Introduction
There are many ways to add lettering to your page. Here are some ideas:
1. Doodle Letters
Using a fine liner pen, draw a letter. Use straight lines and/or curved lines. Do this quickly, and they won't look wobbly. Draw more lines close to the first. Add curlicues to the end of some lines. Fill in some of the spaced with tiny doodles - zig zags, uuuuuuu's, and little circles are just some of the elements that work well for this. Add color to some of the spaces.
2. Your Own Handwriting
Your handwriting is a part of who you are, and it is a worthwhile endeavour to include it in your art journal. You can bring it to a whole new level with highlights and embelishment. In the space where you'd like to include some writing, draw some wavy lines within wich
you will write. Write your passage, allowing the letters to go from the top to the bottom guildeines. Mix up lower and uppercase letters. Embellish the lettering by filling in the closed loops with color, and thicken some of the lines of the letters. Use a white gel-pen to highlight some of the letters.
3. Creative Fonts
You have lots of fonts built in to your word processor on your computer. Type out your chosen word, phrase, or quote, and try selecting different fonts. Make the text large (circa 24 pt) and print it out. Cut it out and glue it in your journal. Alternatively, cut out the individual letters, and glue them into your journal and add shading between them.
4. Stencil Lettering
This is a good choice when you want to color and embellish your lettering. With a stencil, you can trace around the letters, then color them in. You can also use a brush and fill in the stencil with paint.
5. Collage Lettering
This method is very open to the imagination. You can cut words or individual letters from printed material such as newspaper, magazines, periodicals, etc. You can mix up the typefaces, colors, sizes - you name it.
6. Rubber Stamp Lettering
You can find a large variety of alphabet stamps at your local craft store. You can use these with an ink (stamp) pad, or paint. Once the letters are stamped on your page, you can add embellishments and highlights, too.
Additional Reading
Creative Lettering by Jenny Doh, 2013
Examples
Homework
Journal a page and write yourself a short note of encouragement without using the word "should."
Steer away from phrases such as "I should study harder," or "I should read this manuscript tonight," or "I should exercise more." Instead, use your note a s a positive reminder of how a particular task or goal will help you. Use phrases such as, "I will feel less stressed if I spend 15 minutes doing XYZ..." or, "I will have more energy when I exercise 2 days a week."
The way you speak to yourself can have a big impact on reality. When we focus on "should-ing", we focus too much on our shortcomings. List your use of the word "should," and speak to yourself positively!
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