Beautiful hand lettering is everywhere - I see it all the time on gift bags and t-shirts, menus & prints! The cool thing is that you can use it all the time - adding a personal touch in your home, on gifts and for events. It’s an incredibly useful and fun skill to learn!
Today, we want to share 3 major mistakes to AVOID when creating Hand Lettering. Read below to learn what they are!
#1 - Don’t use “regular paper.” We don’t realize this, but the common printer paper that we buy is actually pretty rough. I like to save money so when I buy paper, I normally used to buy the cheapest kind! Not only is it harder to write smoothly on this paper, but it ruins your pens and they won’t last nearly as long. The other thing is that your pens tend to bleed more on this kind of paper and so the lines aren’t as crisp and clean either. (You can find my favorite types of lettering paper here.)
#2 - Don’t go out and buy a bunch of expensive pens right away. It can be SO tempting to want to spend money on fancy pens, especially when you think they’ll make your handwriting magically turn into beautiful calligraphy. The sad truth is that they aren’t magic. They can be actually fairly tricky to work with and you don’t want to waste a bunch of money right out of the gate. There are many different kinds, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Also, just because a talented lettering artist shares what pen they’re using, it doesn’t mean it will be best for a beginner.
I put together a 3-pen set of my favorite brush pens that are great for beginners and experts alike! This set is a perfect way to get started with a range of brush pen sizes to find what works for you before you buy any big sets of pens. Learn more about the Perfect Pen Pouch Starter Kit here, and be sure to watch my tutorials on how to hold a brush pen!
#3 - Don’t rush. It’s so tempting to want to go fast! Whether it’s writing your strokes quickly or getting into tons of flourishing and fancy pens, everyone wants to go fast. My advice to you is not to! It may seem like a good idea at first but don’t give in - trust me!
Take your time, enjoy the process, and don't worry about trying to be perfect! Lettering is about so much more than the end product, and it can be a wonderful mindful practice, too.
