The Art of Watercolor Lettering

Water coloring and lettering is all over the Internet. It seems like everyone and their grandmother can do it. Should be simple if everyone is doing it. It is not. However, this book helped me understand better techniques and the basic principles to water color lettering. It was really informative and easy to understand. I may never be a pro, but I think I could get better with this book as my guide.

I just wish there were more variation to see and try.

This book is a great starting point for anyone wanting to have a go at watercolour lettering. The projects and examples are good and the instructions are very easy to follow. I would probably have liked to have seen a greater variety of projects but the book is still very good. It is a pleasure to browse through and very well structured. Would definitely recommend it.

I just love this book! I am a big fan of watercoloring and one of my biggest challenge overall is lettering and as I've practiced these tutorials I feel it has really enhanced my precision and control even in other aspects of watercolor. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Just fantastic book of tutorials.

An easy to follow and well laid out guide to watercolor lettering, this book will be useful for beginners since it explains the basics very well (tools, materials, practice exercises). For the more advanced watercolorist, it will be a useful guide to fall back on when looking for inspiration or trying to fill knowledge gaps. The book concentrates just on round brush lettering, and I think this was a wise choice to keep the scope focused and manageable.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

If one could get good at something by reading books on it, my brush lettering would be incredible by now. I have read so many books on this topic that I could probably get a degree on it if it didn't mean I had to actually do some. I wasn't sure what new I was expecting from this book but here's how it surprised me:

- it's definitely a beginner book: she breaks down the letters into families so you know how to practice each set. she walks you step by step. She gives many many many practice pages at the end of the book.

- it has both variety and fun: she might have preferences in her tools. but this might be one of the first watercolor books i read that actually mentioned watercolor pencils (which is my favorite medium.) which I loved. She has fun wreath ideas, fun ways to combine paint and use brush pens, etc, too.

- it encourages practice: this was my reminder to self that without actually sitting down and practicing, it's unlikely I will ever get good at it. To encourage this, she has many different types of practice pages that you can simply trace.

Overall, if you love the idea of watercolor lettering and you're a solid beginner, I recommend this one.

Thank you to netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful book to look at, this is a very clearly illustrated and laid out introduction to the art of watercolour lettering.

The author shows you a variety of ways to use watercolours - with a brush, in a pen, in the form of watercolour pencils and more. She also illustrates a variety of ways to use them - layering colours, different types of letters, using painter's tape and so on.

I have used brush pens before and after a first look through this book, I am inspired to try a few new ideas with them!

I have been very fascinated with lettering as of late and consider it an art that I would like to try. This book is a great resource for that.

Kelly Klapstein's "The Art of Watercolor Lettering" is a delight. She starts off with the basics - what kinds of brushes, paints and papers are best - and then dives into the good stuff. I've always loved the look of watercolors and sporadically experiment with them, and the beautiful color photos in this book had me hooked. Starting with suggested exercises, she progresses to block letters, scripts and then how to embellish from there. Spoiler alert - my creations never came out anything close to her examples, but the experimenting alone is fun!

The traceable practice pages at the back make this one of those options that's better as a "real" book than an e-book!

This is a gorgeous and helpful book that's packed with information, projects, sample alphabets, inspiration and more. Kapstein really gives you the tools you need to create beautiful letters, whether it's with liquid watercolor, dried pans, tubes or even food coloring. I appreciated that she also showed how to do simple decorative flourishes like making wreaths to go around the text, and had practice pages for whole alphabets of many types at the end. I absolutely love the book and am now impatient to do some watercolor lettering projects with my kids soon.

As a beginner to lettering I found this book both informative and inspirational. The practice pages and step by step instructions were useful and the finished projects look amazing.

The variety of media used throughout was useful as everyone should be able to experiment and find the one best suited to them. The fun , have a go element was encouraging and the practice pages which can be downloaded or traced over reinforces the importance of practice to improve your skill.

A valuable book for both the watercolour and lettering artist, which will spark your interest and encourage the progression of your craft. After recently been on a calligraphy course and having bought a pen and inks I loved how the book broadened my outlook and inspired me to try a few different ideas. Now all I need is a lot more practice .
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I was sent this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.

I've been fascinated with watercolours and especially watercolour lettering and found this book a fantastic little treasure trove for a beginner such as myself.
The book has easily explained instructions and some great tips. Such a hand book to help and guide me along on a new hobby to accompany my journaling.
I live the templates at the back which are related to the whole book too.
A fantastic book i will be referring to many times in the future!

The Art of Watercolor Lettering
By Kelly Klapstein
This is a great resource for watercolor lettering and I loved it!
I have been working on my water coloring and lettering for a while now. For me, it has been trial and error while watching youtube and Instagram videos. I have borrowed a book or two from the library as well but this book gave me the tools and techniques I needed to advance my practice.
In this book the tools to use, color wheel and technique, as well as lots of practice sheets, are shared making this the best all in one stop for watercolor lettering!
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A great introduction to the art of watercolor lettering. This covers the basics of the different materials that you can use for lettering, from watercolor paint, pencils and pens, to paper and ink. It includes simple techniques to use color in different ways and offers tons of practice sheets.

After having enjoyed watching Kelly Klapstein work her magic with brush pens, I was intrigued that she has also ventured into lettering with watercolor.

The Art of Watercolor Lettering is indeed very useful for the beginner. It has all the introductory info that a beginner would need. including vital info such as what to use and what NOT to use.

Particularly useful too is the section where you can trace several different styles of lettering for practice.

There are also some creative techniques and projects that the aspiring letterer can dabble in. including the use of different tools such as color pencils and brush pens.

I think it would be useful though for learners to watch a video or two on how to use brushes..so that they have a clearer idea when to press down for thick lines and when to lift for the thin lines. Not that Kelly's instructions are not clear, I just feel that somethings are just better learned with the use of videos.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarry Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.

First, I would like to thank Netgalley and Quarry Books for providing me with a PDF ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I first started following the author, Kelly Klapstein, in early 2017. I purchased a couple sets of practice worksheets, and following her instructions, I picked up brush lettering very quickly. Later that year, she published her first book about brush lettering. Her website offers practice worksheets both for free and for purchase, and she travels internationally to teach lettering workshops.

I trust very much in her process and I have seen many of her followers, such as myself, become skilled using her techniques. I was very excited to see that she was publishing a book about watercolor lettering as it is a beautiful art form with roots in brush lettering.

Both beginners and accomplished watercolor lettering artists can benefit from this book. It has so much helpful information not just about techniques, but even regarding which materials are best for different artists. Although she has certain brushes and paper that she prefers, she addresses how to work with all types and the pros and cons of each. She provides numerous examples of alphabets, but also demonstrates many different designs and techniques that can be used to embellish on the letters themselves. I was particularly happy to see that she wrote a section about watercolor pencils as they are a fantastic medium and can be used multiple ways for varying effects. At the end, she provides practice worksheets for tracing (you can make photocopies of these pages if you do not want to paint in your book).

Overall, this book covered much more information than I had expected, and I am excited to try some of the techniques I learned to improve my own watercolor lettering. Watercolor lettering is a fun activity that I have been practicing with my 8-year-old stepdaughter for a couple years, and I recommend this activity to anyone with children or who works with children. I would also recommend visiting Kelly's website or reading her previous book about brush lettering if you intend to write letters in that style as she just covers the basics of brush lettering in this book.

A really pretty watercolor lettering book. As a follower of Kelly on facebook and a member of her lettering groups, I was super excited to get a digital ARC to preview and review! There is the standard "tools" section of the book followed by a great section on warm up activities to get you comfortable with the paintbrush. I enjoyed the step by step photos of how to make some of the color blending in the letter. The book ends with quite a few practice pages. I only saw a digital preview, so the quality of that paper is unknown.

The step by step instructions in the book were easy to understand and follow. While I'll never be an expert with watercolors, the techniques will help me with practice until I get the hang of it and possibly help me with other mediums with which to letter. Kelly got another instagram follower!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an ARC.

A beautiful book FULL of resources and tips and tricks with watercolor calligraphy. Klapstein does a great job focusing on materials needed as well as techniques.

Seasoned calligraphers and novices will appreciate her advice.

It has practice pages too. I appreciate Klapstein's attention to detail when it comes to breaking down this artform.

The Art of Watercolor Lettering by Kelly Klapstein
A Beginner’s Guide to Painting Modern Calligraphy and Lettered Art

There are some interesting ideas in this book that tell novices and more advanced artists how to create beautiful letters with watercolor and a round tip brush. The book is set up with an introduction followed by materials that will be needed then moves on to how to use color/paint in a variety of different ways. Types of letters are discussed before creating letters using color is presented. After the basics of letters are shown the fun begins with designs to showcase words, quotes and as art projects. Wreaths, use of masking tape and masking fluid to preserve space that can be filled in in various ways was something new I had not thought of before.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Did I get new ideas to use in the future? Yes
Who do I believe would enjoy this book? Anyone interested in creating beautiful letters and words in watercolor.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 – 5 Stars

I believe this is a great book for those wanting to expand their knowledge about hand-lettering, personally I requested this because I started bullet journaling and I'm obsessed with calligraphy. This could be a great handbook for those starting with watercolor and want to improve their technique, this book includes a lot of tips and recommendations. I especially loved the worksheets included at the end since they can be a guide for those who are just starting to learn this new skill. Great book!

Having already bought Kelly Klapstein's first book (The Art of Brushtroke Lettering), I was excited to see her second book and I was not disappointed. This is another fabulous book which breaks down the process of Watercolor Lettering for anyone and everyone to do themselves. It covers brushes, paints, storage, cleaning, surfaces, techniques, projects, methods and designs. Another fabulously creative and inspiring book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I recently started learning the art of brush lettering and have always been interested in watercolour techniques. When I started brush lettering, I actually picked up a beginners guide and practice book from the Kelly Creates line.

This watercolour guide is just as good. She shares many techniques and it is easy to follow. I recommend this to anyone looking to start out with watercolour or even using water based markers that you can use to blend and mimic the watercolour look.

I learned so much from this book! There are many tips and tricks and the exercises are amazing, I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of watercolor paint, though I need to practice my letters a lot lol! The instructions were very clear and the resources are top notch. Besides actually learning a lot, I also liked how she kept everything simple and clear. Very good book for beginners but I think everyone, even more advanced painters, will learn something and be challenged to experiment more.

The Art of Watercolor Lettering by Kelly Klapstein is a beautiful and informative manual that simplifies the practice for even the most novice beginners. Every aspect from materials to technique are explained thoroughly in the book, and there are vivid photos that go along with it to inspire and show some of the projects the reader can hope to make with what they've learned.

I've had some basic experience with both hand lettering and watercolor painting, but only just started combining the two arts. Watercolor lettering is supposed to be the most advanced form of lettering and this guide has given me a great foundation for the techniques and styles to practice. There are also plenty of practice pages that show stroke technique, which is essential for mastering the art of watercolor lettering.

Many thanks to Quarry Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Wow. You dont understand the magic of watercolor lettering until you come to the rainbow colors and galzy letter patterns and how to get those effects with wet on dry and wet on wet techniques. you dont know how the final lettering of the colors is going to be, which lends charms to the technique. the author very clearly laid out all the choices of materials. color cakes vs pans (look absolutely cute), liquid color and later on there's a choice to use food coloring with a caveat about its unknown archival property. There are many alphabet patterns at the end. Recently I had learned a little calligraphy from these books and when I had to write in a fareell card, then i recalled I could use that new learning and wrote it in the form recalling the rule of thickening the upstrokes and before that I practised on a scrap paper. I know with experience that by spending soem time in reading a book like this, you add another creative tool to your social writing skills. Any of the outputs using these techniques will also make for a customised gift as you might have seen some words that you like somewhere but now you can put that in the colorscheme your giftee likes.

Liked the warm up lessons of circles and eggs.

I'm a complete newbie to watercolor, so I was excited to get my hands on this ARC.

I absolutely loved the intro which explained all the different types of watercolors, paint, and brushes. To be honest, I had no idea what the differences were and how they would affect your lettering! It was very helpful without getting too lost in the weeds.

This book was beautiful - the layout, the pictures, etc! I also loved the practice section where you can trace letters. It is for people like me who aren't so creatively inclined, but I can learn with the help of this book!

Use watercolor for lettering
After introducing readers to the art of brush lettering in her first book "The Art of Brush Lettering: A Stroke-by-Stroke Guide to the Practice and Techniques of Creative Lettering and Calligraphy", Kelly Klapstein she is now going a step farther and presents "The Art of Watercolor Lettering. A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Modern Calligraphy and Lettered Art" which was published by Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry.
In her introduction Klappstein talks about her watercolor journey and the beauty of watercolor lettering. The various chapters cover the art from the beginning (paints, brushes, papers & more) over typography & lettering styles, the different possibilities how to use colors to dreamy designs. Lastly the chapter "Trace & Learn" offers worksheets for the readers who want to get started. The book also contains basic information such as "What is Ink?" and "Keep Your Colors Clean" as well as tips and variations for the lettering. I appreciated that Klappstein covers different ways to paint, not only the use of paint which comes in tubes, cakes, or as liquids, but also watercolor pencils, water brushes, markers, etc.
I highly recommend this book because it shows how to start with the basics, leads to creativity, and is inspirational. It has a great design, photos, and illustrations. The tips which are included and the variations for the projects can also be a good help for beginning artists. The included index is helpful for quick reference and the worksheets can be a starting point. Nevertheless, it would have been desirable to have the worksheets also as downloadable PDF.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheArtOfWatercolorLettering #NetGalley

Good tips and techniques to look at. Space to practice and trace and learn sections. Good starting book for beginners and intermediate lettering workers.

A beautiful, inspiring book! All the usual basics are included about materials and colour theory to give a foundation before getting stuck into basic brush techniques and lettering. I love the choices of colours and fonts, and found myself wanting to get started. Very happy with this book.
I received a free digital copy via NetGalley, but the opinions expressed are my own.

I think I remember reviewing her first book and found it pretty but somewhat uninspiring. This one has slightly more heart in that there is a variety in her styles. it isn’t just simple calligraphy with paints but she shows you how to edge and adapt and mix the colours to make a beautiful array of effects. I also liked the section at the end for practising your strokes in different forms so you could have a couple of stylistic choices for your lettering.

The first 30 pages, however, cover what materials you will need and a rather odd paragraph about what watercolour paints actually are. If you have bought a book about how to watercolour letters, surely you already know what watercolour paints are? A little basic and frustrating but a cute book.

This book is really wonderful. I don't know anything about watercoloring, but I do have some skills in lettering. This book explains water coloring like brushes, paper type, and so much more. I am really excited to try some of the tips I learned in this book. I love it when a book can explain something in a way that is easy for me to understand and apply. Great book and thank you!

★★★★,5 | A comprehensive guide for the newbies

🎨 an introduction to watercolours
🎨 warm-up exercises
🎨 variety of topography & lettering styles
🎨 tracing templates

I wanted to get into watercolours for a while now and when I saw it on the NetGalley I decided that it is A Sign.

This book has taught me watercolours from the ground up. I admit that I used youtube guides for some things as well but that’s because I like to be thorough — you can learn the basics without other resources or prior knowledge.

It starts with basic information about the supplies, colour theory, swatches, mixing paints, etc.

We also get warm-up techniques, leaf shapes to ornament our lettering and various fonts.

Everything is pretty standard and beginner’s level.

It is also worth noting that Klapstein covers fonts which can be created with a round brush only so you don’t have to be able to distinguish different types of brushes yet.

Klapstein also shows us how to paint on black paper, create 3-dimensional text, plan your work and make different levels of composition, what possible watercolour-like supplies are out there and how to use them.

All in all, if you want to start with watercolours and/or watercolour lettering this is a useful guide and you’ll have all the information you need in one place.

I had an e-copy so I used it to create a physical guide while practising the methods the book thought me — parts of which I included in the review on my blog.

This book seems a very good guide for newbies. Starts describing the tools and colour theory, then gets to the point and ilustrates the several basic brush techniques with very easy instructions to follow. Very nice having a practise sheet in the end. The book is gorgeous, well organized and inspiring!

Being more creative is one of my constant goals, but it can be intimidating for a beginner to get started. Calligraphy, for example, has a huge appeal to me, to the point where I've bought pens and inks and started practicing - and always been too disappointed to go on. And don't get me started on watercolour - looks gorgeous, but not the easiest!

Combining the two forms intrigued me - surely it would just make for 'difficult squared'?

This book starts off, as with most art books, with a list of equipment and some discussion about the various options - of brushes, papers, paints, and sundries. There's a brief explanation of colour mixing theory, and then some simple warm up exercises to get you used to holding the brush and working with the paint.

As you can see, this is all very non-threatening, and perfect for total beginners as well as those who need a bit of a confidence boost!

The third chapter introduces the lettering, talking about the basic and some more complex styles. This is the 'calligraphy' part, if you like. Then we move on to the 'watercolour' part (yes, the whole book is that, but most intensely here!) and - oooh! The techniques (rainbows!) and hints (wet on wet effects) and use of colour is just making me want to go grab a paintbrush and start right now! Particular shout out to the galaxy letter - just, gorgeous!!

The author also briefly covers other things like watercolour pencils and water-based brush markers, before suggesting how to use what you've learned to make 'dreamy designs'.

Overall, I really like this book. It combines two art forms I hadn't really thought to try together, and is presented in clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions that will get just about anyone started and on their way to a fun, pretty hobby with all sorts of uses.

With so many books on lettering and calligraphy, it's a very difficult choice. Anyway, you'd need fancy pens and ink, and if you want coloured lettering you'd need of course more colours. But wait! What if, instead of ink, we could just do it with watercolor that maybe we already own, creating so beautiful colorful letters? Also, instead of the pen, we could use our brushes?
The book, after the description of the tools and some very elementary colour theory note and brushstoke technique, illustrates the various styles with practical advices. There are also some mixed media lessons too. The last section consist of practice sheets.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to leave a positive review.

First off, I am a beginner to both water-coloring and hand-lettering... both being a skill I want to work on. I was immediately drawn to this book because of the cover design. I love blended watercolors.

This book begins with an introduction to how the author came to watercolor lettering. It combines her love of writing, calligraphy, and painting.

There is a very through overview of supplies (including some handy tips) for paint, brushes, paper and other assorted supplies. This will be very useful for a beginner.

The following section of the book discusses color theory and includes several warm up exercises. Then we are on to a variety of lettering styles. Some are basic and then on to more advanced styles. You learn how to play with colors. How to layer paint, blending colors, and how to achieve dramatic results by adding metallic or white lettering. The author also describes how to letter with water-based markers, watercolor pencils, brush pens, inks, and making fluid.

I love the helpful tips scattered throughout the book. My favorite example was the Galaxy letters.

The end of the book discusses lettering layouts and the tools you use to design quotes. The author also includes a few embellishing examples (ie: wreath around your quote).

As a big plus, this book includes practice sheets (and you can copy them to use multiple times). These practice sheets include not only letters, but a few quote projects from the book.

I really look forward to practicing some of these styles soon.

I have just started learning different types of hand lettering, including brush lettering but I have yet to get good at it. While this book is good for beginners I would say that it will be much easier if you have a background in lettering already. It is a gorgeous book though that is easy to follow and full of great ideas and ways to practice. Overall I really enjoyed reading through this book and trying out some of the techniques. As my lettering improves I will certainly be back to reference it!

I first started brush lettering on Kelly's workbooks, so I was very excited to see this book on watercolor lettering. This book doesn't disappoint. After an initial few pages on the basics, the book gets into warmups and various projects. Color theory isn't forgotten and is integrated with the exercises. A well thought out book, great for anyone who wants to improve their brush lettering skills.

The Art of Watercolor Lettering combines two of my great loves: watercolors and lettering. This book is perfect for anybody who has wanted to try something new. Or for somebody who’s been anxious to try their hand at this combined medium.
The Art of Watercolor Lettering is a comprehensive and brightly illustrated guide, and not one you’re going to want to miss out on. This book covers a little bit of everything, including the basics, watercolor painting (the paints, warm-ups, etc), letterforms, and different creative techniques. And of course, there are projects and examples to be found towards the back, making it a perfect book for learning and experimenting.
The instructional side of The Art of Watercolor Lettering was perfect, as I just mentioned. But what really took my breath away was the artwork inside. If you’re hoping to get inspired for watercolor lettering, then I’ve got good news for you. The bright and beautiful artwork within will surely get you excited to try your own hand at the process, and that’s about the best one can ever hope for from an art guide.