The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy: The Essential Reference for Novice and Expert Letterers and Calligraphers (Complete Photo Guide)

by Abbey Sy

Written by best-selling author and hand letterer Abbey Sy, The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy covers the basics and beyond for creative lettering techniques.  

The book begins with an overview of tools and materials, both traditional (pointed pen and fountain pen) and modern (including brush markers and chalk), then presents a visual glossary of letterforms, highlights the unique characteristics of the featured alphabets, and demonstrates how to draw letterforms to foster an understanding of how they’re created. The core chapters explore traditional, modern, and special effects lettering using a variety of mark-making tools, with in-depth how-to on adding flourishes and other special details, plus creative projects. There’s also an introduction to modifying and creating letterforms digitally, as well as practice sheets for the featured alphabets.
 
So whether you’ve never tried lettering before or you’d like to develop your skills and consider all your creative options, The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy will guide and inspire you on your lettering journey.

• ISBN13: 9781589239630
• Publish Date: 14 June 2018 (first published 12 June 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 August 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Rockport Publishers Inc.
• Imprint: Creative Publishing International, US
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I feel like many people would happily say that they’ve at one point in their life wanted to learn how to write calligraphy. There are certainly a shocking number of uses for it, even if it doesn’t appear to at first. I’m among those people that have always wanted to learn, so naturally I jumped at the opportunity to read this book.
After having read it, I can tell you with complete honestly that I’m going to buy this book. I want to be able to drag it along with me to my desk as I practice, to have it with me as a guide while I slowly learn what I’m doing. I haven’t tried any of the exercises yet (as a rule I don’t allow my art supplies by my computer, for fairly obvious reasons), but I did read through them all and they seem nicely laid out and not at all overwhelming.
I have to say that I love how much material this book managed to cover. Starting from the suggested tools and materials (which varies depending on which method you choose to use), then moving on to cover the basics of lettering, classic calligraphy, modern hand lettering, decorative lettering (you know, the beautiful calligraphy with the extra swirls or even sometimes botanical elements around it), and finally digital lettering. They’ve also included practice sheets in the back, which was a nice touch.

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