Modern Brush Lettering: A beginner’s guide to the art of brush lettering, plus 20 seasonal projects to make

by Becki Clark

Modern Brush Lettering is a creative guide to learning how to brush letter. Becki talks through materials, mark marking, turning your marks into letterforms, joining your lettering and exercises to get your started on your brush lettering journey. There are tips and tricks for perfecting your own style of lettering and 20 seasonal contemporary craft projects to make with your new skill.

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts

120 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2020

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun guide to doing brush lettering projects. There are 20 projects in all, and they tend towards things like making custom place cards (one project has you using lemons as the canvas, another using paper tags that you slip onto pear stems), envelopes, ornaments, etc. You typically will use either a brush pen or a paintbrush and paint. Clark goes into basics of how to do the lettering but not great depth and not a lot of variety. It's a fun distraction and not expensive or tricky to follow. The projects are divided by season and should provide some fun inspiration. Lovely color photos accompany the directions.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a great book to start you off with modern brush lettering! The author has put lots of time and effort into this book for people to use as a guide to help them start off in brush lettering.
The book starts with practice pages of how to do brush strokes and form letters and words, then goes into 20 projects to try.
I really enjoyed this book and will be trying some of the projects out and then try to build from them.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book, excellent for beginners like myself. as I begin reading I also kept a notebook with me because I take important notes and later on started practicing. Everything was clearly instructed and their pictures that were quite helpful to see whether I was following correctly or not. Honestly this is the best book I have found on letter brushing because I have had a few others but none match to the lucid manner in which this book was written.

I followed the instruction and started out with small words not more than five letters and I can say that with each attempt, its getting a little bit easier and the words are starting to appear less and less wobbly.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Violet ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much for granting to my wish to read this book! I feel like this is a great tool for people who want to move from a novice to immediate level. It doesn't dwell too deeply on how to do it, which I think it a great thing! Its good for someone who's not exactly a beginner, but wants more practice and provides crafts to do so. I think the where you write on a glass frame is my favorite and complete genius! I think the crafts are great for anyone who is a fan of brush lettering.

The writing was simple and to the point to help make sure instructions and directions are clear to understand. I love that vibe that the writer wants to help keep her audience calm, especially if they aren't perfect at it quite yet. Which is so lovely and inspiring! I feel like I actually got to know a little bit about who the writer is from reading her words. I don't feek like that even explains it well enough, but it was like she was sitting next to me, explaining everything. As opposed to the frequent feeling of it just being direction with no voice or personality behind it. She does a great job of showing her voice and her talent.

As a beginner to this I wish there was a bit more breakdown for letters and how to write them, but as I said this is a great resource for improving and perfecting a skill. The crafts also seem like a lot of fun to do with kids (even though they're writing wouldn't be the same) it seems like a fun thing to do with a family and with some of the crafts relating to holidays, I think it would be great to have a family make the Nordic calender together while the wait for dinner or just while spending time together. I can see myself doing this with my daugthers now and when they're older.

I loved that at the end she had a frequently asked question portion to answer some of the questions for people who are a little insecure or not as confident. It gives the great air that practice and time will make all the difference and as I said the hope she provides that anyone can do this is wonderful!

I'm so very thankful for the opportunity to read this and I've already written down her list of supplies (also huge plus, because she put exact brands that she likes). There are so many things that I loved about this book and definitely want a copy on my shelf, so I can use it whenever I'm working on my brush lettering.

Overran I found this book very quite, helpful, and personal. As I said, it felt like she was just talking to me as opposed to me reading and that is what really made me love it.

Thank you again so much for this opportunity!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of tips and tricks for improving your own style of lettering for an intermediate artist but not instructional enough for the true beginner. I wish there was more instruction, particularly on connecting letters rather than just the advice to give them a tail. What about bubbly letters that don't sit on a flat line?

20 inventive seasonal craft projects to attempt, although most require much more than just the marker. The instructions were very clear and the book was well laid out and beautifully photographed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy

[Alfi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photos from this book. I enjoy seeing the brush lettering on anything. This book offers you varieties of how or where you can do a brush lettering. You can do it in a mirror, or in a cup of tea, or DIY calender. There is no limit to this. Once you master it, you can do it anywhere you like. This book is great to help you if you want to start lettering. It won't give you many details how to do it, but it does give you ideas and inspirations.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Modern Brush Lettering is a tutorial and style guide to a popular and useful style of calligraphy which lends itself to many uses and is especially popular for bullet journaling. Due out in late 2020 from Pen & Sword on their White Owl imprint, it's 120 pages and is available in paperback format.

This is an accessible and encouraging guide. The author has a very upbeat style and I found myself just grabbing some brush markers I had from my attempts at other papercrafts and lettering and jumping in. The introductory chapter covers tools and supplies (very easily acquired and inexpensive), followed by basic strokes and mark making, moving on to alphabets and building up to words and phrases.

Following a short chapter on mindfulness and the philosophy of process, the 20 project tutorials are arranged by season with 5 for each: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The projects range from total beginner to slightly more advanced, all are attractive. The projects themselves are a good starting point for further embellishment and I can definitely see myself using them as further inspiration. Each of the tutorials include an introduction, materials and alternatives in a bullet list sidebar along with tips from the author. The step by step instructions are clear and simple. The instructions are accompanied by lots of photos which illustrate each step. They're composed well and clearly formatted and it's easy to see hand and pen positions as well as drawing layouts. Pretty much every page has one or more photos.

The book also includes a very short FAQ and abbreviated resource list with specific paints, papers, and inks used by the author.

I've been spending a lot more time with my journal (mostly in an effort to organise my book blogging) and I've found a lot of really good tips here.

This would make a great gift (maybe with some paper and brush pens) or selection for the home library. There are a number of nice projects included.

Five stars. Very useful.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this book because I have been wanting to learn brush lettering for a while!

Becki Clark did a great job writing this book. It goes into a good amount of detail and step by step instruction on the process of brush lettering, techniques, drills, supply recommendations, etc. She also has a ton of really cute and easy seasonal craft ideas in the back with stunning photos and detailed instructions on how to achieve final product. The seasonal projects were very creative and definitely inspired me to want to get creative.

I’ve never reviewed an eARC of an instructional book like this before, but I felt that there were not enough photos in the beginning of the book of the actual brushstroke lessons and drills in the beginning of the book. I genuinely wanted to be able to follow along with the drills and guides with my own brush pens and was bummed that I was not able to. While chapter 2’s (mark making) descriptions of the drills and exercises were very detailed, some of them I could not understand completely due to not having an image to model off of. At first I was thinking that maybe this was because of it being an eARC, but there were tons of photos of the seasonal projects- almost more than necessary. Maybe more pictures and image guides for the drills will be there in the final edition, but based off of what I noticed in this eARC, that would be my biggest suggestion for the final edition. I also recommend that the piece at the end of the book in the stockists and resources section about specific recommended supplies be added to chapter one where Becki is already discussing brush lettering supplies within the tools section. It felt out of place when I read it at the end, and I think it would be more beneficial in the beginning to help set the reader up for success before diving into the full contents of the book.

Overall, I think this is a great book for beginner brush lettering. I definitely intend to buy this book when it is published and really look forward to seeing the final product and making these seasonal projects! 🤗

[Cozy Book Spot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always wanted to learn brush lettering and I've actually taken a 2 hours class with a local artist and I've learnt the beginning techniques. I was very excited to try this book because It's been a couple months since my first time trying to learn brush lettering and I wanted to it all over again.

This book is more like a seasonal craft and DIY that you can do using hand lettering than a beginner's guide. It looks like it's for beginners but it is not really. The only reason I can do the projects that the book is teaching is because I have taken an introductory class before. The book starts teaching the downwards and upwards strokes technique and I followed it using my materials. I already have all the materials because I bought them after my first class so I used it for the projects in this book. It tells you what kind of brush to get, what kind of paper, how to hold the brush, and it also talks about not being afraid of applying pressure. But after teaching you some up, down, curves and circles strokes techniques, the book doesn’t teach you how the letters are formed or how to connect the techniques you've learnt to make a letter. For example: to do the lower case "a" you make a circle + a downward/upward stroke and you will have an "a". It does tell you that that's what you will have to do but it doesn't tell or show you how to do it and then it shows a picture of the whole alphabet with upper and lowers cases so you can try to do it yourself. So if you have never tried brush lettering before you might get very confused trying to make the letters.

I do love the projects! There are 20 different projects in this book that you can do using brush lettering and they all look AWESOME! There are projects for every season and celebration of the year and I'll definitely try some of those! I would buy it for the projects but I wouldn't give it to someone that has no idea how to start with brush lettering.

I got an advanced reader's copy of this book complimentary from NetGallery in exchange of my honest review.

[Flora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put your lettering skills to great use with this book. Twenty projects are divided into the four seasons, and includes lettering on:

Place mats, ceramic bunnies, watercolour cards, cake toppers, frames, place cards, flower seed favours, pots, pumpkins, chalkboard labels, enamel cups, mirrors, envelopes, baubles, gift tags, dishes, calendars!

So you see...literally anything around the house! Or you can make some of the surfaces as well...such as the polymer clay jewellery dish (instructions are given.)

Some of these objects will make great gifts and take so little time to complete!

The artist uses brush pens (with bristles) with most of the projects but I don't see why you could not use other types of brush pens as well.

I wish more space was given to actually teaching how to handletter with brush pens though. I counted only 12 pages of actual instructions for this purpose. Because of this, I think this book is more suitable for someone who has already some handlettering skills under their belt.

Handlettering with pen brushes with bristles (as opposed to felt tip ones) takes a bit more time to master. Some grid lines and worksheets would have been nice for those who are not so masterful yet. But the author provides a couple of complete exemplars that you can trace over for practice.

The author's style is one that is free and easy and expressive with bold bouncing strokes. If you are expecting dainty and uniform lettering then this book might not be for you.

Nevertheless, I think the projects are a great inspiration. The detailed pictorial step by step instructions are nice. They also include some simple painting of flowers, patterns and motifs that are pretty and adds to any handlettered item.

Thank you Netgalley and Pen and Sword for this ARC. This is my honest review.

[Samantha Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for you if you're looking for a basic introduction to brush lettering or you're looking for fun projects to apply those newly acquired brush letting skills.

What I love: Becki introduces the basic brush strokes to practice thin and thick strokes, compound strokes, and some basic flourishes. Explanations are provided in a straightforward manner as if you are having a chat with the author. Helpful hints and tips are found throughout. (As a calligrapher, I even learned a tip that would have helped me in regards to holding the pen and applying pressure when I was first starting out.) Projects corresponding to each season follows the tips and tricks for basic lettering in the second half of the book. For each project, each step has a corresponding picture showing exactly how to execute each step. I recently started decorating paper to wrap packages I mail via USPS. I realize now I should purchase a certain type of paper to complete this project.

This book is NOT the resource you're looking for if you want to learn modern brush lettering. There are only three pages for basic strokes and two pages dedicated to variation in the modern alphabet. These would serve as a reference page, rather than a trace and replicate.

Thank you to Becki Clark, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for this complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

****Please note that this book needs to be edited and reviews prior to publication! I’ve contacted the publisher.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a beginner’s guide to the art of brush lettering. The author makes a fair attempt to share her enthusiasm with the art. The book begins with explaining the necessary tools such as brush pens and paper. It’s great that she also provides suggestions based on her experience to the items that work best for her.

The part where the book lost me occurred after that with the description of the practicing the “mark making” and strokes to get desired effect of thin and thick marks. As much as I tried to follow along, I became frustrated.

****Suddenly, I realized that there weren’t enough pictures for some of the demonstrations described. One paragraph refers to a picture of a wreathe that isn’t depicted. Then, as I went on I realized that the book was not organized very well. The steps provided to accomplish each task are numbered out of order.

This definitely needs to be edited and reviewed. It’s not a book ready for publication in my opinion. Of course, I have the digital version but I’m guessing the print version would be the same. It’s difficult to give a review on a book which isn’t really complete or edited.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun going through this book. As a complete beginner to this hobby, I found this book to be a really good intro. I appreciated the author's recommendation of pens and other tools (I bought their basic, everyday brush pen recommendation and really liked it), as well as open yet informative written tone. The book walks readers through basic exercises, alphabets, and provides some craft project ideas using the skills you pick up.

Overall, I thought this was a really good primer for beginners. I felt that I had more luck mastering the strokes and letters by watching video tutorials on YouTube, but for people who prefer books, this is a good start to the lettering hobby. I understand that each letterer will develop their own style as they go along, but I would have appreciated the alphabets having small arrows indicating the order and direction of the strokes (almost like a kids' handwriting guide, haha). In totality, this is a fun book and a good start to hand lettering, however a lot of practice and other resources may be required to truly feel like you are making progress.

Note: I received an advanced copy of Modern Brush Lettering from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beginners guide to Brush Lettering and includes 20 seasonal projects to follow. But what is Brush Lettering I hear you cry?

The author describes it as a drawing style of hand lettering that is formed using a brush applying a mix of stroke thicknesses; it's different to calligraphy as less rules surround it. I've used calligraphy pens before and they feel scratchy against the paper, using the brush pen looks much smoother, a dainty type of pen/brush that allows you to create fancy handwriting for gifts, chalk boards, wedding cards and much more.

The projects are quite sweet, not all of them use a brush pen, some use a paint brush instead, but the style of writing produced is the same. Each project comes with a number of steps to follow accompanied by colour photography and tips on how to make the writing permanent if she has written on a mirror or a clay dish.

The book also provides a list of suggested supplies and where to buy them in the UK.

Overall this is a lovely book to get you started on your journey to brush lettering. I can see myself applying these techniques to our present tags at Christmas or personalising a birthday gift.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this book through NetGalley.

As part of my professional duties at the public library, I teach adult crafting programs. This title caught my interest because I am planning a calligraphy class this summer for our adult patrons. I would like to use this book as a resource for developing lessons and would make the copy available for patrons to check out to further hone their skills. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to materials needed to begin a brush lettering hobby. It also provides basic exercises for students learning independently or in a group. The instructions may not be as thorough as an absolute beginner with little artistic experience may require; but as a teacher, it will help me to offer a more casual modern form of lettering in addition to more traditional calligraphy.

The selection of craft ideas is excellent. The photography is beautiful and the instructions are clear. I will definitely use at least a couple of these for my classes. A creative person can use these ideas as inspiration for many more projects.

I plan to recommend this book for purchase to my library.

[Deborah van den Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive, gorgeous photographed book on the basics to start hand lettering.

In all honesty, I never saw Becki Clarks Instagram account, and went in with an open mind. I was looking forward to upgrade my own brush lettering as I do have a bullet journal that I use. I really liked how easy it was to follow; the explanation was accompanied by great photographs and examples. I enjoyed a lot of the DIYs mentioned in this book as well, even though I doubt I would be trying them.

However, I expected more after reading the blurb. The book actually mentions only one kind of font, including an example of using it in italics. I would've loved to see some more, especially since other fonts were shown in the DIYs. And even though they aren't necessarily brush lettering, I believe the florals should've gotten a bigger role than just to support the lettering itself - after all, it's a major part of Becki's brand.

I liked this book, but to me it had some flaws. I still enjoyed it, and I'm eager to try the lettering out in my journal.

- Thanks to Pen & Sword for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review -

[Theodene · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a few years now, brush lettering has been growing and popping up nearly everywhere. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, I never felt like I knew where to start. A couple weeks ago, I found Modern Brush Lettering by Becky Clark in the NetGalley list of books to review and immediately requested it!

The steps and craft tips are great for beginner in brush lettering. Included is also suggestions for which types of pens she prefers. Sections are divided up by seasons and major days. Simple items to decorate and great tips for how to complete each step are mentioned in this great book.

From steps to practice brush lettering to creating ornaments, place settings, mirrors to hang, wrapping paper, it’s all between the covers of Modern Brush Lettering. Becky Clark also provides ways readers can find her online. Her Instagram is full of great colorful ideas!

Modern Brush Lettering was provided complimentary in exchange for an honest review. I give this book five out of five tiaras because it offers simple tips that even I can follow! Go get this book and start reading while I look for some brush pens!

[Doreen Prentiss Gabriellini · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is more like a seasonal craft and DIY that you can do using hand lettering than a beginner's guide. It looks and the title sounds like it's for beginners but it is not really. The book starts teaching the downwards and upwards strokes technique and I followed it using my materials. This book gives the reader a very basic introduction to modern brush lettering. The book starts with some suggestions for marks to practice to help prepare you for the projects. But after teaching you some up, down, curves and circles strokes techniques. The book doesn’t adequately show you how to do it. If you have never tried brush lettering before you might get very confused by this book. The book truthfully is devoted to the crafts. There are some ‘different’ crafts that incorporate brush lettering. This book is not instructional enough for the beginner. There needs to be more photos with more instruction.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a perfect instruction manual for anyone interested in learning brush lettering. The author provides some brief info on what you need to get started, then gets you lettering ASAP. The exercises were short and concise, coming together quickly into full alphabets and beautifully constructed words. As someone whose handwriting can be generously described as “like a serial killer,” this had me (complete with a lifetime of poor penmanship!) writing a delightful alphabet with about 30 minutes of practice.

The projects that follow are a treat. Separated by season, each project is a fun exploration of how a little bit of fancy lettering can really elevate the finished product. I already have an eye toward making many of these projects for upcoming birthdays and holidays. This book should be a staple for anyone getting into lettering, your crafts, journals and holiday cards will thank you.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a few friends who do brush lettering, so have been intrigued for a while, but wasn't sure where to start. This book was EXACTLY what I was looking for! So easy to follow and lays out the whole process in a clear, comprehensible way, with instructions and great images too. From what pens and paper to use to how to do the brush strokes, everything you need to know is here.

I feel inspired by the fab craft activities included too, they're all really sophisticated ideas and none feel unattainable (once my brush lettering skills are up to scratch!). I'm already planning to do a few as presents - I love it when gifts have a truly personal touch and brush lettering my own cards and designs will let me do that.

I've just ordered my first brush pen and can't wait to get started! This is the perfect new skill to learn in lockdown.

[Rebeka · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you so much for Netgalley and Pen & Sword for providing me this arc in exchange of my honest review*

I was super excited to dive into Modern Brush Lettering, since I am obsessed with brush lettering and crafts.
The 20 seasonal projects of the book are amazing, creative and easily doable: aesthetic home decor projects! I was hooked! I instantéy completed the brush lettering basics and it was fun to learn how to use the brushes and different tips properly!

If you are a crafty person or just enjoys DIY that goes well with each season: You have to have this book on your shelf! I am sure I will decorate my house for fall and use the tips for my Christmas dinner this year! :)

The illustrations are gorgeous, easy to understand the steps and it is an extra that the author offers you help through her media contacts.

[Effy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives the reader a very basic introduction to modern brush lettering. The book starts strong with suggestions for marks to practise to help prepare yourself to brush lettering however most of the book is devoted to the 20 seasonal crafts as mentioned on the cover. If you are interesting in learning how to do modern brush lettering, this book possibly isn't for you however if you are looking for quirky craft ideas that incorporate brush lettering, then this is exactly the right book for you. I was looking for the former, rather than the latter unfortunately but it is nonetheless a well-written book with a very conversational tone that features brilliant step-by-step instructions on how to do all of the crafts.

[Tracie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written guide to hand lettering. I followed along and did all the practice work.
I have watched You Tube videos from author Becki Clark prior to reading the guide so it may have put me to an advantage, but I feel strongly that this book made me much better at hand lettering . I'm not convinced someone without prior experience would be able to just pick it up and start lettering, but it takes practice no matter what level you are.
I loved how she did not make you feel like you had to purchase a ton of supplies to be successful. At no time did I feel like she was trying to make her readers buy a certain brand to be good.
I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about brush lettering and receive a lesson plan with all the practice guidance you would need.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wanting to learn modern brush lettering for a while and this book has been a great way to get started with practising.

This book is very well laid out with sections on
tools
alphabets and
practice tips.

I also liked that there are 20 different projects for you to work on such as
cake toppers
brush lettered pumpkins
chalkboard labels and
an advent calendar

I have so much time on my hands lately that I love doing a little bit everyday and i'm very hopeful that I can make something from the book very soon.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good basic beginners guide to brush lettering if you have at least some experience. It has helpful tips and suggestions to get you started and goes over basic tools needed to do lettering.

I don't know if I'd recommend it for true beginners because it does not have very in-depth tutorials but this book points you in the right direction and helps give you a feel for how the lettering should be done. It also gives great inspiration and ideas for embellishing your lettering so overall I think this is a very handy reference guide.

#ModernBrushLettering
#NetGalley

[The Suburban Eclectic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Modern brush lettering is touted as a beginner guide, but I did not find it especially detailed. The author does provide two style sets, but I didn't find too much difference between the two. I liked both styles but didn't feel that I learned anything new in how to brush letter. The book does offer several projects that incorporate brush lettering but without a good foundation in lettering, these may be more frustrating. If you're looking for craft project inspiration you may find this book more helpful, but learning to brush letter not so much.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've bought several brush lettering books and found them lacking. Not this one! Simple instructions and tips on how to get started learning the technique and then dozens of seasonal ideas where you can put your new found skills to work in gorgeous gifts and home decor.

Thank you to Pen & Sword Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book to get started with I love the rabbit craft the best and it has great tips to start and perfect technique and ideas to get you started with a handy guide to pens and equipment to enable you to make items for gifts and of course yourself to display!



A fun look into a different to the normal crafts that is simple enough anyone can give it a go and try!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

[Adeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I found this to be an excellent beginners guide to brush lettering, especially since I’m a total newbie to the subject. The subject matter was very easy to follow with beautiful photos. Also had several projects to try at the end of the book, most of which I’d like to try 😊

[Iris Peterson]

I was interested in this book because I. have adored lettering projects from afar. I have even taken classes to learn various lettering techniques, but always walked away feeling frustrated. Clark shares techniques and tools for beginners (like me) and it is written in a style that is easy to follow. I am so appreciative of this resource and look forward to creating artwork for my home and office.