I’ve been doodling and lettering most of my life. I went to school for Graphic Communications at Clemson University (go tigers.) and then started my business Chalkfulloflove in January of 2014. Modern Calligraphy was out there but nothing like it is today. In 2015 I started selling my guides that I used at my workshops and they became very popular! I was then approached to write Hand Lettering 101. I turned my guides into a beginners book with the intention of always creating a second more intermediate guide.

Hand Lettering 101 was released in April of 2016 and has been a fan favorite ever since! I have never written a book or created anything like this, so there were some obvious learning curves + opportunities to improve! I got to create a second edition of 101 after receiving the first wave of feedback. It was more than a year after I created the first version and I had learned and changed quite a bit.

Hand Lettering 101 was written for the person who has no lettering experience or background. It is a beginners guide that will teach you through my technique of faux calligraphy, my favorite tools that I use for different projects, letter drills of my original alphabet, connecting your letters, making your letters dance, and practice prompts! The book is a great starting off point if you are interested in lettering as a hobby or just wanting to up your craft game. It will always be my baby + I am so proud of what it has become!

Some Amazon Praise for 101:

“This book has taught me the basics of lettering, and I love the styles of writing that are provided!! I also really like that there are blank pages that allow me to practice on my own and write my own messages! I would definitely recommend this book to beginners and of course anyone who is interested in lettering!!”

“Y’all. I love this book! I teach 5th grade reading and writing, and have to make SO many anchor charts. This book helped me make those boring charts so much more fun and whole lot prettier! Now my students enjoy looking at the charts around my room, and I actually enjoy making them! I can’t wait to get 201 in the mail soon!”

There was also feedback I needed to hear about 101 that helped me create content for the intermediate level book 201!

Hand Lettering 201 was written in early 2017 and released around Christmas of 2017. It was always in my head that I would create an expansion of 101. It is broken up into three parts. I knew people wanted to learn different types of alphabets and lettering so I created 12 original alphabets for part one of the book! That was no easy task. I think most letterers have a certain style that they stick to and thinking outside that style can really exercise your creativity. After each style of alphabet’s letter drills there is an example of how you would connect it all together + space for you to practice. It then goes through some practice words.

Part two is called Design. In this section of the book I go over things like hierarchy, classification of type, my overall design process, color theory and palettes, my workflow and the tools that I use day to day, vectorizing lettering, and a look inside the procreate app.

Part three is comprised of five different tangible projects!

Some Amazon Praise for 201:

“I had previously bought the 101 book, and I enjoyed the style (even though it felt a little too “basic” for my skill level, it was nice to get back to the basics!) So I thought maybe this would just include a different style. No, it features SO MANY more styles that I absolutely LOVE playing around with my writing. It’s a beautifully constructed book, and I continue to use this daily to practice different looks. Such an awesome purchase!”

“Okay, so I feel like Sarah (the author) and I are besties and this book spoke to that even more! Sarah did an amazing job adding fonts, styles, and capitals!!! I love that her voice shines through each page as she gives suggestions. Faux calligraphy plus traditional pointed calligraphy options. Print options galore. I love the practice words, design section, and projects! This is a MUST BUY!”

“Hand Lettering 201 helped me improve my lettering skills immensely. I also purchased 101 (before 201) and I flew right through it, but 201 will take me a bit more time. There is a great amount of information that will help you along your lettering journey! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in lettering.”

Is it necessary to have completed 101 before 201? Absolutely not. If you feel comfortable drawing + lettering and you think you are not on that beginner level – skip straight to 201!

Hopefully this gives you a better idea at what each book includes and the differences between them!

You can purchase Hand Lettering 101 on Amazon, in store at Barnes and Noble, Hobby Lobby, Joann’s and Michaels!

You can purchase Hand Lettering 201 on Amazon and coming soon to Joann’s!

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