Hand lettering offers so many things to love, and since I’ve been learning new techniques I almost can’t get it off my mind–in a good way! It’s not uncommon to find me playing with pens and markers, making lists just to have an excuse to write something and create beautiful flourishes. That’s why I was excited to see that Lesley Riley has a new book: Creative Lettering Workshop: Combining Art With Quotes in Mixed Media.
The book offers basic lettering methods, and shows how to letter favorite quotes and incorporate them into a finished piece of art. Lesley covers techniques such as resist and transfer lettering, understanding attribution, design, and composition, as you’ll see in the excerpt below.
 |
|
| “Someday is not a day of the week.” ~Denise Brennan-Nelson. Artwork (Broad tip nib on painted watercolor paper) by Pam Garrison |
 |
|
| Mixed-media art by Lesley Riley |
Featured quote: Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out? ~Ian Wallace
Artwork by Lesley Riley
“This is a question I ask myself often,” Lesley says. “Did you know that we are evolutionarily programmed to conform, to fit in with the herd as a survival mechanism? It’s an instinct we fall back on when we are afraid of doing anything new. We don’t want to stand out or be noticed. It takes courage to be seen, take the lead, and make a difference. I give my courage muscle a workout every day.
“Repetition is a powerful way to convey a message. I used the principles of repetition, balance, scale, and harmony with the elements of shape and color blocks to emphasize the message of the quote. Keeping the faces blank reinforces the anonymity of being part of the crowd.”
 |
|
| For special downloads from the book, visit CreateMixedMedia.com. |
Mixed-Media Art Project #19
from Creative Lettering Workshop
by Lesley Riley
1. Prepare a painted background for the quote. (I painted figures over a background and used decorative paper for the figures’ belts and stockings.) Place a piece of tracing paper over the area where you want the quote to be and pencil in the lettering to determine spacing.
2. Following your guide, apply the quote to the painting by burnishing the rub-on letters one by one. When finished, cover with tracing paper and burnish the entire quote again to ensure good adhesion.
As you can see, incorporating meaningful quotes and phrases is a powerful way to give you inspiration to create art. Start with the words, or let the right quote come to you after you’ve created an art journal page. There’s no wrong way, as long as you keep creating.
Happy mark making!
Sign up for the Cloth Paper Scissors newsletter and get a free download on lettering techniques.