The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering

“We’ve all had handwriting envy before, but Valerie McKeehan teaches us how to up our decorative doodle skills in her chalk lettering book. Follow the steps and your letters will be swooping, swashing, and stroking in no time!” –Justine  

“In over 60 lessons, learn the ABCs of lettering (literally)…” –Sweet Paul

Auteur
Valerie McKeehan opened her chalkboard boutique, Lily & Val, on Etsy in 2012. She lovingly creates each piece entirely by hand, from sketch to slate, out of her home studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her website is lilyandval.com.

Texte du rabat
Say It with Chalk
 
In more than 60 lessons learn the art of hand-drawn chalk lettering from an Etsy superstar. Then show off your newfound skills and create your own unique look.

• Master your ABCs, from basic letterforms—serif, sans serif, and script—to fun lettering styles like Bubble, Spooky, and Vintage Circus.
• Discover how to play with chalk dust to add shadows and dimensions; how to illustrate borders, banners, frames; and how to embellish with flourishes, laurels, hearts, and arrows.
• From basic tools and tips (how to sharpen a stick of chalk, how to prep a blackboard) to a dozen inspiring projects, it’s a complete guide to the playful art of chalk lettering.

Résumé
Say it with chalk! Learn the art of hand-drawn chalk lettering from an Etsy superstar in a book complete with chalkboards!

Ubiquitous at boutiques and cafés, on Etsy and Pinterest, in stationery and home decor, the art of chalk lettering is hotter than ever. Valerie McKeehan, an Etsy standout, teaches us everything we need to know to create gorgeous hand-drawn chalk designs.

In over 60 lessons, learn the ABCs of lettering (literally) and basic styles: serif, sans serif, and script. Next, how to lay out a design, combine various styles into one cohesive piece, and add shadows and dimension. Master more advanced letter styles, from faceted to ribbon to “vintage circus.” Use banners, borders, flourishes. And finally, 12 projects to show off your newfound skills, including a Winter Wonderland Snow Globe; a smartphone-themed birthday card to text friends and family; a one-of-a-kind party invitation to create, photograph, and mail; and a bake sale sign guaranteed to put everyone who sees it in the mood for a cupcake!

The book is also a practice space, with three foldout “chalkboards”—the inside cover and foldout back cover are lined with blackboard paper.
 

Échantillon de lecture

Chapter 1

The ABCs of Chalk Lettering

Creating your own chalk lettering starts with a basic knowledge of letterforms. This will be the first and the most important layer in your creations. However, before we can jump right in, you’ll need to learn a few things first.

What You Need

Part of the charm of chalk art is that it doesn’t require much in terms of tools. You will find a practice chalkboard panel on the front inside flap of this book with ready-to-go guidelines for practicing anytime, as well as two others in the back. The other necessary items are lightweight, easily transportable, and inexpensive. What’s not to love?

Good Old-Fashioned Chalk

A standard piece of white chalk will work just fine. I wouldn’t recommend using sidewalk chalk as the thickness will be difficult to maneuver on the panels of this book. My personal preference is Crayola Anti-Dust Chalk. Don’t let the name fool you! It certainly creates dust, but I’ve found this chalk to be heavier and denser, which provides a lovely vibrancy when used on your chalkboard.

While we’re on the topic of dust, let me just say, it is a great thing! Most of my days are spent covered in it. As you draw, dust specks will inevitably accumulate on your work. I am constantly lightly blowing on the board to remove these specks. Because of this, you may want to be conscious of where you are working.

A Pencil Sharpener or Eyeliner Sharpener

This tool is one of my biggest trade secrets! People are often shocked when they find out that you can sharpen chalk. It’s something so simple, yet it will make all the difference for your drawings. Any pencil sharpener or eyeliner sharpener will work, as long as it has two holes. This is a critical element. The smaller hole will work for sharpening your pencil when you are sketching ideas in your sketchbook. The larger hole will fit your chalk perfectly (sizes are pretty much standard—about ½ inch wide).

A Felt Eraser and a Cloth Rag

A felt eraser will erase the lettering, but it will not completely take away the dust. Instead, it will disperse a dusty cloud around your board. In contrast, a cloth rag, which at different times can be used damp or dry, will remove any unwanted dust entirely. A specific type of rag is not necessary. A piece of an old T-shirt or a washcloth will do.

Cotton Swabs

Instead of erasing the entire design and starting again, sometimes all you need to do is correct a portion. A cotton swab will give you precise, ninja-like erasing abilities.

A Ruler or Straightedge

The front practice panel of this book conveniently already contains drawn guidelines. However, a ruler will come in handy, especially as you are learning the different layout techniques in Chapter 2. In addition to a 12-inch ruler, I like using a 6-inch plastic one that easily fits in my bag. Bonus: It can double-duty as a bookmark! At times, it may also be helpful to have a small tape measure handy.

Preparing Your Chalkboards

Before you begin drawing, it is necessary to “season” your chalkboard. Chalkboard seasoning sounds fancy, but it simply involves rubbing the side of a piece of chalk over the entire chalkboard and then erasing. A chalkboard that has been seasoned will appear a bit scratched, muted, and gray in color, as opposed to flat, stark, and black.

When you are seasoning a brand-new chalkboard, like the panels at the front and back of this book, you may need to wear off some of the protective coating on the chalk beforehand. Just rub the chalk on any hard surface.

It might take a bit of rubbing to get the chalk to transfer to your board at first, but once it does, keep going until it's completely covered. Wipe the board clean with your cloth rag.

The purpose of seasoning a chalkboard isn’t just to create a rustic look, but to prepare the surface for handling chalk. An unseasoned chalkboard runs the risk of the chalk “burning” into the surface, leaving a permanent mark. The chalk on a seasoned chalkboard will remove cleanly over and over again.

Getting to the Point

Open one of the three chalkboard flaps on this book and draw a line with a blunt piece of unsharpened chalk. Now, sharpen another piece of chalk and draw a second line with the pointy edge. Notice the difference in the texture of the lines’ edges. The blunt chalk will provide a rough, broken edge. The sharp chalk will deliver a tight, more exact line. As you continue to use the sharpened chalk, observe how it wears down to a dull point. Continue drawing lines, but vary your pressure. When you apply heavy pressure, the result is a bright white line as opposed to a lighter, more textured line when soft pressure is applied.

Lowdown on Letters

Now let’s get a bit technical with letters. It’s helpful to know these terms when learning and appreciating hand-lettering since using phrases like “that small line-thing at the top of the thick vertical line” gets a bit confusing.

Crossbars and Cross Strokes

Welcome the letters “f” and “t” with open arms. They’ll give you the ability to draw fun cross strokes varying from short and rigid to long and swirly. The cro…