Hand Lettering for Beginners: 2 Quick Tips and a Printable

Creativity takes courage! We've got a post on hand lettering for beginners that will embolden you to explore!

Creativity takes courage. Matisse dropped this bit of wisdom decades ago and it still holds true.

As a reader of Creative Live, this surely rings true to you. If you identify with the term ‘creative’, you’ve stepped out at some point, putting forward work for others to enjoy, consume, and ultimately judge. That can be absolutely terrifying, but at a point it becomes comfortable. This quote reminds us to continue creating in a way that takes courage and to try new things.

And speaking of trying new things, the explosion in the popularity of hand lettering creates lots of opportunities to try new things.

I’m pretty comfortable sharing my hand lettering, but have always avoided flourishes at all costs. I recently checked out the Alternative Letterforms and Flourishes in Calligraphy class and thought it was high time I gave it a try. I kind of love how fancy a few flourishes make things look. My favourite hand lettering for beginners tip from the class is when she broke the letters down in to pieces explaining how each piece can be flourished. Lightbulb moment.

Dare to Create! We've got a post on hand lettering for beginners that will embolden you to explore!

Check out some of Bianca’s lettering tips and technique in this clip from her class on using calligraphy to address envelopes:

I also took James and Laura Victore’s course on Digitizing Hand-Drawn Art and totally recommend it if you are going to be doing this sort of thing. I have been digitizing my work for a while but loved learning some new tricks to streamline the process.

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I can’t believe I didn’t know about changing the levels to make the blacks more black, and the whites brighter… I’d been playing with contrast and brightness this whole time. I also never knew about the ‘fill with’ option… but if you’re not self taught, you’re probably rolling your eyes at these ‘Aha!’ moments. To me… life changing!

Alright- ready for your very own hand-lettered print? Grab the printable JPG by clicking the text below. I’m also sharing this ‘Dare to Create’ Printable over on my blog in a few colors- so if that’s your thing, hop over and grab it!

Colleen Pastoor FOLLOW >

Colleen is a wife, Mama to 23 month old twins, and the DIY and lifestyle blogger behind Lemon Thistle where she shares printable art and hands on tutorials for DIY home decor, parties and gifts.