Hand-Lettering

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YOU ARE:

A penmanship phenom with a fascination for beautifully artful hand lettering.

You see the fancy, flowing, elaborate hand-lettered designs in your Instagram feed and think, “I could do that.” Then you think, “I want to do that.” And then, “That’s it—I’m totally doing that.”

You already possess amazing penmanship skills and artistic style in spades. All you need is a set of Sharpie® Art Pens and some starter tips to get a handle on this fantastic freehand art form.

So to help you grasp the finer points, here’s our simple, step-by-step guide for mastering all things hand-lettering:

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  • GET INSPIRED: Do some research to find samples of hand-lettering designs you like. Mine your Instagram feed for inspiration and grab screen-shots for reference.

  • WARM-UP: Practice hand-lettering something simple and familiar like your name to get the feel and find your flow. Repeat several times.

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  • REPLICATE: Now try replicating some of the styles you singled out earlier. Don’t shoot for perfection or feel discouraged if yours doesn’t quite match up. This is all about honing your skill-set.

  • PREP: Gather your materials: Several sheets of sketch paper, a Prismacolor pencil and eraser, and a fresh set of Sharpie Art Pens.

  • THUMBNAILS: Sketch out a few thumbnails—or small-scale versions—of your own designs with the Prismacolour pencil. Pick your fave and run with it.

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  • FULL-SIZE SKETCH: Go big. Using your thumbnail sketch, block out the edges of the design using the outside corner letters as points of reference. First trace out the letters in light lines—then add more weight once they’re in position. No need to fill in fully just yet.

  • ADD FLOURISH: Now start adding decorative flourishes to your baseline design: floral wreaths, arrows, loops to letters, or another motif. Look back to your screenshots for flourish types you like then add your own touches and twists.

  • MAKE YOUR MARK: Pick your favourite colour Sharpie Art Pens and trace over your lines, outlining first then filling in. Test different palettes on your thumbnail sketches to pick out the perfect colour scheme.

  • MAKE YOUR OWN: Now that you’ve replicated a sample design—and nailed it—explore different methods and techniques to discover a signature style all your own.

Beautiful. Once you’ve got the hang of hand-lettering on paper, try:

Sharpie Brush Tip markers for larger-scale formats.

Sharpie Metallic markers for dark surfaces like your sketchbook or journal cover.

#uncapthepossibilities