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The original #handletteredABCs challenge
Looking for a way to challenge yourself and improve your handlettering? Do you have the intention to practice, and need the extra motivation and accountability to stay committed?
Join me (@piecescalligraphy) and Nina (@anintran) for 26 days in a row as we practice the alphabet, one letter at a time! We’ll share what we know, answer the questions we can, and help you learn, no matter where you are in your handlettering or calligraphy journey.
When does the challenge start?
Every day beginning Thursday, July 9, 2015, Nina and I will post the letter of the day at 6 am PST on each our Instagram pages.
You can also check the schedule at the end of this post to find the letter of the day.
To join:
- Let us know you’re joining in! Comment below (or on Instagram) with the ONE thing that you want to improve upon during this challenge.
- Handwrite the letter of the day using any form of lettering (does not have to be calligraphy).
- Post a photo of your letter using the hashtag #handletteredABCs. (Optional: You can also create your own hashtag to track your own alphabet. Example: #piecesABCs).
- After you post your letter, browse the hashtag to check out and support others as they post their letters.
What can you expect? The goals of this challenge are simply to learn together, keep each other accountable to practice daily, and have fun! Ask questions, cheer others on, and let us know how we can help you with your handlettering.
So grab a cup of coffee (or tea), get your tools out, and let’s get ready to rock the ABCs!
Questions?
Check out some these frequently asked questions – hopefully we’ve covered the most common concerns!
- What if I miss a day?
No problem! Join us when you can. You can always jump in anytime and pick up where you left off, or you can start with the current letter of the day, or you can make up the letters you missed and post them all at once. It’s up to you!
- Do I have to post every day or can I pick and choose specific letters to write?
While we highly encourage you to follow along, it is ultimately up to you! This is YOUR challenge, so if you want to post every other day, post once a week, or pick certain letters only, that’s fine! We would just be thrilled for you to share your work with us when you can.
- I’m not a handletterer or calligrapher. Can I still join?
Yes! We’d love to have you experiment, give handlettering and/or calligraphy a try, and learn what styles you like and don’t like. Many of us are pretty new to handlettering and are willing to share what we’ve learned so far. Ask away!
- I am new to handlettering and/or calligraphy. Can you share some tips with me on getting started?
Check out my recent blog posts here on piecescalligraphy.com for tutorials and videos on getting started. While they are generally tailored to brush calligraphy, they provide basic calligraphy concepts and resources. I would recommend these posts:
You can also check out The Postman’s Knock (blog), I Still Love Calligraphy (online class), andModern Calligraphy (book).
- Does each letter have to be handwritten? Can I produce the letter in a creative way?
Since the idea of this specific challenge is to practice handlettering, your letter MUST be handwritten. This means, please refrain from digital creations and producing the letters in a non-handwritten form.
- Do I have to use a calligraphy pen?
No, you do not have to use a calligraphy pen. All that matters is that you write the letter by hand. You can certainly use any writing tools you’d like! Pen, pencil, crayon, marker, chalk, Sharpie, brush pen, paintbrush… Take your pick!
- Should the letters be uppercase or lowercase? Should it be simple or elaborate? Should it be colorful or plain? Should I share a video or photo?
Do whatever makes you happy. If you prefer simple, black and white lowercase letters – great! If elaborate, colorful, uppercase letters are more of your thing – awesome! Want to mix it up as you go? Sweet! We just want you to have fun and enjoy the process as you go.
- I have a specific question about handlettering and/or calligraphy. How can I contact you?
You can send me an email at piecescalligraphy (at) gmail.com or Nina at anintran (at) gmail.com. Please give us at least a full day to respond to your message. You can also send us direct messages on Instagram at @piecescalligraphy and @anintran.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, leave a comment. Since this is our first time doing something like this, we appreciate the feedback on how we can improve the process so that everyone gets the maximum benefit from participating.
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Posting Schedule:
| Day 1 (7/9): a |
| Day 2 (7/10): b |
| Day 3 (7/11): c |
| Day 4 (7/12): d |
| Day 5 (7/13): e |
| Day 6 (7/14): f |
| Day 7 (7/15): g |
| Day 8 (7/16): h |
| Day 9 (7/17): i |
| Day 10 (7/18): j |
| Day 11 (7/19): k |
| Day 12 (7/20): l |
| Day 13 (7/21): m |
| Day 14 (7/22): n |
| Day 15 (7/23): o |
| Day 16 (7/24): p |
| Day 17 (7/25): q |
| Day 18 (7/26): r |
| Day 19 (7/27): s |
| Day 20 (7/28): t |
| Day 21 (7/29): u |
| Day 22 (7/30): v |
| Day 23 (7/31): w |
| Day 24 (8/1): x |
| Day 25 (8/2): y |
| Day 26 (8/3): z |
#handletteredABCs
(extended)
| Day 27 (8/4): Full alphabet |
| Day 28 (8/5): Redo (any letter) |
| Day 29 (8/6): Double letter |
| Day 30 (8/7): Pangram |
| Day 31 (8/8): Your name |
Full alphabet: Share all of the letters (A-Z) in one post! You can either handletter the entire alphabet or create a collage of your previous letter posts.
Redo (any letter): Here’s your chance to redo any letter you may not have really liked the first time you posted it. Maybe you always wanted to take a better photo or write it differently.
Double letter: Write a letter twice! You can either write the double letter (ex: oo, ee, ll, tt) or write a word containing the double letter (ex: hello, happy, pretty).
Pangram: Pangrams are words or sentences containing every letter of the alphabet at least once. Probably the most popular pangram is: “A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
Your name: We want to know your name! Share with us the creative handletterer behind your letters.
Pieces Calligraphy 