Draw Serif Chalk Lettering

Posted on May 26, 2016

Creating your own distinct lettering style means going back to the basics. Let’s start with the beginning of the alphabet drawn in a serif typeface. Feel like you’re back in elementary school? If you're not sure what serif lettering is, the characters have small strokes at the end of the letters' vertical or horizontal lines. Serif fonts are usually more conservative or traditional and are commonly used for body text. To learn about hand lettering, read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761186115/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0761186115&linkCode=as2&tag=craftfocom-20&linkId=DXXLIYGES62V5EZC">The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering: Create and Develop Your Own Style</a>.

Step 1

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Start out drawing the basic shape of the letters as if they were sans serif style.

Step 2

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Once you have the letters “ABCD” roughly drawn, go back over the letters to thicken those downstrokes. When drawing a serif type, be aware of the thick strokes versus thin strokes. Your downstrokes should be thicker. This adds to the classic, traditional feel of a serif font.

Step 3

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With a sharp piece of chalk, add the serif to the top and bottom of the strokes. For a different effect, connect the serif to the body of the stroke by drawing a small, curved, diagonal connector. This is called a bracketed serif and will give the letter a completely different look. This piece was excerpted with permission <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761186115/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0761186115&linkCode=as2&tag=craftfocom-20&linkId=DXXLIYGES62V5EZC">The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering: Create and Develop Your Own Style</a>.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only.