Artful Alphabets
55 Inspiring Hand Lettering Techniques and Ideas
Joanne Sharpe
North Light Books, 2018
144 pages
Art how-to, Art reference
Provided by NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The cover is wonderfully colorful with a hand-drawn alphabet created by the author. It’s a perfect example of what’s inside for you when you delve into this fun book. While the colors may make you think children, this is not a child’s level book unless you have a protege artist.
Ms. Sharpe has created fifty-five different alphabets from her own handwriting for us to see just how this works and to give us ideas to work with and jump off from. All we have to do is pick up the tools of the trade and jump! And she gives us a brief section on what basic tools are needed to do this. She has pictures, pictures everywhere to show you how to do each and every type of alphabet that she shows and the pictures include the tools being used to create the letters so you can see how they are used. Even erasers! I have tried some of the basic ones and find them quite easy to do. Of course, they look very different in my handwriting than they do in Ms. Sharpe’s writing. And that’s the whole idea! Each alphabet is unique because it’s hand-written by each artist. You don’t have to be an “artist” to be an Artful Alphabet Artist. You just have to be willing to have fun!
My favorites? Probably #s 8, 14, 18, 19, 22, 24, 26, 35, 40, 41, 49, 50, & 51. Sorry, I like most of them! These are the favorites that I think I could really attempt doing successfully. Which ones could you do?
I highly recommend this book for those of you who love to doodle or like to write fancy or would like to try. It’s really quite easy and lots of fun. These alphabets are great additions to any type of journal or planner, invitations, letters, notes or your name inside a book. Add a cheery note over your desk or mirror, anywhere you’d like.
a thoughtful reveal 