pens available that the only way to find the pens that you connect with is to experiment. Many hand letterers love Micron pens. I’ve heard others say that the Uniball Signo 207 is their go-to. Still others just enjoy using a fine-tipped permanent marker. As long as the pen writes smoothly and doesn’t smudge when you erase over it, you’re golden.
I have to admit that I haven’t widely explored erasers because I’ve always used the same one. For years, the Staedtler Mars plastic eraser has been my go-to. It is a nice, clean eraser that you can count on.
When I want to erase white pencil marks on dark envelopes, I use a black eraser. I find that white erasers leave a certain sheen on dark papers, while black erasers leave minimal residue.
If you want to grow your hand lettering skills, the best way to do so is to try out drawing several different types of letters. Challenge yourself to take on styles that intimidate you!
There are several hand lettering worksheets and exemplars on TPK, but you can also find inspiration on Pinterest. If you see a photo of hand lettering (or a font) that you like, try recreating it in your sketchbook. The process of replicating what you see is excellent practice, and it will help you understand the shapes and details that make different styles work.
One of the best ways to improve your hand lettering is to incorporate it into everyday projects. From bullet journals to logo design to signage, you can use hand lettering to communicate in an effective and impactful way!
Next time you’re working on a project, ask yourself: can you add a touch of hand lettering? If so, give it a try. It might be something simple, like place cards for a breakfast you’re hosting or a bit of mail art. Or, if you’re feeling inspired, you could create a sign or illustrate a favorite quote.
I hope these hand lettering tips (and photos!) inspire you to take on some creative lettering this week. If you’re interested in exploring hand lettering further, the Hand Lettering 101 eCourse is a wonderful way to build your skills and confidence, one lesson at a time. It’s full of approachable lessons designed to help you develop your own lettering style, and I’d love for you to join us.
Warmly,
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