How to Handletter (A Basics Guide from Newbie to Newbie)

INTRODUCTION to HANDLETTERING Have you ever looked at the gorgeous handwriting on Tumblr/Instagram pictures and wondered, however…

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INTRODUCTION to HANDLETTERING

Have you ever looked at the gorgeous handwriting on Tumblr/Instagram pictures and wondered, however can people write that beautifully?

A few days ago I decided I wanted to learn. I think it’s an incredible skill to have, so I’d like to share the few steps I’ve taken to start mastering this skill. Please note, the material below is not my own. You can get started in any way you want, but the important thing is to start somewhere! This is a classic case of “the blind leading the blind,” because I myself am a mere beginner, but here goes:

1. First: the materials. Brush calligraphy needs a special sort of pen, the one I found happened to be a Tombow ABT 879 dual-tipped pen, and it cost $3.19 at Michael’s. You can find them at any hobby store. Keep in mind that this is just for practice, so it doesn’t have to be fancy.

2. Paper. I read that you should use a smooth paper (so as not to damage the pen tip). I opted for simple smooth computer paper, and it works fine for just practice. You can also print out worksheets (more on that later).

3. Tutorial video. It’s a 2.5 min introductory video on how to hold the pen and the basic strokes. I found it very helpful, and it can be found here All rights go to @bydawnnicole, thank you so much for the amazing resources!

4. Practicing. Handlettering is like any skill: the more you do it, the better you get at it. If you scroll down, you’ll see that my handwriting is wobbly, uneven, and contains quite a few errors. That’s ok. @bydawnnicole has a ton of free worksheets you can try out, but I also went online and found another set that I used, by @amylattacreations. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see the “download to computer.” You can print it out to make the worksheets, or go freehand like I did.

Give it a go. If it doesn’t look as aesthetic as you expected it to, don’t get discouraged!

Mostly, this blog is meant for studying tips and med school experiences, and this is more of a “bullet journal” or “handlettering” type of post, but I hope you guys don’t mind. I’m a firm believer in learning and expanding my skillset, and since I’ve been making notes the same way for years now, I thought it might be nice to learn some new “fonts.” If you liked this tutorial, do let me know because I’m a bit unsure of its benefit.

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