Video

How to Draw a Banner

December 8, 2015 by Lindsey Bugbee 22 Comments
Inspiration· Tutorials· Video

It’s nice to know how to draw a banner because banners make lettering stand out. If you have a particular message you want to get across, writing it in a banner will send a visual message of, “Hey, look here!” Unfortunately, banners can seem daunting to illustrate because the end product looks a bit complicated with its folds, shadows, and centered text. That, my friend, is precisely why I am writing this blog post: I promise you that, once you break it down, banners aren’t so tough! Today, we’re going to look at how to make the perfect banner to feature your lettering or calligraphy.
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Design Motif Tutorials Part I: Roses and Swirls

December 1, 2015 by Lindsey Bugbee 24 Comments
Design· Inspiration· Tutorials· Video

When I want to make an impactful piece of mail art, I add a design motif. In my opinion, the best sort of design motifs are subtle but lovely, and often soothingly repetitive. The “Roses and Swirls” motif that I am going to show you how to make today is one of my favorite designs, and surprisingly simple to make when you deconstruct the process! In the steps that follow, I am going to focus on the Roses and Swirls design motif in a mail art context. You should remember, though, that there’s no reason to relegate this motif to mail art: you can add it to anything — bookmarks, gift tags, notebooks, etc. — and you’ll be rewarded with a “wow!” factor!
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Introducing the Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Video Course

October 30, 2015 by Lindsey Bugbee 12 Comments
Calligraphy· Video· Worksheets

When I first started making the Learn for a Latté worksheets, I never intended to create calligraphy video courses to accompany them. Not only did I lack the equipment to make videos, but my video editing had not been put to the test since seventh grade (when iMovie was in its infancy and blissfully simple to use). However, as the calligraphy worksheet user base grew, I began to receive regular requests for videos to complement the worksheets. To be honest, it made sense and I could relate … I am a visual learner, and YouTube and Vimeo tutorials have taught me everything from how to use the Adobe Creative Suite to how to line a cake pan with parchment paper. I knew it was time to step up my game, so I tried my hand at creating a video course to accompany the Amy Style calligraphy worksheet a few months ago.
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Modern Calligraphy: 5 Tips to Improve Your Writing Slant

October 16, 2015 by Lindsey Bugbee 29 Comments
Beginner’s Calligraphy· Calligraphy· Video

Since my last few posts have been more art-focused, I thought we could switch things up with a calligraphy post. And what better calligraphy-centric thing to focus on than writing slant? If you’re new to calligraphy, this element of learning is probably tripping you up a bit; and you shouldn’t feel bad because that’s completely normal! With the help of these five tips, you’ll be able to steer your slant in a consistent and beautiful direction (both literally and figuratively).
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How to Draw Lace

October 9, 2015 by Lindsey Bugbee 84 Comments
Inspiration· Tutorials· Video

One of my very favorite things to illustrate is lace, and I use it on everything: envelopes, artwork for my house, gift tags — you get the idea. I love drawing lace because it always ends up looking amazing, and it can be created if you follow a series of simple steps. Today, I’m demystifying this intricate-looking artistic subject by teaching you how to draw lace. If you think you can’t do it, I beg to differ! All you need to do is retrieve the writing instrument you most enjoy working with, and follow the steps outlined in this post. You will be very proud of the result! Not feeling it today or don’t have the time? You can always print off a hand-drawn lace envelope template instead. 🙂
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Three Watercolor Leaves Tutorials

September 11, 2015 by Lindsey Bugbee 27 Comments
Inspiration· Tutorials· Video· Watercolor· Watercolor Tutorials

Watercolor leaves are one of the best design motifs to utilize on anything, really, because they’re beautiful and gender-neutral. They’re a great go-to when you want to quickly add a little somethin’ somethin’ to a piece of artwork or calligraphy. In today’s blog post, I’m going to go over three watercolor leaves tutorials with you, which I have arranged in order from least time-consuming (~5-10 minutes) to most time-consuming (~20-25 minutes).
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