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

Today we're excited to part a DIY projection from i 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 part an excerpt of Maybelle's mass hither on the blog.  From education y'all the basics of calligraphy, too and then 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, too finding beauty inwards imperfection, featuring photography past times Thuss too Farrel. With 25 projects inwards total, the mass is a bully means to jumpstart your ain creative practise or hobby.

Update: We're hosting a giveaway for a re-create of The Gift of Calligraphy on our Instagram this calendar week to i lucky winner, (check out our post 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 too to Keep past times Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls, copyright (c) 2018. Published past times Watson-Guptill, a segmentation of Penguin Random House, Inc. Photographs (c) 2018 past times Thuss + Farrell.

To educate designs for this project, get-go keeping a sketchbook designated for nature-inspired ideas. Don’t worry if y'all don’t know how to draw. You may non realize this but y'all direct hold been “drawing” letters all along alongside your calligraphy practice! Simply complaint whatever odd plants too floral elements that y'all detect inwards your everyday life. You don’t remove to become to a botanical garden or museum—there is much to discovery inwards your ain backyard or roughly the neighborhood. I collect sometime French phytology books, Diderot encyclopedias, books on naturalists similar John Muir, too engravings such every bit those from the Linnaeus system, some of which engagement dorsum to the seventeenth too eighteenth centuries. I honey the handwritten information—Latin names, characteristics, too thus on—in beautiful lettering.

Once I direct hold an thought of which plants too flowers I wishing to include inwards my botanical wreath project, my procedure starts alongside a traditional cutting too paste—with actual pair of scissors too tape, non a keyboard. This tactile creative procedure is what nosotros learned inwards pattern school, when reckoner programs similar Photoshop too Illustrator were but beingness introduced. If y'all direct hold never worked this way, y'all may discovery this to last a refreshing exercise too some other means to pace away from the computer.

Before y'all start out working, environs yourself alongside beauty, natural light, too some fresh flowers. This ever makes me experience thus happy too inspired. And don’t last afraid to mix some of the fresh flowers inwards alongside your cut-and-paste process. Work alongside your favorite twosome of pair of scissors too colorful washi tape. Working this means allows to a greater extent than freedom, a intermission from the computer, too a novel liberate energy too positive flow. Enjoy the procedure too don’t last afraid of making a beautiful mess!

Instructions
Skill Level 
Intermediate

MATERIALS
Sketches of flowers too 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 too plants that y'all wishing to include inwards your illustration. For this wreath I envisioned to a greater extent than frequently than non ferns too a few flowers such every bit dogwood too ranunculus. Then convey your sketches, books, too whatever other inspiration to a re-create store or utilization a multifunction printer at home. Photocopy the images y'all wishing to utilization inwards your illustration.

2 Choose the copies of the plants that y'all wishing to utilization for the concluding design. Don’t worry nearly the size, shape, or await of the concluding illustration; but pick the plants y'all like, too and then cutting them out. If y'all are unsure if y'all similar i enough, cutting it out anyway—you may or may non destination upwardly using it.

iii Securely record the cutout images inwards a wreath shape on bleedproof paper. Play roughly alongside a few designs until y'all are happy alongside the results.

iv Using a lite tabular array too pencil, delineate the taped-down composition onto a novel sail of drawing paper.

v With pointed pen too ink, depict inwards the lines. Work like shooting fish in a barrel inwards pocket-size sections, ensuring that y'all don’t smudge the artwork. Allow the ink to dry out completely.

half dozen Erase whatever visible pencil marks, too and then add together calligraphy inwards the centre of the wreath. Add grommets too 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.

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