Why Add Hand Lettering to a Sketch?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nYou don\u2019t need to add any special hand lettering to a sketch but since you\u2019re here reading this, I\u2019m going to assume you are interested in this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some of the reasons you may want to add some hand lettering to your sketch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Adding hand lettering can really \u2018finish\u2019 a sketch off
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Record location and date of the sketch
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Record other meta-data, like time, the weather
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Add notes to aid memory of the scene
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Add technical notes about your sketch such as colours\/mixes used etc.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Give your sketchbook an overall \u2018journal\u2019 feel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019d like more information on how to design a dynamic sketchbook spread, check out my post here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nA Brief Overview of Hand Lettering Styles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWithout going too over the top let\u2019s just have a brief look at the various different types of lettering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Serif<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sans serif<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Script<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Serif letters<\/strong> are those that have little ledges at the end of a main vertical or horizontal line that makes up the shape of the letter. A common serif font that you may have used over the years is \u2018Times New Roman\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/serif.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSans Serif fonts<\/strong> are those that do not have the little ledges. Fonts used on screens are mostly sans serifs. I believe this is because sans-serif fonts are just easier to read digitally. Conversely, serif fonts are a little easier to read in print. I think a vast number of books, at least traditionally published ones, will be written and printed in a serif font. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/sans-serif.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBrush lettering or \u2018faux\u2019 brush lettering has become super popular in the last few years. This type of letting would fall into the broad category of \u2018script\u2019, which tends to be a more decorative flowing style of lettering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/script.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThere are thousands of books, videos, courses on lettering. There is so much that can be said as the entire subject is an art in itself. However, for the purpose of us urban sketchers who just want to learn how to create some beautiful letters to add to our sketches now and again, let\u2019s keep things simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWant to learn travel sketching in ink & watercolour?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Check out my course, Sketch Your Adventures and for a limited time get 50% OFF!!!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n![\"Sketch](\"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/projects-web.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nFIND OUT MORE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhere to Get Ideas for Hand Lettering Styles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBooks About Hand Lettering<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThere are an enormous amount of books about hand lettering on the market. Hand lettering exploded in popularity a few years back and while I think the level of interest has dupped, it\u2019s still a popular subject amongst crafters, journalers and sketchers alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have many hand lettering books at home, including some very expensive ones about graffiti tags and \u201chand styles\u201d. I love that stuff so much, however, I digress. Below are a few suggestions for books about hand lettering. I have found a few of them cross over heavily and some are the exact same book with a different cover (which I found out to my annoyance a couple of times). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be clear, I don\u2019t really think you need to buy a book on the subject but if you\u2019re like me and you love books with gorgeous colourful illustrations and like having something tangible close by to open up and refer to then, buy a book. But just daying, not really needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Big Awesome Book of Hand & Chalk Lettering – Dina Rodriguez<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nI\u2019m a big fan of Dina\u2019s work and have followed her on Instagram for many years, she also has a fantastic podcast called Women of Illustration<\/strong><\/a> which is excellent and highly worth checking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Art of Whimsical Lettering – Joanne Sharpe<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nI like this book as it\u2019s quite different from other hand lettering books on the market, which can get a bit samey (or even identical, as mentioned above). Joanne Sharpe approaches the subject through the lens of art journaling which I think applies to us as sketchbook artists a little more. We are not looking to produce hand lettering as a piece of art in itself but to add lettering to our existing artwork. That\u2019s why I think this book is probably one of my favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lettering Alphabets & Artwork: Inspiring Ideas & Techniques for 60 Hand-Lettering Styles – Jay Roeder<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThis book is more inspirational with beautiful full-colour illustrations. Certainly aimed at producing lettering as works of art in themselves but the range of different lettering styles and how they\u2019re present is gorgeous and thought-provoking. There are just so many different styles of letters. I think the author does a good job of both teaching the basics and providing inspiration for advanced abilities too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHand Lettering Inspiration on Pinterest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t feel like forking out for a book, Pinterest is a diamond mine of inspiration. Pinterest was built for such interests as hand lettering and I\u2019m sure you can lose yourself for a solid amount of hours perusing jaw-dropping work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a danger though, you can become overwhelmed and lose sight of the objective of adding some interesting lettering. So before you fall into a wormhole of low self-esteem, thinking you can never achieve such perfection just remember to use the platform for inspiration and don\u2019t get lost in the thoughts of trying to emulate this stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are urban sketchers. We are sketchbook artists. We are not professional hand letterers like some of these people are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For somewhere to start, feel free to follow my lettering board over on Pinterest<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHand Lettering Inspiration on Instagram<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAgain, there is a wealth of inspiration on Instagram when it comes to hand lettering. Some of my favourite Instagram accounts for hand lettering inspiration are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lettering_daily\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pezandpencil\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/stefankunz\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe same advice applies to Instagram as it does for Pinterest. It\u2019s easy to lose yourself in the incredible work out there and then fall into thinking \u201cI can\u2019t do this\u201d. Keep your perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nFont Websites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWebsites that display different fonts to buy (or in some cases download for free, usually for personal use only) are an excellent resource to use to practice letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dafont.com<\/strong><\/a> is one of my favourites as you can write the word you want in the box and it will show you how it looks in the font you\u2019ve chosen. I set the size to large and then I can draw the word or words from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFont <\/strong><\/a>Squirrel<\/a><\/strong> is also a great place to look at fonts as well as Google <\/strong><\/a>Fonts<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t need to add any special hand lettering to a sketch but since you\u2019re here reading this, I\u2019m going to assume you are interested in this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some of the reasons you may want to add some hand lettering to your sketch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Adding hand lettering can really \u2018finish\u2019 a sketch off
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Record location and date of the sketch
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Record other meta-data, like time, the weather
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Add notes to aid memory of the scene
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Add technical notes about your sketch such as colours\/mixes used etc.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n - Give your sketchbook an overall \u2018journal\u2019 feel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019d like more information on how to design a dynamic sketchbook spread, check out my post here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nA Brief Overview of Hand Lettering Styles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWithout going too over the top let\u2019s just have a brief look at the various different types of lettering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Serif<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sans serif<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Script<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Serif letters<\/strong> are those that have little ledges at the end of a main vertical or horizontal line that makes up the shape of the letter. A common serif font that you may have used over the years is \u2018Times New Roman\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSans Serif fonts<\/strong> are those that do not have the little ledges. Fonts used on screens are mostly sans serifs. I believe this is because sans-serif fonts are just easier to read digitally. Conversely, serif fonts are a little easier to read in print. I think a vast number of books, at least traditionally published ones, will be written and printed in a serif font. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBrush lettering or \u2018faux\u2019 brush lettering has become super popular in the last few years. This type of letting would fall into the broad category of \u2018script\u2019, which tends to be a more decorative flowing style of lettering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThere are thousands of books, videos, courses on lettering. There is so much that can be said as the entire subject is an art in itself. However, for the purpose of us urban sketchers who just want to learn how to create some beautiful letters to add to our sketches now and again, let\u2019s keep things simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWant to learn travel sketching in ink & watercolour?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Check out my course, Sketch Your Adventures and for a limited time get 50% OFF!!!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nFIND OUT MORE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhere to Get Ideas for Hand Lettering Styles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nBooks About Hand Lettering<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThere are an enormous amount of books about hand lettering on the market. Hand lettering exploded in popularity a few years back and while I think the level of interest has dupped, it\u2019s still a popular subject amongst crafters, journalers and sketchers alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have many hand lettering books at home, including some very expensive ones about graffiti tags and \u201chand styles\u201d. I love that stuff so much, however, I digress. Below are a few suggestions for books about hand lettering. I have found a few of them cross over heavily and some are the exact same book with a different cover (which I found out to my annoyance a couple of times). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be clear, I don\u2019t really think you need to buy a book on the subject but if you\u2019re like me and you love books with gorgeous colourful illustrations and like having something tangible close by to open up and refer to then, buy a book. But just daying, not really needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Big Awesome Book of Hand & Chalk Lettering – Dina Rodriguez<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nI\u2019m a big fan of Dina\u2019s work and have followed her on Instagram for many years, she also has a fantastic podcast called Women of Illustration<\/strong><\/a> which is excellent and highly worth checking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Art of Whimsical Lettering – Joanne Sharpe<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nI like this book as it\u2019s quite different from other hand lettering books on the market, which can get a bit samey (or even identical, as mentioned above). Joanne Sharpe approaches the subject through the lens of art journaling which I think applies to us as sketchbook artists a little more. We are not looking to produce hand lettering as a piece of art in itself but to add lettering to our existing artwork. That\u2019s why I think this book is probably one of my favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lettering Alphabets & Artwork: Inspiring Ideas & Techniques for 60 Hand-Lettering Styles – Jay Roeder<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThis book is more inspirational with beautiful full-colour illustrations. Certainly aimed at producing lettering as works of art in themselves but the range of different lettering styles and how they\u2019re present is gorgeous and thought-provoking. There are just so many different styles of letters. I think the author does a good job of both teaching the basics and providing inspiration for advanced abilities too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHand Lettering Inspiration on Pinterest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t feel like forking out for a book, Pinterest is a diamond mine of inspiration. Pinterest was built for such interests as hand lettering and I\u2019m sure you can lose yourself for a solid amount of hours perusing jaw-dropping work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a danger though, you can become overwhelmed and lose sight of the objective of adding some interesting lettering. So before you fall into a wormhole of low self-esteem, thinking you can never achieve such perfection just remember to use the platform for inspiration and don\u2019t get lost in the thoughts of trying to emulate this stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are urban sketchers. We are sketchbook artists. We are not professional hand letterers like some of these people are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For somewhere to start, feel free to follow my lettering board over on Pinterest<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHand Lettering Inspiration on Instagram<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nAgain, there is a wealth of inspiration on Instagram when it comes to hand lettering. Some of my favourite Instagram accounts for hand lettering inspiration are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lettering_daily\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pezandpencil\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/stefankunz\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same advice applies to Instagram as it does for Pinterest. It\u2019s easy to lose yourself in the incredible work out there and then fall into thinking \u201cI can\u2019t do this\u201d. Keep your perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nFont Websites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWebsites that display different fonts to buy (or in some cases download for free, usually for personal use only) are an excellent resource to use to practice letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dafont.com<\/strong><\/a> is one of my favourites as you can write the word you want in the box and it will show you how it looks in the font you\u2019ve chosen. I set the size to large and then I can draw the word or words from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Font <\/strong><\/a>Squirrel<\/a><\/strong> is also a great place to look at fonts as well as Google <\/strong><\/a>Fonts<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/edinburgh-no-lines.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/edinburgh-lines.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n