Creating beautiful letters has always been a timeless art. With the resurgence of lettering about a decade ago, you could see stunning letters everywhere—in all shapes and styles, whether written, drawn, or printed. Letters became design objects on their own, celebrated simply for their beauty.
Challenges improve your skills
When I first started lettering, I eagerly joined various challenges. It was during one of these early challenges—maybe the second or third—that I began drawing capital letters with lots of flourishes. They were beautiful, though perhaps a bit overdecorated. I continued participating in challenges until I eventually created my own, always focusing on capital letters with, you guessed it, elegant flourishes.
These challenges were incredibly helpful for me. They taught me the structure of each letter, whether serif, sans-serif, or script. Over time, I developed a better sense of when to stop adding flourishes and when to add more. It’s a continuous learning process, and you keep improving with practice. On the other hand it has a lot to do with your personal taste.
Eventually, I created my own alphabet—a serif one. Serif letters are perfect for flourishing because their static structure contrasts beautifully with dynamic flourishes. Plus, the little serifs can be used as starting points for the flourishes.
Here’s a Mini Tutorial to create your Letter Art:
1. The first version is a simple serif letter.
2. In the second version, the letter’s inner parts are decorated more.
3. The third version is surrounded by dynamic flourishes.
You can see how much a letter can transform visually, even when its main structure remains the same.
Take a look at this example. It’s more elaborate, but style-wise, it’s not too different. By adding more elements, you can create your own unique Letter Art.
Tips for Beginners
1. Start Simple: Begin with basic letter shapes before adding flourishes.
2. Understand Structure: Learn the anatomy of letters; this will help in knowing where to add flourishes.
3. Practice Regularly: Like any skill, practice is key. Join challenges or create your own projects to keep improving.
My Creative Process
I often start by sketching the basic letter shape lightly. Then, I gradually add flourishes, paying attention to balance and flow. I like to step back frequently to see how the letter looks as a whole. This helps in deciding whether to add more details or simplify.
Instead of creating the letters from scratch, you can get all letters in my shop, with every single letter in a single file (+ vectors) for private or commercial use.