The Art of Watercolor Lettering: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Modern Calligraphy and Lettered Art

by Kelly Klapstein

Learn to letter beautifully with watercolor. 

In this stunning follow-up to her highly praised and influential first book, The Art of Brush Lettering, lettering expert and workshop instructor Kelly Klapstein (popular on Instagram as @kellycreates) shares her secrets for mastering the essential techniques for creating lovely modern lettering and calligraphy with watercolor.

Start with the basics, from choosing paints, brushes, and other supplies to preparing your paper for painting.

Learn to handle watercolor paints with essential strokes and warm-ups.

Explore painting letterforms in a variety of styles,from traditional to modern.

Try a range of creative techniques, including blending ombrés and rainbows, creating pictorial letterforms, and combining watercolor with other mediums.

Enhance your lettering with special touches by complementing it with handpainted backgrounds and simple illustrations.
With The Art of Watercolor Lettering, you’ll learn how to master the medium—and how to go with the watercolor flow—to create one-of-a-kind lettered art and calligraphy that reflect your unique personal style.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Crafts

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2019

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous and helpful book that's packed with information, projects, sample alphabets, inspiration and more. Kapstein really gives you the tools you need to create beautiful letters, whether it's with liquid watercolor, dried pans, tubes or even food coloring. I appreciated that she also showed how to do simple decorative flourishes like making wreaths to go around the text, and had practice pages for whole alphabets of many types at the end. I absolutely love the book and am now impatient to do some watercolor lettering projects with my kids soon.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.

I've been fascinated with watercolours and especially watercolour lettering and found this book a fantastic little treasure trove for a beginner such as myself.
The book has easily explained instructions and some great tips. Such a hand book to help and guide me along on a new hobby to accompany my journaling.
I live the templates at the back which are related to the whole book too.
A fantastic book i will be referring to many times in the future!

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★,5 | A comprehensive guide for the newbies

🎨 an introduction to watercolours
🎨 warm-up exercises
🎨 variety of topography & lettering styles
🎨 tracing templates

I wanted to get into watercolours for a while now and when I saw it on the NetGalley I decided that it is A Sign.

This book has taught me watercolours from the ground up. I admit that I used youtube guides for some things as well but that’s because I like to be thorough — you can learn the basics without other resources or prior knowledge.

It starts with basic information about the supplies, colour theory, swatches, mixing paints, etc.

We also get warm-up techniques, leaf shapes to ornament our lettering and various fonts.

Everything is pretty standard and beginner’s level.

It is also worth noting that Klapstein covers fonts which can be created with a round brush only so you don’t have to be able to distinguish different types of brushes yet.

Klapstein also shows us how to paint on black paper, create 3-dimensional text, plan your work and make different levels of composition, what possible watercolour-like supplies are out there and how to use them.

All in all, if you want to start with watercolours and/or watercolour lettering this is a useful guide and you’ll have all the information you need in one place.

I had an e-copy so I used it to create a physical guide while practising the methods the book thought me — parts of which I included in the review on my BLOG

blog | insta | twitter | booksirens | duolingo

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of Watercolor Lettering by Kelly Klapstein
A Beginner’s Guide to Painting Modern Calligraphy and Lettered Art

There are some interesting ideas in this book that tell novices and more advanced artists how to create beautiful letters with watercolor and a round tip brush. The book is set up with an introduction followed by materials that will be needed then moves on to how to use color/paint in a variety of different ways. Types of letters are discussed before creating letters using color is presented. After the basics of letters are shown the fun begins with designs to showcase words, quotes and as art projects. Wreaths, use of masking tape and masking fluid to preserve space that can be filled in in various ways was something new I had not thought of before.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Did I get new ideas to use in the future? Yes
Who do I believe would enjoy this book? Anyone interested in creating beautiful letters and words in watercolor.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 – 5 Stars

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly Klapstein's "The Art of Watercolor Lettering" is a delight. She starts off with the basics - what kinds of brushes, paints and papers are best - and then dives into the good stuff. I've always loved the look of watercolors and sporadically experiment with them, and the beautiful color photos in this book had me hooked. Starting with suggested exercises, she progresses to block letters, scripts and then how to embellish from there. Spoiler alert - my creations never came out anything close to her examples, but the experimenting alone is fun!

The traceable practice pages at the back make this one of those options that's better as a "real" book than an e-book!

[Leeya]

ARC received. Thank you Quarto Publishing!

[Monique the Book Geek]

With its clear instruction and plentiful photos and illustrations, this beautiful book inspired me to try some new things in watercolor and calligraphy.

Thank you Quarry Books and NetGalley for lending me a digital ARC copy of this book to preview and review.

[Mechthild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Use watercolor for lettering
After introducing readers to the art of brush lettering in her first book "The Art of Brush Lettering: A Stroke-by-Stroke Guide to the Practice and Techniques of Creative Lettering and Calligraphy", Kelly Klapstein she is now going a step farther and presents "The Art of Watercolor Lettering. A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Modern Calligraphy and Lettered Art" which was published by Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry.
In her introduction Klappstein talks about her watercolor journey and the beauty of watercolor lettering. The various chapters cover the art from the beginning (paints, brushes, papers & more) over typography & lettering styles, the different possibilities how to use colors to dreamy designs. Lastly the chapter "Trace & Learn" offers worksheets for the readers who want to get started. The book also contains basic information such as "What is Ink?" and "Keep Your Colors Clean" as well as tips and variations for the lettering. I appreciated that Klappstein covers different ways to paint, not only the use of paint which comes in tubes, cakes, or as liquids, but also watercolor pencils, water brushes, markers, etc.
I highly recommend this book because it shows how to start with the basics, leads to creativity, and is inspirational. It has a great design, photos, and illustrations. The tips which are included and the variations for the projects can also be a good help for beginning artists. The included index is helpful for quick reference and the worksheets can be a starting point. Nevertheless, it would have been desirable to have the worksheets also as downloadable PDF.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheArtOfWatercolorLettering #NetGalley

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to leave a positive review.

First off, I am a beginner to both water-coloring and hand-lettering... both being a skill I want to work on. I was immediately drawn to this book because of the cover design. I love blended watercolors.

This book begins with an introduction to how the author came to watercolor lettering. It combines her love of writing, calligraphy, and painting.

There is a very through overview of supplies (including some handy tips) for paint, brushes, paper and other assorted supplies. This will be very useful for a beginner.

The following section of the book discusses color theory and includes several warm up exercises. Then we are on to a variety of lettering styles. Some are basic and then on to more advanced styles. You learn how to play with colors. How to layer paint, blending colors, and how to achieve dramatic results by adding metallic or white lettering. The author also describes how to letter with water-based markers, watercolor pencils, brush pens, inks, and making fluid.

I love the helpful tips scattered throughout the book. My favorite example was the Galaxy letters.

The end of the book discusses lettering layouts and the tools you use to design quotes. The author also includes a few embellishing examples (ie: wreath around your quote).

As a big plus, this book includes practice sheets (and you can copy them to use multiple times). These practice sheets include not only letters, but a few quote projects from the book.

I really look forward to practicing some of these styles soon.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

If one could get good at something by reading books on it, my brush lettering would be incredible by now. I have read so many books on this topic that I could probably get a degree on it if it didn't mean I had to actually do some. I wasn't sure what new I was expecting from this book but here's how it surprised me:

- it's definitely a beginner book: she breaks down the letters into families so you know how to practice each set. she walks you step by step. She gives many many many practice pages at the end of the book.

- it has both variety and fun: she might have preferences in her tools. but this might be one of the first watercolor books i read that actually mentioned watercolor pencils (which is my favorite medium.) which I loved. She has fun wreath ideas, fun ways to combine paint and use brush pens, etc, too.

- it encourages practice: this was my reminder to self that without actually sitting down and practicing, it's unlikely I will ever get good at it. To encourage this, she has many different types of practice pages that you can simply trace.

Overall, if you love the idea of watercolor lettering and you're a solid beginner, I recommend this one.

Thank you to netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I would like to thank Netgalley and Quarry Books for providing me with a PDF ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I first started following the author, Kelly Klapstein, in early 2017. I purchased a couple sets of practice worksheets, and following her instructions, I picked up brush lettering very quickly. Later that year, she published her first book about brush lettering. Her website offers practice worksheets both for free and for purchase, and she travels internationally to teach lettering workshops.

I trust very much in her process and I have seen many of her followers, such as myself, become skilled using her techniques. I was very excited to see that she was publishing a book about watercolor lettering as it is a beautiful art form with roots in brush lettering.

Both beginners and accomplished watercolor lettering artists can benefit from this book. It has so much helpful information not just about techniques, but even regarding which materials are best for different artists. Although she has certain brushes and paper that she prefers, she addresses how to work with all types and the pros and cons of each. She provides numerous examples of alphabets, but also demonstrates many different designs and techniques that can be used to embellish on the letters themselves. I was particularly happy to see that she wrote a section about watercolor pencils as they are a fantastic medium and can be used multiple ways for varying effects. At the end, she provides practice worksheets for tracing (you can make photocopies of these pages if you do not want to paint in your book).

Overall, this book covered much more information than I had expected, and I am excited to try some of the techniques I learned to improve my own watercolor lettering. Watercolor lettering is a fun activity that I have been practicing with my 8-year-old stepdaughter for a couple years, and I recommend this activity to anyone with children or who works with children. I would also recommend visiting Kelly's website or reading her previous book about brush lettering if you intend to write letters in that style as she just covers the basics of brush lettering in this book.

#theartofwatercolorlettering #netgalley

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Art of Watercolor Lettering through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Art of Watercolor Lettering combines two of my great loves: watercolors and lettering. This book is perfect for anybody who has wanted to try something new. Or for somebody who’s been anxious to try their hand at this combined medium.
The Art of Watercolor Lettering is a comprehensive and brightly illustrated guide, and not one you’re going to want to miss out on. This book covers a little bit of everything, including the basics, watercolor painting (the paints, warm-ups, etc), letterforms, and different creative techniques. And of course, there are projects and examples to be found towards the back, making it a perfect book for learning and experimenting.
The instructional side of The Art of Watercolor Lettering was perfect, as I just mentioned. But what really took my breath away was the artwork inside. If you’re hoping to get inspired for watercolor lettering, then I’ve got good news for you. The bright and beautiful artwork within will surely get you excited to try your own hand at the process, and that’s about the best one can ever hope for from an art guide.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beginner with watercolor, it's easy to become intimidated or frustrated, but this book helped me on my artistic journey. The recommended supplies were not overwhelming, and the "getting started" exercises were fun and playful. The author covered both block and script lettering, and it felt more like drawing the letters rather than writing them. There is a good sized section on learning how to create the letter form and shapes which was simple enough and felt encouraging. The next section covered several different ways to use the artist's newfound skills with various painting techniques and creative designs. The last third of the book included practice pages with strokes and style guides in watermark opacity on wide-lined pages. I'd recommend this book to artists from beginners to beyond.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having enjoyed watching Kelly Klapstein work her magic with brush pens, I was intrigued that she has also ventured into lettering with watercolor.

The Art of Watercolor Lettering is indeed very useful for the beginner. It has all the introductory info that a beginner would need. including vital info such as what to use and what NOT to use.

Particularly useful too is the section where you can trace several different styles of lettering for practice.

There are also some creative techniques and projects that the aspiring letterer can dabble in. including the use of different tools such as color pencils and brush pens.

I think it would be useful though for learners to watch a video or two on how to use brushes..so that they have a clearer idea when to press down for thick lines and when to lift for the thin lines. Not that Kelly's instructions are not clear, I just feel that somethings are just better learned with the use of videos.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarry Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.

[Jeanniehay64 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beginner to lettering I found this book both informative and inspirational. The practice pages and step by step instructions were useful and the finished projects look amazing.

The variety of media used throughout was useful as everyone should be able to experiment and find the one best suited to them. The fun , have a go element was encouraging and the practice pages which can be downloaded or traced over reinforces the importance of practice to improve your skill.

A valuable book for both the watercolour and lettering artist, which will spark your interest and encourage the progression of your craft. After recently been on a calligraphy course and having bought a pen and inks I loved how the book broadened my outlook and inspired me to try a few different ideas. Now all I need is a lot more practice .
.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exceptionally beautiful and brilliant. The author meticulously takes the reader through the process of creating letter artwork, first with the proper tools to suit every budget, on to specific brush-handling techniques, then to different types of brush strokes to create the watercolor effect. There are other tips specific inherent to watercolor painting as well: wet-on-wet, painter's tape, black paper, white lettering, pencils, food coloring, etc.

Besides the informative text, the design/layout was clean and flowed well. The photography and illustrations were gorgeous!

Wonderful book—a must-have for the artist's shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry, and Kelly Klapstein for an ARC of 'The Art of Watercolor Lettering' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Watercolor Lettering by Kelly Klapstein is a beautiful and informative manual that simplifies the practice for even the most novice beginners. Every aspect from materials to technique are explained thoroughly in the book, and there are vivid photos that go along with it to inspire and show some of the projects the reader can hope to make with what they've learned.

I've had some basic experience with both hand lettering and watercolor painting, but only just started combining the two arts. Watercolor lettering is supposed to be the most advanced form of lettering and this guide has given me a great foundation for the techniques and styles to practice. There are also plenty of practice pages that show stroke technique, which is essential for mastering the art of watercolor lettering.

Many thanks to Quarry Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Watercolor Lettering
By Kelly Klapstein
This is a great resource for watercolor lettering and I loved it!
I have been working on my water coloring and lettering for a while now. For me, it has been trial and error while watching youtube and Instagram videos. I have borrowed a book or two from the library as well but this book gave me the tools and techniques I needed to advance my practice.
In this book the tools to use, color wheel and technique, as well as lots of practice sheets, are shared making this the best all in one stop for watercolor lettering!
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Agnes Preszler · Rating 5 out of 5]

With so many books on lettering and calligraphy, it's a very difficult choice. Anyway, you'd need fancy pens and ink, and if you want coloured lettering you'd need of course more colours. But wait! What if, instead of ink, we could just do it with watercolor that maybe we already own, creating so beautiful colorful letters? Also, instead of the pen, we could use our brushes?
The book, after the description of the tools and some very elementary colour theory note and brushstoke technique, illustrates the various styles with practical advices. There are also some mixed media lessons too. The last section consist of practice sheets.

[Cote Cabrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a copy of this graphic novel through NetGalley. All opinions are my own

I believe this is a great book for those wanting to expand their knowledge about hand-lettering, personally I requested this because I started bullet journaling and I'm obsessed with calligraphy. This could be a great handbook for those starting with watercolor and want to improve their technique, this book includes a lot of tips and recommendations. I especially loved the worksheets included at the end since they can be a guide for those who are just starting to learn this new skill. Great book!

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a complete newbie to watercolor, so I was excited to get my hands on this ARC.

I absolutely loved the intro which explained all the different types of watercolors, paint, and brushes. To be honest, I had no idea what the differences were and how they would affect your lettering! It was very helpful without getting too lost in the weeds.

This book was beautiful - the layout, the pictures, etc! I also loved the practice section where you can trace letters. It is for people like me who aren't so creatively inclined, but I can learn with the help of this book!

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book! There are many tips and tricks and the exercises are amazing, I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of watercolor paint, though I need to practice my letters a lot lol! The instructions were very clear and the resources are top notch. Besides actually learning a lot, I also liked how she kept everything simple and clear. Very good book for beginners but I think everyone, even more advanced painters, will learn something and be challenged to experiment more.

I have received an e-arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Megan W. (pnwbookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just started learning different types of hand lettering, including brush lettering but I have yet to get good at it. While this book is good for beginners I would say that it will be much easier if you have a background in lettering already. It is a gorgeous book though that is easy to follow and full of great ideas and ways to practice. Overall I really enjoyed reading through this book and trying out some of the techniques. As my lettering improves I will certainly be back to reference it!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea of calligraphy, but find it difficult. And watercolour? Sooo hard! Surely combining the two is going to be super-difficult? Not so much, no: this book gives clear, easy to follow, step by step instructions that can take you from complete novice to creating 'dreamy designs'.

Love the hints, the examples, and the use of colour. Feeling rather inspired!

Full review is up on my blog.

[marvellousmarmite · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book to look at, this is a very clearly illustrated and laid out introduction to the art of watercolour lettering.

The author shows you a variety of ways to use watercolours - with a brush, in a pen, in the form of watercolour pencils and more. She also illustrates a variety of ways to use them - layering colours, different types of letters, using painter's tape and so on.

I have used brush pens before and after a first look through this book, I am inspired to try a few new ideas with them!

[Leah Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Water coloring and lettering is all over the Internet. It seems like everyone and their grandmother can do it. Should be simple if everyone is doing it. It is not. However, this book helped me understand better techniques and the basic principles to water color lettering. It was really informative and easy to understand. I may never be a pro, but I think I could get better with this book as my guide.

I just wish there were more variation to see and try.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having already bought Kelly Klapstein's first book (The Art of Brushtroke Lettering), I was excited to see her second book and I was not disappointed. This is another fabulous book which breaks down the process of Watercolor Lettering for anyone and everyone to do themselves. It covers brushes, paints, storage, cleaning, surfaces, techniques, projects, methods and designs. Another fabulously creative and inspiring book.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great introductory book to watercolor and lettering. Many helpful tips, practice pages, and step-by-step processes throughout. Not a whole lot of watercolor "painting" info, as it does focus on the lettering of course, but the early pages definitely give you a good starting point.

Tried a few of the exercises along the way and am looking forward to utilizing the practice pages too!

5 stars

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this book! I am a big fan of watercoloring and one of my biggest challenge overall is lettering and as I've practiced these tutorials I feel it has really enhanced my precision and control even in other aspects of watercolor. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Just fantastic book of tutorials.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the art of watercolor lettering. This covers the basics of the different materials that you can use for lettering, from watercolor paint, pencils and pens, to paper and ink. It includes simple techniques to use color in different ways and offers tons of practice sheets.

Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.