Blog Profiles: Hand Lettering Blogs
Welcome to Blog Profiles! Each week, we select a topic and handful of blogs that do a great job contributing to the conversation. Our latest roundup features a few unique hand lettering blogs. Do you have a blog that deserves recognition? Tweet our writers at @BeyondBylines.
One of my hobbies-turned-side gig is making custom signs and art for homes, weddings, and other events.
Lettering is a big component, and I’ve had to tap into my old art skills to create pretty (and precise) pieces of work.
Following hand letterers and illustrators that blog has helped me grow my skillset and inspired a wealth of new ideas. They’re also easy on the eye, if you like to look at nice things.
Here are a few that I’m reading lately.
1. Letter Shoppe
Letter Shoppe is a site and blog by artist Dina Rodriguez of Portland, Ore.
She travels the country doing talks and workshops that guide students on the art of freelance and lettering.
“What started as a hobby drawing letters for a few hours every day, quickly turned into a full-time passion doing client work for companies like American Greetings, Wacom, and Penguin Books,” she says, on her site.
I loved her post How to Get Over Perfectionism and Increase Your Creativity. It applies to so much more than lettering. Also helpful: The Lettering Tools I Use, Recommend and Dream Of and Red Flags Freelancers Should Watch Out For.
Follow @lettershoppe on Instagram.
Credit: @lettershoppe on Instagram
2. The Pigeon Letters
The Pigeon Letters is a blog by Peggy Dean. She’s a self-taught, nationally-recognized artist who specializes in lettering and illustrative design.
“Peggy embraces natural elements in her every day life, and it shows in her every day work, surrounding herself in greenery and botanicals,” says the site.
Dean also teaches online classes.
I was excited to see her post Watercolor: Learn to Paint Tropical Leaves (it combines my love of lettering + watercolor + plants). Brush Lettering on Instagram and Embellish Envelopes with Gold Flakes are also really fun posts.
Follow @thepigeonletters on Instagram.
Credit: @thepigeonletters on Instagram
3. Nate Williams
Nate Williams is an art director at Microsoft. He also creates really cool illustrations and hand lettering for books, magazines, packaging, and other advertising for a range of big names.
His blog isn’t so much a blog as it is a site smothered in awesome art.
I enjoyed Williams’s post Winter and the more recent Hola Amiga Zine. You also can see his suite of hand-lettering work here.
Follow @n8w on Instagram.
Credit: @n8w on Instagram
4. Julia Bausenhardt
Julia Bausenhardt is an illustrator, lettering artist, and calligrapher from Germany.
According to the site, Bausenhardt likes to “make vibrant illustrations with a lot of texture, vivid colors, and custom lettering.” Her illustration is mostly centered around food, nature, and traveling — which I just love.
Her blog posts help answer a lot of common calligraphy and lettering questions. I found The secret behind lettering pieces that work and Video: Ink flow problems to be extremely helpful.
Follow @juliabausenhardt on Instagram.
Credit: @juliabausenhardt on Instagram
P.S. Ever wonder how we come up with ideas for our blog profiles? Our handy list of industries and subjects on PR Newswire for Journalists stays top of mind. If you’re a blogger or journalist looking for lettering or other art-related news, let us know. We can customize a newsfeed for you.
Anna Jasinski is senior manager of audience relations at PR Newswire and former magazine journalist. Follow her on Twitter at @annamjasinski. You can also catch her sharing the latest news in journalism and blogging on @BeyondBylines.
