6 Hand-Lettering Basic Tips and Free Practice Guide

Hand lettering is one of my favorite activities. I have to confess I am new in this amazing world and I am not the best but I love it. It is a great activity to do at home or at any place. It is relaxing and it is also a great exercise to practice mindfulness.

My friend Laura from @letteringbylt and I meet once a week to practice and hang out. She is an amazing Colombian girl with a huge heart and great talent. She teaches lettering locally and also shares tips via Instagram. Here are my favorite pics from her account.

If you are curious about lettering here you have 6 tips for you to start or to improve your lettering.

Tip 1: Make a good sketch

Do not get in a rush, always start with your pencil sketch or guide. Do not underestimate the power of creating a base for your design, you can center and align the elements before going to the brush pens. Avoid mistakes and take the time to prep your design.

Tip 2: Upstrokes are “lighter” and Downstrokes are “Thicker”

Hand lettering is a combination of Up stokes and Down-strokes. Once you start this is the basic learning you need. The pressure of the marker has to change depending on the direction you are making the stroke. If you are going up you go lighter and if you go down you make thicker lines. Practice this and it will get easier with time.

Tip 3: Start Cheap: You do not need fancy or expensive brush markers to start

Don’t get me wrong I know the feeling of getting new craft supplies. But you do not need fancy markers to do lettering. You can use basic markers to start. Start from the basics and get fancy once you get comfortable with lettering.

Tip 4: Use a Grid

Get lines and guides. You can use grid paper to help you with your lettering.

Tip 5: Practice each letter

Do not rush! start from the basic ABC and learn each letter, then start making words. This is like learning to write again, just in another way.

TIP 6: Do your daily Practice

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