The Two Most Important Brush Strokes
For anyone starting with brush lettering, the two most essential brush strokes to master are the downstroke and the upstroke (also known as the thick line and the thin line).
In the videos, I’m using a Pentel Aquash Waterbrush with the Artist Loft watercolor paint pan from Michael’s (A similar paint palette is available here). [affiliate links]
Downstrokes happen when you’re pulling the brush down towards you. To get a nice thick stroke, you apply more pressure.
Upstrokes occur when you are gently pushing the brush away from you. Remember to use light pressure.
The practice sheets shown in the videos here are available for free when you add your email address to the list below. (You’ll receive updates from me on all things related to brush lettering)
Click to Tweet: Brush letter down then up with confidence. Check out @randomoliveblog’s tutorial. http://ctt.ec/dgu7a+
For even more printable practice sheet goodness, check out the fully loaded Brush Letter Practice Guide.
Printable Brush Lettered Inspiration: Mistake Quote by Osborne
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls.
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Twenty More Facts
I’ve written before about 20 things you might not know about me, but I thought it was time for me to tell you a few more things.
I’m participating in a Getting-to-Know-You game of 20 Questions with Kris (With a K) from the With a K Writing Academy. I’d love it if you joined along! Just go to check out Kris’s post about it here, and get started.
Here are my answers:
1 – What’s a ridiculous nickname you’ve had?
My roommates in freshman year in college called me Peanut. Still baffles me.
2 – Why do you write a blog? Have your reasons changed over time?
My original goal for the blog was to share neat stuff and show that creativity could be a part of everyday life. My aim is still to inject a bit of brightness and color into the ordinary.
3 – Where do you like to be when you are writing?
I can write anywhere. Seriously. I’m always scribbling on scraps of paper and I have “active” notepads and notebooks all over the place.
4 – Peanut butter & __________.
crackers.
5. What does your Writing Process look like?
My writing process is usually a flash of brilliance in the shower combined with a desperate hope that I’ll remember that idea. On a regular basis, I complete three handwritten pages of free-writing in a cheap notebook. (read about how this has impacted my life here) I also outline and draft everything on paper with crossouts, circles, and arrows to rearrange. Finally, typing serves as a revision step plus a final proofread.
6 – What keeps you up at night?
Bad sleep hygiene like surfing Instagram from bed plus the incessant need to check email in the middle of the night.
7 – What was your last online purchase? Did you hide it from anyone? (I see you, impulse buyers & shame shoppers)
A lighting kit so I can create more awesome video tutorials and this book about lettering by Jessica Hische.
8 – What do you honestly think of elastic waistbands?
My dream uniform.
9 – What blogs or magazines do you love to read? Why?
Elise Cripe. Caylee Grey. Seanwes. April Bowles-Olin. Totally inspiring and gets me off the sidelines.
10 – What is your favourite way to express your creativity?
Colorful lettering. Project life. List journaling. Crochet.
11 – DSLR or iPhone?
It totally depends on the situation. When I’m practicing photography skills and visiting landmarks, I love using my DSLR. My fave lens: the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 for wide angle shots. I also love my iPhone for Instagram photos and regular everyday documenting. Either way, I process all my photos with RadLab.
12 – How do you feel about the semicolon? Do you have any feelings about punctuation marks, in general? (it’s ok if you don’t)
The semi-colon is awesomesauce; I use it all the time. I’m also a fan of quotation marks, periods, and oxford commas.
13 – What is a skill you really want to learn?
Acrylic abstract painting on canvas!
14 – Do you use a planner or journal to keep your life from derailing? What kind?
Planners are essential. I’ve been using the Simplified Planner for 2015 and I’m planning to use the Get to Work Book for 2016.
15 – What does your dream Sunday look like?
PJs til lunchtime. Nice lunch out. Back home for early PJs for the rest of the day. Plus a couch movie date.
16 – Do you have a full-time business or a side hustle?
Side hustle with a five-year goal to turn it full-time.
17 – Coffee or tea?
Soda. Pepsi Throwback or Cherry Coke.
18 – What is your favourite outfit?
Any pajamas. Oh, does that not count? My uniform of a fluffle (fluffly ruffle) or lace blouse with a cardigan, jeans, and flats.
19 – What scares you?
Heights. Fire. Blood-borne epidemics.
20 – Cats or Dogs?
Neither. Totally allergic.
What about you? Head over to Kris’ blog to play along!
Printable Brush Lettered Inspiration: Action Quote by Schwartz
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls.
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Printable Brush Lettered Inspiration: Happiness Quote by Dahl
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls.
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Printable Brush Lettered Inspiration: Mediocrity Quote by Henry
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls.
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Printable Brush Lettered Inspiration: Understanding Quote by Einstein
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls.
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Digital Project Life Layouts: November 2014
Project Life is my preferred method of scrapbooking and I’m hoping to provide you with some useful tips for either documenting your own lives or putting together your own pages with minimal fuss.
Here’s what I’m going to emphasize with the layouts I share:
- The random stuff I like to capture and document for myself.
- The simple approach to Project Life that I take. There are a lot of photos and very little embellishment and journaling.
- The way I organize some spreads into themes or stories.
You can click on each image below for a slightly larger view.
Capture Idea: Eating out. It’s pretty much our only weekend activity. That and sitting around in pajamas, but that isn’t so photogenic.
Capture Idea: I took Ali Edwards’ Lens of Joy class that month, so I took a picture of the first handout.
Simplicity Point: I layered a watercolor-like digital paper with a paper from the Seafoam kit and used the lighten function in Photoshop Elements to merge them together.
Capture Idea: A shot of my backyard in full bloom.
Capture Idea: My car hitting 100,000 miles.
Story Idea: The entire spread is my progress in crocheting.
Capture Idea: I asked my husband to take a picture of me crocheting so that there’s a visual of me in the process of doing.
Simplicity Point: I used digital washi tape and typed over it as a label.
Capture Idea: Christmas cards addressed and waiting to be stamped.
Capture Idea: Various cooking adventures,
Resources:
Photos edited with RadLab. (Affiliate Link)
Templates by Cathy Zielske: 01, 02, 05
Fonts: ABeeZee and Klinic Slab
Kit: Seafoam Edition
For more info on my general approach to Project Life, check out this blog post.
Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. She’s awesome. Go visit her website for more information or watch her 3-day course on CreativeLive.
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Covey Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Carnegie Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
Click on photos for JPG
8×10 inch Color PDF
8×10 inch Charcoal PDF
Transparent PNG
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
