A Fun Lettering Exercise: Do This in an Hour or Less!

One of my Facebook friends recently threw out this question: “What’s a strange quirk that you have?” The question got me thinking, and while I had a difficult time coming up with a fun answer on the spot, I enjoyed reading others’ responses. The array of idiosyncrasies people mentioned show that all of us are unique, and that distinctiveness can be incorporated into our art to make it truly personal.

Lettering exercise | Cherie Haas, ClothPaperScissors.com
This is my “Negative C” hand lettering page. Note that More Creative Lettering includes techniques from multiple contributors with various lettering styles, giving you a wide range of examples to learn.

One of my quirks came to light one evening as I was making my way to bed. I made sure the door was locked, and then stepped over my slumbering dog, Cowgirl, to turn off the T.V. Before I turned out the lights, I got down on the floor so I could wake Cowgirl up and tell her goodnight. That’s when I realized what my quirk was. It’s weird, I know. I should just let her sleep, but for some reason I like to make sure my dog knows how much I love her before I go to bed, even if I have to wake her to do so. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?

This habit–this little thing that helps make me unique–was perfect fodder for a lettering exercise I wanted to try. In More Creative Lettering, talented contributors share ways to practice different lettering styles. Inspired by Lindsey Bugbee’s section, here’s what I came up with. Use these simple steps to make a one-of-a-kind art journal page.

1. Choose a letter that is special to you. I chose “C” for Cowgirl.

2. Use a pencil to draw a large outline of your chosen letter.

3. Lindsey advises making a list of words and phrases you want to use to fill in around the letter, but sometimes I like to fly by the seat of my pants. Use a pencil to write words, filling in as much space as you can, exploring a variety of lettering styles. I flipped through the pages of More Creative Lettering for ideas, and also incorporated my natural handwriting.

4. Trace over your writing with various pens in a variety of colors, then erase all of the pencil marks.

5. Lastly, fill in the remaining white spaces with decorative line elements.

Voila! This is my “Cowgirl” version of the lettering exercise, but I also created one about our vineyards. I’ve shared my quirk with you–what’s yours? Share it in the comments section of the blog, and I encourage you to let it inspire some artwork as well. Start with More Creative Lettering, and see what you come up with!

Celebrate your quirks,
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Art Journaling and Lettering, Blog, Mixed-Media Techniques

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