In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to transform a simple silhouette into a vibrant piece of art using creative word placement and elegant calligraphy.
When I was growing up, my great-grandmother had a plaque in her living room. It read: “I only open my mouth to exchange feet.” As a child, I was fascinated by the visual this provoked. The true meaning sailed over my head until my teenage years, when I finally understood the saying.* At that point, I realized that it made sense for Grandma Jean to have this plaque. As beloved as she was, she had a certain reputation for being less than tactful.
*“I open my mouth to exchange feet” is a way of saying that someone often says the wrong thing. The phrase plays on the expression “putting your foot in your mouth,” which means saying something inappropriate or foolish. By saying they “exchange feet,” a person is implying that they repeatedly make these blunders.
I have a good friend who, while very different from my grandmother, also constantly has a foot in his mouth. He confidently calls people by the wrong name, erroneously thanks fellow guests at parties for hosting him, and generally moves through live with a healthy dose of awkwardness. And yet, he meets all gaffes with a shrug and an affable laugh, which somehow endears him to everyone. Today, I wanted to make something for him, and I knew I had the perfect saying for it. If you have a friend like mine — or you are that foot-in-mouth friend! — I encourage you to follow along to make one, too.
This tutorial doesn’t require much! All you’re going to need is:
Line up your drawing paper with the square outline on the feet silhouette printable template. Then, use a light box or a bright window to trace the silhouette onto your paper.
Before you finish, lightly draw some random lines within the dark parts of the silhouette. While it may seem obvious now, it might be tough to tell later which parts should be dark and which should be light.
If you’re right-handed, start at the left pinky toe, and write “I only open my mouth to exchange feet” in tight Kaitlin Style calligraphy that stays loyal to the contours of the foot, ankle, and shin. (If you’re left-handed, it will be easiest to start writing at the top of the right shin.) In this project, it’s important to prioritize tightness over legibility. It’s okay if the calligraphy isn’t immediately legible — the point is to make artwork, not to write a perfectly readable quote.
After you write that first line, keep writing the quote over and over, squeezing it in where you can. If you want to, you can introduce a second color (I used McCaffery’s Indigo Blue – affiliate link), though it’s not necessary. In especially tiny spaces, consider switching to hand-lettering. You can write the quote in tiny cursive or small, clean block letters. Once you’ve filled the silhouette with calligraphy and lettering, go back through with your pen to add dots and clean little flourish strokes to fill in space. The more tightly you can fill in the space, the better!
When you finish that first foot, move on to the second foot. Follow the same process, fitting in the phrase where you can. In especially tiny spaces, like the toes on the lower right, it’s a good idea to only include a couple of words in each shadow.
Once all your ink has dried, carefully erase your pencil lines. Work slowly; it would be a shame to inadvertently make a crease in your paper at this point in the project.
Once those pencil lines are gone, prop up your artwork against an object and take a few steps back. Is the artwork easily recognizable as two feet? If so, then you’re finished! If it’s not, that means you need to add more dots and strokes into the lettering to help make everything more compact. Continue to add dots and strokes until your calligraphy feet do, indeed, look like feet.
If this is for a friend, consider adding a to/from information to the back of your artwork. I used gold watercolor to add that special touch.
And that’s it! You’ve officially created a piece of calligraphy quote artwork that’s worthy of the Bridget Joneses, Michael Scotts, or Leslie Knopes in your life. (Though, let’s be honest — we all put our foot in our mouths sometimes!) For additional traceable silhouettes, check out the Traceable Silhouettes and Sayings Bundle. In addition to these feet, you’ll find nine other silhouettes with relevant inspirational quote suggestions.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s tutorial. Sometimes, the most simple projects provide the most joy, and I loved making this while listening to a podcast and indulging in some chocolate. Remember to keep it fun! While this project might be a gift, its main purpose is to entertain and delight its creator (you). Enjoy the process, and let yourself admire your work once you’re finished.
Thanks so much for reading and have a great weekend,
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