Lettering From A to Z: 12 Styles & Awesome Projects for a Creative Life (Calligraphy, Printmaking, Hand Lettering)

by Phawnda Moore

Overview

Spark Your Creativity with Calligraphy

“I found Lettering from A to Z to be an open door, inviting me to play and create in entirely new ways.” —Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say it Now and founder of Simply Celebrate

Winner Indie Book Award for Gift/Specialty/Novelty Book in 2021
Winner 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (2021) for Crafts & Hobbies
#1 New Release in Handwriting Reference, Mixed Media, and Printmaking

Lettering artist Phawnda Moore has been teaching calligraphy and design for 25 years. An award-winning author, she steps into beginning students’ shoes to select content, address anticipated questions, and offer solutions to the unexpected yet inevitable problems that are encountered in hand lettering.

Your creative life will be enriched with step-by-step tutorials “from A to Z.” Written in conversational narrative, this full-color book includes more than 200 images of Phawnda’s professional work, published articles, and guidance from her class demos to make beautiful projects. Blending traditional design principles and modern tools, it inspires you to find your own style.

Phawnda's instruction includes:

• 12 styles (Uncial calligraphy, Italic calligraphy, script calligraphy, brush lettering, faux calligraphy, rainbow lettering, monoline letters, handwriting and drawn letters)
• Customized, printable practice sheets
• Recommended writing tools, papers, sources, printing tips
• Layout, color, and design basics
• Lettering projects for youngsters
• Tips on how to organize your studio space
• Tips on sharing your skills in teaching, business, events, home, garden, and community
• Illustrating with calligraphy tools
• Projects to make handmade birthday cards, holiday cards, journals of your life, and easy-to-design art books

If you enjoyed Hand Lettering 101, The Lost Art of Handwriting, or Hand Lettering for Relaxation, then it’s time to grab a copy of Lettering from A to Z and reconnect to your natural creativity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781642503838
Publisher:	TMA Press
Publication date:	10/27/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	86 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Phawnda Moore has been creating with words and images since the mid-1980s. Her first lettering book was selected as a winner in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

She was a contributing writer on Empty Easel for 3 years and has written, edited, and designed more than 100 published books, blogs, and articles including for Bound & Lettered, Letter Arts Review, Paper & Ink Arts, Mendocino Arts and TombowUSA. She’s a member of the online calligraphy group Scribbled Lives and several U.S. calligraphy guilds.

Phawnda received national awards for her creative work at county and state offices of education, including a Clarion Award from The Association for Women in Communications and two from the National School Public Relations Association. Her original alphabet, Letters by Phawnda, was licensed by Chameleon Art Products in the U.K.

Formally trained as a graphic designer, Phawnda’s organic lettering art has been printed on apparel, home decor, wedding invitation suites and canvas banners for fundraisers. She has taught calligraphy in-person for 25 years, where students from 9 to 90 inspire each other as they mix and mingle letters, colors and shapes.

Phawnda lives in beautiful Northern California with her husband, Ron.

Read an Excerpt

Greetings

It is said that life is more meaningful, and we live longer, if we find something we’re keenly interested in and connect to it. I hope that’s true for all of us.

As a calligrapher, writer, editor and instructor, my life paths lead to connections with kindred spirits. I’m grateful for many experiences of working together as we created art in words and images. Writing Lettering from A to Z: 12 Styles & Awesome Projects for a Creative Life has allowed me to revisit those memories and include some of them for you.

My instructors taught me patience because good lettering takes time. The most important thing is to slow down, get comfortable, and just begin. In quiet solitude, focus, wonder, experiment, seek your own path, and enjoy the process! There’s a kind of magic in this: we grow, learn new things, and discover who we are.

I have observed these benefits for many years as I’ve had the pleasure to teach mostly retired professionals. Their questions and ideas are reflected in my workshops and in this book. Once a commercial graphic designer for printed projects, I now have the privilege to share some of that experience and work on a personal level with the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Perhaps you have a stack of blank cards or have saved a loved one’s handwriting―and now you want to send keepsakes of your own. This book is written for you, beginning to intermediate creatives, who seek traditional influence and practical instruction to make everyday things beautiful and memorable. Hand lettering can heal, celebrate, send love, recognize, mourn, and let be. In the big picture, these are all opportunities that matter in the gift of life.

I hope Lettering from A to Z: 12 Styles & Awesome Projects for a Creative Life enlightens, educates, and encourages you. Think of it as a journey; start and stop with me along the way . . . Let’s begin!

Table of Contents

Part I: Greetings

Part II: Getting Started in a Creative Life

1. In the Beginning . . .

2. Inspiration and Motivation

3. Dive into Learning

4. Lettering 101

5. Two Guiding Words

6. Mindful Practice

Part III: Models for 12 Styles, Layout Design, Color

7. Handwriting

8. Faux Calligraphy

9. Mail Art Design

10 Rainbow Lettering

11. Monoline Casual

12. Uncial Calligraphy

13. Italic Calligraphy

14. Pointed Pen Script

15. Brush Lettering

16. Lively Versals

17. Nature Walk Lettering

18. Drawn Lettering

19. Letters by Phawnda

20. Letter Spacing and Page Design (layout)

21. Design Elements and Principles (layout)

22. Understanding Color (color)

Part IV: Tutorials for Projects and Interesting Stuff A-Z

22. Alphabet History

23. Barcode Art Books

24. Comfy Writing Tools

25. Dotted Drawing

26. Erasers

27. Flourishing

28. Gifts

29. Holiday Cards

30. Illustrating with Calligraphy Tools

31. Journal Pages

32. Kitchen Projects

33. Layout Basics

34. Monograms

35. Name Techniques

36. Organizing Your Studio

37. Proportional Scale

38. Quotes

39. Rubber Stamps

40. Space (negative)

41. Tea for Background Papers

42. Unusual Surfaces

43. Volunteering

44. Washi Tape

45. Xercise

46. Yard Art

47. Z Quilt

Part V: Thank You

Part VI: Resources, Books and Lettering in Community

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Lettering from A to Z is a true treasure for lettering lovers, whether new to the art or experienced. I learned calligraphy almost forty years ago, though have practiced it only intermittently in recent years. This book is the perfect resource not only for refreshing my skills, but also escorting them into some uncharted creative territory. Going beyond the basics of the twelve different lettering styles, Phawnda includes guidance on which pens, nibs, tools, etc. are best for each style, and when she moves on to specific projects, she recommends papers, inks, pencils, erasers, stamps, stencils, tapes, furniture [yes, that’s important, too] and more. She also shares her years of experience, trial and error, and handy tips for getting the most out of your calligraphy practice. Among the most appreciated and unexpected: mailing tips, recordkeeping guidance, and using the computer to do preliminary layouts. The book contains multiple practice pages, including sample gridlines—which leads to one of my few criticisms: I wish the book were spiral-bound so I could more easily copy the samples for personal practice. That said, I highly recommend this book: its thoughtful commentary and practical advice inspire me to take up my pens, again.”
—Annie O’Connell, award-winning fine artist, board member of Folsom Arts Association (Folsom, CA) and Gold Country Artists Gallery (Placerville, CA)…and, coming soon, calligrapher

“A lot of information is packed into Lettering from A to Z: 12 Styles & Awesome Projects for a Creative Life! It’s perfect for those who want to dip their toes into the world of calligraphy, and then immerse themselves further, at their chosen pace. Phawnda Moore covers the basics and then shows a variety of lettering styles, beginning with neat hand-printing and cursive, moving on with pencil-written ‘Faux calligraphy,’ and then sure-to-please, pen-written script. She continues with a selection of pretty monoline letters, then casual versions of italic, brush-lettering, and various styles of drawn versals. This is not your parents’ traditional calligraphy—it’s geared toward those who want to play while learning! Even fundamental design topics are touched upon, including color. Various tools, such as the pointed pen, and materials, such as washi tape, get attention. Mail art is introduced, rubber stamping ideas are shared, and much more. Many delightful projects are included throughout the book, so that you are introduced to many enjoyable ways to practice and make use of your developing skills. Make these items for yourself, or as gifts! If you’ve wanted to try your hand at calligraphy, this book is for you!”
—Kristi Darwick, past president, Society for Calligraphy, Los Angeles, California

“Like many aficionados of Phawnda and her works, I’ve been eagerly waiting the arrival of this new book, after revelling in the pleasures of her earlier work. It contains much that the first book has and lots more besides: more styles, more letters, more colours, and many more fun projects for you to enjoy. Everything for the beginner and the more experienced calligrapher is here; Phawnda’s distinctive take on uncials, on italic, on versals, pointed pen lettering, and of course her wonderful style of colourful brush and drawn letters. This is such a comprehensive book and is very much the ideal companion piece for creative times. Phawnda’s work always comes straight from the heart and I feel privileged and very fortunate to be able to read and enjoy this wonderful and uplifting book and to say a few words about it. I’m sure you will enjoy it.”
—Christopher Connolly, thirty-year member of Northwest Calligraphers Association (NWCA), England

“Phawnda’s book inspires me to bring childlike whimsy and freedom into my life. As self-proclaimed incompetent at anything pertaining to visual arts, I found Lettering from A to Z to be an open door, inviting me to play and create in entirely new ways. This gentle invitation revealed itself to me on the lined practice sheets in the book, which encourage us to try a hand at particular lettering styles. These pages brought me straight back to the joy of being a kid and learning my letters. Suddenly, with this colorful and practical book, I am a kid again and Phawnda is the kindest and most patient of teachers, taking my hand on this creative journey and encouraging me along the way. I want to learn! And Phawnda is at the ready with resource lists, stories, simple techniques, and lots of uplifting examples. What a gift to be welcomed into Phawnda's magical world, filled with color and beauty!”
—Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say it Now: 33 Creative Way to Say I LOVE YOU to the Most Important People in Your Life and founder of Simply Celebrate.

“An excellent and informative how-to book. Lettering From A to Z includes various fundamentals and then guides the reader through a variety of lettering styles. It then branches out into fun and interesting skill-based tutorials. As a graphic artist myself, I found the projects to be fun as well as practical.”
—Pam Trump, board president of the Creative Arts League, board member of the Kingsley Arts Club, and past board president of IPMA, Sacramento Region

“Lettering from A to Z: 12 Styles & Awesome Projects for a Creative Life by Phawnda Moore is a little spark of joy. Whether you are exploring lettering for the first time or ready to move into learning a more formal calligraphy hand, you can find something to enjoy in this delightful book. Phawnda offers suggestions and instruction in a friendly, yet well-informed tone, and she provides a wide array of exemplars showcasing a plethora of lettering styles. In addition, she provides ideas and inspirations for layout, color, design, and projects. She also offers insight into the best products to employ for the techniques and styles presented. If you are looking for motivation to kickstart your creativity, look no further. You’ll find approachable, encouraging advice and lovely examples to help you begin your lettering journey.”
— Jennifer Allen, Paper & Ink Arts, Nashville, Tennessee

“When I saw that there were 48 chapters, I quickly realized that this is a source I could happily share when friends ask about a beginner's book or a refresher for someone who may have dabbled a bit into the calligraphic world and wants to reconnect. It touches on so much terminology and technique in easy-to-understand instructions that do not intimidate, but may be just enough to capture the interest and conjure up the possibilities in anyone reading it. It makes calligraphy possible! The book is lovely, too, making its points by being beautifully drawn and lettered in a style we know to be Phawnda's hallmark. It's a light-hearted approach that may quickly hold the interest and further teach someone who admires beautiful writing and aspires to make it their own!”
—Pamela Klinedinst, calligrapher and former president of the Washington (DC) Calligraphers Guild