Diy + Giveaway | The Gift Of Calligraphy | Botanical Wreath Illustrations

Today we're excited to percentage a DIY projection from 1 of the most beautiful books I've seen inwards a while, The Gift of Calligraphy, H5N1 Modern Approach to Hand Lettering alongside 25 Projects to Give & to Keep past times Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls.  As a large fan of calligraphy, I am to a greater extent than than honoured to percentage an excerpt of Maybelle's mass hither on the blog.  From education yous the basics of calligraphy, in addition to and hence how to utilization your novel skills to create projects such every bit invitations, wall art, wrapping paper, a tote bag, fifty-fifty a calligraphy kit for kits, the gorgeously-styled mass is interspersed alongside messages of inspiration, gratitude, in addition to finding beauty inwards imperfection, featuring photography past times Thuss in addition to Farrel. With 25 projects inwards total, the mass is a bang-up agency to jumpstart your ain creative exercise or hobby.

Update: We're hosting a giveaway for a re-create of The Gift of Calligraphy on our Instagram this calendar week to 1 lucky winner, (check out our postal service here to enter)!

The Botanical Wreath Illustrations
Reprinted alongside permission from The Gift of Calligraphy: H5N1 Modern Approach to Hand Lettering alongside 25 Projects to Give in addition to to Keep past times Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls, copyright (c) 2018. Published past times Watson-Guptill, a partitioning of Penguin Random House, Inc. Photographs (c) 2018 past times Thuss + Farrell.

To prepare designs for this project, showtime keeping a sketchbook designated for nature-inspired ideas. Don’t worry if yous don’t know how to draw. You may non realize this but yous get got been “drawing” letters all along alongside your calligraphy practice! Simply banker's complaint whatever odd plants in addition to floral elements that yous uncovering inwards your everyday life. You don’t require to acquire to a botanical garden or museum—there is much to uncovering inwards your ain backyard or or hence the neighborhood. I collect onetime French phytology books, Diderot encyclopedias, books on naturalists similar John Muir, in addition to engravings such every bit those from the Linnaeus system, some of which appointment dorsum to the seventeenth in addition to eighteenth centuries. I dearest the handwritten information—Latin names, characteristics, in addition to hence on—in beautiful lettering.

Once I get got an thought of which plants in addition to flowers I wishing to include inwards my botanical wreath project, my procedure starts alongside a traditional cutting in addition to paste—with actual pair of scissors in addition to tape, non a keyboard. This tactile creative procedure is what nosotros learned inwards blueprint school, when calculator programs similar Photoshop in addition to Illustrator were only beingness introduced. If yous get got never worked this way, yous may uncovering this to endure a refreshing exercise in addition to some other agency to stride away from the computer.

Before yous start working, environs yourself alongside beauty, natural light, in addition to some fresh flowers. This ever makes me experience hence happy in addition to inspired. And don’t endure afraid to mix some of the fresh flowers inwards alongside your cut-and-paste process. Work alongside your favorite distich of pair of scissors in addition to colorful washi tape. Working this agency allows to a greater extent than freedom, a pause from the computer, in addition to a novel unloosen energy in addition to positive flow. Enjoy the procedure in addition to don’t endure afraid of making a beautiful mess!

Instructions
Skill Level 
Intermediate

MATERIALS
Sketches of flowers in addition to plants
Botanical Wreath templates (click here for download) or on page 203 of book; optional
Scissors

Removable Scotch tape
Borden & Riley #234 Paris Paper for Pens (bleedproof)
Light tabular array
Pencil
Pointed pen
Black ink
Eraser
Grommets; optional
Ribbon; optional

1 Decide the type of flowers in addition to plants that yous wishing to include inwards your illustration. For this wreath I envisioned by in addition to large ferns in addition to a few flowers such every bit dogwood in addition to ranunculus. Then convey your sketches, books, in addition to whatever other inspiration to a re-create store or utilization a multifunction printer at home. Photocopy the images yous wishing to utilization inwards your illustration.

2 Choose the copies of the plants that yous wishing to utilization for the in conclusion design. Don’t worry near the size, shape, or hold off of the in conclusion illustration; only pick the plants yous like, in addition to and hence cutting them out. If yous are unsure if yous similar 1 enough, cutting it out anyway—you may or may non halt upwards using it.

iii Securely record the cutout images inwards a wreath shape on bleedproof paper. Play or hence alongside a few designs until yous are happy alongside the results.

iv Using a low-cal tabular array in addition to pencil, describe the taped-down composition onto a novel sail of drawing paper.

five With pointed pen in addition to ink, depict inwards the lines. Work piece of cake inwards minor sections, ensuring that yous don’t smudge the artwork. Allow the ink to dry out completely.

six Erase whatever visible pencil marks, in addition to and hence add together calligraphy inwards the see of the wreath. Add grommets in addition to some ribbon for hanging, if desired.


The Gift of Calligraphy, H5N1 Modern Approach to Hand Lettering alongside 25 Projects to Give & to Keep by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Powells.com, IndieBound.org or whatever online bookseller of your choice.