TOOLS USED IN THIS ARTICLE
TOOLS USED IN THIS ARTICLE
These are the brushes I use for most of my work. I have two sets of lettering and
scrolling brushes. One set for oil based paints and one set for water based paints
such a Createx, Rich Art, and the acrylics that we are going to use here. TOOL PHO-
TO (left to right) T-Square plastic ruler, compass for making perfect circles, any kind
of pencil to sketch with and draw your layout lines, Robert Simmons Sapphire S21
size 1/4 (flat brush), Mack Brush 2962 size 1/4 (flat brush) These brushes are the
best for lettering with water base and also oil base paints. A Robert Simmons Ameri-
can Painter Script Liner series 4050 size 4 (for thin letters, outlining, and for doing
nice scroll work use in water or oil base paints, eraser, six inch clear ruler (optional).
Apple Barrel Plaid 20504 black acrylic paint, Apple Barrel Plaid 20503 white acrylic
paint, masking tape, roll of masking paper, or newspaper to practice on. You may be
asking: “Why letter with a water based paint”? A water base is available at most craft
and hardware stores.The same goes with the brushes. Using a water base paint is
a little faster moving and if you make a mistake you just do it again. Also many great
sign painters use water based paints to paint display signs.
THE BASIC BLOCK ALPHABET
I know what you are thinking. Why even learn this letter
style when all I want to do is the occasional lettering job
on a motorcycle tank or my lettering is only aimed at air-
brushing T-Shirts. This alphabet is boring looking, many
might say. This alphabet has many variations such as
thick and thin strokes, serifs at the end of strokes, it
can be rounded, stretched, narrowed, and even look
like cave man lettering. This lettering style is the very
foundation for many, many other lettering styles. As I
said when you learn this style it can open the doors to
many other forms of lettering styles; also the potential
to earn extra income with your new lettering skills.
BRUSH STROKE EXERCISES
This is where you start to learn the basics unfortunately there
are no short cut to learning this. Do some of these strokes
look familiar? Many of these strokes can also be applied to pin
striping and airbrushing as well. These are the main strokes
to build just about any type of letter. Any type.....Yes you see
the words “Brush Strokes...” That is a Slanted Casual letter
style. When you get the Basic Block style down well, the Ca-
sual style will be no problem. But for now, we start here with
the basic stroke exercises. If doing Dagger Strokes is a way
to build airbrush control this exercise will get you familiar with
using a “Flat or Liner brush”. Even though it’s tough starting
out doing all kinds of strokes, you will gain confidence as you
progress and start making letters. It will be like many other
art forms; it will also get easier. As I said in the “TOOL SEC-
TION”, you can use masking paper or news paper (pictured
here). The reason for news paper is that you can practice between ready made lines; another tip from the old days.
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