Review: The Art of Watercolor Lettering by Kelly Klapstein

This review was selected by the publisher to be featured on NetGalley.

★★★★★

Review:

First, I would like to thank Netgalley and Quarry Books for providing me with an eBook 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. 

#theartofwatercolorlettering #netgalley

Audience: 12+

Recommended for fans of: art, brush lettering, calligraphy, watercolor painting, watercolor lettering

Publisher's Synopsis:

Learn to letter beautifully with watercolor. 

In this stunning follow-up to her highly praised and influential first book, The Art of Brush Lettering, lettering expert and workshop instructor Kelly Klapstein (popular on Instagram as @kellycreates) shares her secrets for mastering the essential techniques for creating lovely modern lettering and calligraphy with watercolor. 

• Start with the basics, from choosing paints, brushes, and other supplies to preparing your paper for painting. 
• Learn to handle watercolor paints with essential strokes and warm-ups. 
• Explore painting letterforms in a variety of styles, from traditional to modern. 
• Try a range of creative techniques, including blending ombrés and rainbows, creating pictorial letterforms, and combining watercolor with other mediums. 
• Enhance your lettering with special touches by complementing it with handpainted backgrounds and simple illustrations. 

With The Art of Watercolor Lettering, you’ll learn how to master the medium—and how to go with the watercolor flow—to create one-of-a-kind lettered art and calligraphy that reflect your unique personal style.

Source:

NetGalley

©Quarry Books: October 22, 2019

Edition: eBook ARC

144 pages

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