Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Lettering With Love
The Simple Art of Handwriting with Watercolour Embellishment
BY Sue Hiepler and Yasmin Reddig
Search Press
28 August 2018/ ISBN 9781782216643
How-To Books / Art

Reviewed by Rachel Hyde

AMAZON UK

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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UK Reviewer: Rachel Hyde's work can be found in The Bead Magazine, Making Jewellery and www.craftsuprint.com/rachel-a-hyde/
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