Say
it like you mean it with a beautiful combination of hand lettering
and watercolor painting. In an age of keyboards, printers
and the Internet, the very idea of writing something out by
hand and decorating it makes it less “instant”
and, consequently. a lot more special. Grab anything you can
write with and some watercolors and get ready to make your
mark.
I confess to having had a go at real calligraphy using ink
and a special pen and not getting very far with it. This book
is all about a different method, known as faux calligraphy
which is far simpler and less rule-bound. Basically it is
about forming letters using first a pencil, and then any type
of pen, brush or marker you like. The book starts by explaining
all this and listing what you need, all fairly basic items
most people (especially those into art or craft) already own.
The faux calligraphy method is explained simply with a few
examples, and then follows a short section about watercoloring.
The
rest of the book contains lovely projects that combine the
two and are all about enjoying yourself and going with the
flow when working, rather than worrying about perfection.
Most of the painted embellishments are floral in nature, celebrating
the garden. Instructions are given throughout on how to form
the loose and flowing plants, and there are several lettering
styles to try, too.
The
book has hard covers, so opens out neatly and stays obligingly
flat for easy reference when working. Turn to the back for
several alphabets to copy for practice, plus some floral wreaths,
pot plants, single blooms plus a few cacti. Working through
all this is a great way of getting into the style, and it
is a fun way of relaxing and producing something beautiful.
The projects in here include pictures for walls and greetings
cards, all of which can be resized and used as a starting
point for your own ideas.
I
love something that is a bit different, and I haven’t
seen a book on this subject before. A great way of saying
what you want and getting creative that does not need a lot
of outlay for materials.
If you cannot find a good range of lettering and watercolor
materials locally try httpwww.searchpress.com for a list of
suppliers.
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