Tag Archives: Lettering

Jun3

Creative Juice #297

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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This week’s articles are a gold mine for writers, but there are pickings for other creative people too.

Beautiful artwork.
Hand-lettering tips.
Have you ever forgotten a word and had to make up an alternative term for it?
Do you have recurring dreams? Mine include several houses, including my childhood home, except the door won’t secure. . .
Ways to fix passive voice.
How to draw a frog.
Public speaking tips for writers (but they’ll work for anybody).
Points to consider when writing mystery and suspense.
Novelists, be careful when you injure your characters.
Write an Op-Ed article.
Fiction writers: give your character some internal conflict.
Recommended books on writing. I’ve read 12 of these 34, and I have some of the others. (Yes, I know—I’ve got more reading to do.)

Dec10

Creative Juice #272

Posted on December 10, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Lots o’ neat stuff.

Want to make some holiday ornaments to decorate your home or to give as gifts? Here are some free patterns.
For the writers: a great article on how to start writing your story. (I have no problem starting. I like the starting part. My problem is finishing. Somebody please write that article.)
I didn’t get around to writing an RIP for the late Stephen Sondheim. But not to worry, because my friend Donna did. Bookmark this and listen to all the wonderful music when you can—it’s awesome.
Steampunk spider sculptures.
Intricate cut paper art.
Celebrating while grieving.
Faux calligraphy alphabet.
Do you like miniatures?
Celebrity memoirs. I’ve read two of these, and see a couple more I’d like to read.
An artist looks at Rodin’s sculptures.
Awesome crochet projects.
Illustrator Joy Laforme talks about her career path and her handmade Christmas ornaments.

Aug27

Creative Juice #257

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Lots of artsy stuff this week.

Cute animal pictures.
The rainbow hummingbird.
Artists warm up.
When this author was a teenager, she submitted a horror story as an assignment.
If you like quilts, photography, and travel, you’ll love Francesquilts’ Instagram page.
Hand-lettering in watercolor.
One artist’s journey.
I love this sketch artist’s work.
I am really impressed by these seven book recommendations from someone who’s already read 36 books this summer.
The new astronomy museum in Shanghai looks like a flying saucer.
A photographer comments about an ancient grave marker.
A couple turns a dead tree into a gnome home.

Feb5

Creative Juice #228

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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This is an art-heavy edition.

Here at ARHtistic License, we write about the creative process only.
Why it’s so important for creatives to plan for uninterrupted time.
Practicing free motion quilting.
I love this Italian illustrator’s work, and her charming answers in English. She speaks English better than I speak Italian. The article is a year-and-a-half old, so the book giveaway mentioned is long over.
I disagree with some of the entries in this list of most famous houses. SPOILER ALERT: Frank Lloyd Wright seems over-represented.
Tattoos in Japanese art.
Outstanding African-American artists.
I love this blog about hiking in Phoenix. Here’s how to handle the four greatest desert hiking fears.
I find these kinetic sculptures mesmerizing and soothing.
A watercolorist tells about her journey.
I love this artist’s work—especially her lettering.
Some sketches—and thoughts on mask-wearing.

Jul9

Review of Written by Hand by Erica Tighe

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Review of Written by Hand by Erica Tighe

Last month, as I participated in Index-Card-a-Day by writing out scripture verses, I wished my lettering was fancier.

I chanced to come across several books on lettering and selected this one, subtitled Techniques & Tips to Make Your Everyday Handwriting More Beautiful.

This is a beginner’s book, which made it perfect for me. Tighe presents step-by-step instructions for four different styles of alphabets (upper and lower case) and numerals: sans serif, bold serif, script, and faux calligraphy; space is provided for practice between the samples.

My lettering took a big leap forward.

In addition, Tighe gives hints and strategies for planning out a handwritten passage, including graphics and mixing styles, and 50 prompts (though 26 and 27 are the same).

Although many books have been written about calligraphy and decorative lettering, what sets this book apart is its ease of execution. If you want to improve your lettering skills quickly, this is a good book for you.

Jun29

ICAD 2019 Week 4

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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I am taking the Index-Card-a-Day Challenge, making tiny art. For the month of June, I’m concentrating on scripture lettering.

I still haven’t gotten the hang of a brush pen. My upstrokes and downstrokes are indistinguishable, even though I’m trying to go up gently and down firmly. Here’s my effort for Day 22:

On Sunday I took a trip to JoAnn’s to buy a specific shade of green thread, and I happened to pass a rack of books on sale for 30% off, and several of them were about lettering and calligraphy. I flipped through them and selected Written By Hand by Erica Tighe, because it’s written for beginners, and she includes step by step instructions for four alphabets. Although she mentions the brush pen method referenced above, she dwells more on lettering that can be achieved with an ordinary pen. My lettering immediately improved. (I also bought the adorable mini-easel.)

Day 23. I really like how God’s will turned out:

Day 24:

Day 25. This is my favorite this week, because of the flowers:

Day 26. Unfortunately, I ruined it when I added the teardrops:

Day 27:

Day 28. I was going to embellish the letters, but it looks fine just the way it is:

It’s not too late to join in. ICAD runs through July 31. You don’t have to do what I’m doing–do whatever would be fun for you.

Jun22

ICAD 2019 Week 3

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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I am participating in the Index-Card-a-Day Challenge, making a tiny artwork on a 3 x 5 card every day.

I’m devoting June to Scripture verses that I’m working on memorizing.

One of the things I like about this challenge is there is no shame in missing a day. Which is good. Because I did.

Day 15. Because this is such a short verse, I decided to try to make it circular. I’m pleased with how it turned out:

Day 16:

Day 17. This is my favorite this week, probably because it’s colorful.

It’s been months since I’ve done any Zentangle, so I decided to try creating some negative space with patterns Herzlbee, Zinger, Luv-A, AuraLeah, Cat-Kin, Quib, Poke Leaf, Verdigogh, and Fescu. Day 18:

Day 19:

Day 21:

It’s not too late to join the fun! ICAD continues through June. Get more information here.

Jun15

ICAD 2019 Weeks 1 & 2

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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This is my fourth year participating in the Index-Card-a-Day (ICAD) Challenge. Theoretically, every day in June and July I will create a piece of art on an index card. (I’ve already missed a few days–I’ll tell you a little more about that in a second.) I plan to post my cards every Saturday.

Yeah, I know, I missed posting last Saturday.

That’s because on Wednesday, June 5 I went to the hospital for what I hoped would be outpatient surgery. Unfortunately, there were complications, and I didn’t go home until Sunday.*

I love this challenge because the demands are small. As in 3 x 5. It also motivates me to try new things.

I’ve always wanted to learn calligraphy, but it seems so daunting. You have to learn how to hold the pen or brush so that it consistently makes the thick-and-thin strokes that are characteristic of calligraphy. There are alphabets and flourishes to learn and practice. Carumba!

But I can start small. I don’t have to learn a whole alphabet. I can just write stuff and embellish it a little. So I decided to combine the ICAD challenge with another project I’m working on–memorizing scripture.

Day 1:

My son Andy gave me a set of alcohol markers. The lighter colors are very suitable for backgrounds on the index cards. I can mark on top of it with pencil and erase it and it doesn’t get messed up.

Day 2:

Day 3. I experimented with a Pigma Brush pen instead of my usual micron pens. The brush pen is tricky to control. It will take practice to make it look nice. I added some flowers to dress it up:

Day 4. This is my favorite so far, I think because of the colors:

Day 10:

Day 11:

Day 12:

Day 13:

Day 14:

*(Everything’s good. I had a mass removed from my abdomen. It had infiltrated the blood vessels to my small intestine, and the doctor had to cut out a section. The tumor was not malignant.)

Jun27

#dyicad2017 Days 20-26

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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In June and July, I am participating in Daisy Yellow’s Index-Card-a-Day challenge, in which we create a little something on an index card every day–61 mini-masterpieces. I will be posting my projects every Tuesday.

Day 20’s prompt was yin/yang. I interpreted it as a composite drawing of my husband, Greg, and me. We’re different, but we complement each other well. We’ve been married thirty-four years.

This is us in real life (Christmas, 2016, modeling hand-crocheted and knitted gifts from our daughter Erin). I think I captured us in the drawing above.

Day 21’s prompt was simplicity. I chose to do double duty with the #LetterfortheLord movement.

For Day 22 I decided to try my hand at a mandala, because I received a compass kit that I’d ordered. This is officially my favorite card of the week:

Day 23’s prompt was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and didn’t get around to doing a card that day, though I knew I wanted to draw the white rabbit. So I drew him on Day 24 instead:

Day 25’s prompt was portrait. I used a picture on Pinterest as a reference photo:

Day 26’s prompt was green. It seemed like a good excuse to do more zentangle:

I’m enjoying this challenge. You can participate, too, and you don’t even have to make up any days you’ve missed. Check the FAQs for more details, and search Instagram for #dyicad2017 to see what other participants have done–they’re amazing, so creative.