Hi, my name is Lars Kamsteeg. I am 18 years old. I have been doing handlettering for over a year, and I have had an account on Instagram since October 2017 where I share my creations. Despite the fact that handlettering is not easy, it is becoming wildly popular. Do you want to start too, but don't know how? Then read this article and find out!
Handlettering supplies
To start handlettering, you don't need much. Once you have a pen and a piece of paper you can basically get started. Of course, there are an awful lot of things you can use to improve your handletter skills. You can use fineliners, markers, pencils, markers, chalk and paint to brighten and decorate your handlettering. To write your letters nice and straight, you can use a pen with lines or squares. There are also all kinds of special pens for sale that make handlettering even more fun, better, easier and faster. These pens usually have a soft tip, and are called brush pens.
In the picture I show you some of my favorite things I use for handlettering.
Pen grip
The way you, hold your pen is of great importance. This is because with a good pen grip, you will have good control over your handlettering, and you will not cramp up as easily. To have good control over your handlettering, it is important to hold your fingers at the front of the pen. About one inch away from the tip. Because you, hold your fingers in the front, the movements you make are smaller and very controlled. In addition, it is important not to squeeze your pen too hard. There is no need for this and it will only bother you!In the pictures below, I will show you how I grip my pens for maximum control and minimal hand cramping:
Experimenting with font styles
The great thing about handlettering is that there are no frameworks for it. Everyone does it in their own way. Be yourself and be free to do it in a way that suits you and makes you feel comfortable. You can experiment with different font styles. You can write your letters small, big, long, short, thick, thin, graceful or just tight. It is also great fun to combine these! While writing a quote, for example, you can write down and decorate each word in a different style. On the Internet you can find many examples of these kinds of creations. If you have no inspiration for letter styles, a good tip is to look on Pinterest. Here you will find a huge number of examples. However, do not see these examples as ideal, but see them as a starting point and inspiration. Give it your own twist!
In the pictures below, I show you how I experiment with different letter styles. For this I use a dot grid A5 Greenbook from GreenStory. This little book consists of whiteboard pages that allow me to erase mistakes and allow for endless practice:
Faux calligraphy
Faux calligraphy, or modern calligraphy, is a particular style of lettering that is hugely popular. To create faux calligraphy, it is best to start with your own handwriting. After all, this is the easiest. On a sheet of paper, write down a word that you like. Once you have written down a nice word, go through the word again with your pen, looking for the places where you go down with your pen. In exactly those spots you draw an extra line each time. You can fill in the empty spots between the two lines with color, or you can give those spots a pattern.
You can purchase brush pens if you decide to take it a step further. These pens have a soft tip, which help you make thick and thin lines. When writing a word, you press harder on the paper when you go down, and apply less pressure when you go up. You will see that the lines going down are thick, and the lines going up are thin.
Practice, practice, practice
Handlettering is definitely not something you can master in a week. You will have to practice it daily. At first, it can be frustrating to see that things don't go the way you hope or expect. But believe me, practice makes perfect. Practice makes you better, makes things easier and allows you to experiment with other ways of lettering. I myself have been lettering for over a year, and I am still learning new ways to improve my handletter skills every day! Believe me, there will come a day when you are where you want to be!
Handlettering exercise books
In addition to the many examples on the Internet, there are handletter books for sale these days. "Handlettering is how you do it" by Karin Luttenberg is one such book. The book is full of information, examples and contain useful tips and tricks related to handlettering. They can be very supportive, especially if you want to start and don't know exactly where and how. These, and other exercise books can be found in almost all bookstores these days. You can also order them online.
I hope this article helped you learn more about handlettering, and that I was able to convince you to start handlettering as well. It's super fun to do, there's nothing to lose, so go for it!
About Lars
Lars is an 18-year-old student who is involved in Bullet Journalling and handlettering every day besides school. He has had a successful Instagram page since October 2017, where he shares his creations with his now more than 6,000 followers. If you are curious about his creations you can check out his Instagram account @plslars!
