ICAD Challenge Week 2: Using your own style

I’m still working on my hand lettering, but switching to another book which focuses on taking your own handwriting and turning it into your own personal style. I approach this portion of the challenge with trepidation as I’ve never been overly fond of my own handwriting. But this book: The Art of Whimsical Lettering by Joanne Sharpe gives you exercises to practice turning your natural writing into something with style. She is very encouraging (which I need!) and points out that it will take practice:

“play, practice, write, repeat.”

Of all the books I’ve looked at for help with this challenge, this one is my favorite. She also gives tips for keeping a letter journal to play in and collect different styles you can add to your own. I think after this index card challenge is over, my next step is going to be an art journal. Joanne’s suggestion is to use a simple composition book and glue two pages together to make it thicker, then add washi tape to the edges. In the book she shows examples from her own books. You’ll have to check out this book. *Highly recommended*

So, instead of fighting my own handwriting, I’m going to try to embrace it. Here is one of the exercises: increase your slant, add flourishes, etc to your own cursive. I got more relaxed the further down the alphabet I got.

Day 11: Extreme Cursive

Day 12: Using a Brush Pen

I made an alphabet using the brush pen, but decided I needed to do something more than an alphabet. So I wrote one word and decorated the rest of the card. I’ve determined that I need to get myself some markers. I’ve been using colored pencils, but they don’t show up well in scans…