I’m inspired daily by the bullet journal community on Instagram. One thing that fascinates me is the amazing hand lettering many of them use in their journals. It’s an area I definitely need to improve, so practicing hand lettering is one of my goals this year.
I’ve been doing some research and there are a TON of amazing resources online. If you’re interested in learning more about hand lettering too, I’m saving you some research time by putting everything I found in one place!
A Word of Advice
Before I share all the amazing resources I found, I want to share with you a quote from one of my Facebook friends, Amy H. from the Bullet Journal Junkies Facebook group.
What if you were digging through a relative’s attic and came across a photo of your great-grandmother on her wedding day in the most gorgeous frame you’ve ever seen? That would be really cool, right? What if you found the same photo in an envelope, with a hand written note by your great-grandmother sharing all her thoughts and feelings from her wedding day? Wouldn’t that be infinitely more valuable? Wouldn’t your breath catch in your throat as you trace her letters with your finger? It would be a priceless heirloom! Would you care if her writing was perfect? No, not at all. Well guess what? Someday someone will feel the exact same way about your hand writing. You may not feel like it, but it is a very precious thing. Don’t apologize for it. Don’t down play it. It’s beautiful. Because it’s your hand.”
I love that! It’s okay to learn a new skill or work on your handwriting, but don’t compare yourself to others. Your handwriting is special because it’s yours.
Helpful Getting Started Information
Free Courses
Free Practice Sheets
Lettering Books
If you prefer to have a book to learn from, here are a few that I’ve either purchased myself or heard great things about!
In Progress by Jessica Hische – Shows everything from rough sketches to polished final projects.
Scripts by Steven Heller – Elegant lettering styles from previous centuries.
Typography Sketch Books by Steven Heller – Lots of photos for inspiration
Modern Calligraphy by Molly Suber Thorpe – Everything you need to know to get started.
Hand Lettering 101 by Paige Tate – An introduction to the art of creative lettering.
YouTube Tutorials
Instagram Inspiration
- @heartistic.jess
- @amy_kimmel
- @kate.etc
- @kileyinkentucky
- @krystalwhitten
- @magicmaia
- @piecescalligraphy
- @reachalana
- @renmadecalligraphy
- @amandaarneill
- @randomolive
- @bydawnnicole
- @coldsnowinharvest
- @handlettereddesign
- @handletteredtruth
- @hellotosha
- @itskateshandwriting
For even more inspiration, browse these hashtags:
#handlettering
#moderncalligraphy
#pointedpen
#calligritype
#brushlettering
#calligraphyprint
#flourishforum
Join the Conversation
Do you know an amazing resource that I missed? Leave it in the comments below. I’ll keep this list updated regularly, so be sure and pin it for future reference.
Do any of these sites provide left hand lettering instructions?
The 31 Days to Love Your Lettering is put together by Lisa from CreativLei, and I know she’s a lefty. She has some videos that might be helpful.
Thank you for posting this great list!
Thank you SO MUCH for this list, Kim. I’ve been trying to learn brush lettering on my own without much success, so I really welcome these resources!
Thank you so much for the freebies, and I love the quote about finding out grandmother’s picture with her handwriting.
Thank you for such a great list.
I have been looking for a great website/blog to help me figure out out to start bullet journals, but your blogging website is so much more! When I saw your resources for handwriting I just about died and went to heaven! Thank you for putting together such a wonderful blog! I am so excited to start my bullet journals and even more so to work on my penmanship!!