The Art Of Hand Lettering

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Amber is a Texas fine art photographer & soulful artist whose artwork has been featured in art galleries, in Brave Girl’s Club Daily Truths, Bella … More about Amber ↬

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In this article, Amber Bartek showcases great artists whose work speaks strongly and boldly of this beautiful way of creating art. She selected some of the hand lettering artists whose work continues to speak strongly and boldly of this beautiful way of creating art. Art that moves us to feel, to act, to be, to believe, to participate, and to belong. It connects us all to the common thread between us. It is a game of connect-the-dots. Here are some of the best hand letterers around.

Hand lettering has taken the world by storm. It has become the beautiful connection — a juxtaposition — between design and words. The letter forms in the typography have been broken down into their shapes, flourishes, and textures.

Hand lettering speaks volumes. This is an art form which allows us to see the space between the letters, and the style of the lettering as a piece of art that can deeply evoke emotions and bring meaning — nostalgia, happiness, joy, and love.

For the Love of Letters written in hand lettering by Max Pirsky.
The Art Of Hand Lettering (Image credit to Max Pirsky’s Hand Lettering. )

I’ve selected some of the hand lettering artists whose work continues to speak strongly and boldly of this beautiful way of creating art. Art that moves us to feel, to act, to be, to believe, to participate, and to belong. That is exactly what art does. It connects us all to the common thread between us. It is a game of connect-the-dots. We see patterns, themes, and feel emotions when art stops us — and moves us. Calligraphy — or hand lettering — can do all of this. Here are some of the best hand letterers around.

Thiago Bellotti’s Hand Lettering

Among other hand lettering artists, Thiago Bellotti’s skills include his beautiful Victorian lettering. His work is highly detailed and full of brush lettering, swashes and flourishes.

hand lettering draft by Thiago Bellotti
Hand lettering draft by Thiago Bellotti
All you need is Love, hand writting by Thiago Bellotti
All you need is Love, hand writting by Thiago Bellotti. (Image credit)

Andy Lethbridge

Andy’s hand lettering is a script that has a impressive typographical structure. The details and architecture of his letters are just beautiful.

Andy Lethbridge’s Hand Lettering.
Andy Lethbridge’s Hand Lettering that says: Nurture One Another.
Andy Lethbridge’s Hand Lettering. (Follow Andy on Instagram)

Valerie McKeehan

Valerie McKeehan is the creative director and founder of Lily & Val. She is also the author of The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering. Valerie’s works primarily in chalk — her work is worth checking out!

Valerie McKeehan
(Image credit) (Follow Valerie on Instagram)

Dinara Mirtalipova

Dinara Mirtalipova is a hand lettering artist who has a unique style of her own. She’s a self-taught illustrator and designer who has even worked at American Greetings — she is now a freelance designer. Her work has a beautiful hand-written feel that cannot be ignored.

Dinara Mirtalipova
(Image credit) Dinara Mirtalipova’s Hand Lettering. (Follow Dinara on Instagram)

Nathan Douglas Yoder

Nathan is a hand lettering artist, illustrator and animator. If you take a closer look, you’ll see that his work is mostly inspired by the vintage charm.

Nathan Douglas Yoder
Nathan Douglas Yoder
Nathan Douglas Yoder’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Nathan on Instagram)

Lindsay Sherbondy

Lindsay Sherbondy is a hand lettering artist based in Wisconsin. Her hand lettering can be found on book covers as well as in her retail store. You may have already seen her beautiful work on one of Shauna Niequist’s books.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear, hand letter by Lindsay Sherbondy
Lindsay Sherbondy’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Lindsay on Instagram)

Ken Barber

Ken is a typeface designer at the illustrious House Industries, known for their beautiful fonts.

Ken Barber
Ken Barber
(Image credit) Ken Barber’s Hand Lettering. (Follow Ken on Instagram)

Ruth Simmons Chou

Ruth Simmons Chou’s work has a modern take on the traditional pen and nib style of lettering. She combines this with her gorgeous watercolor paintings to create her pretty style.

Graceland, hand lettering by Ruth Simmons Chou
Ruth Simmons Chou working
The stead fast love of the lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, hand lettering by Ruth Simmons Chou
Ruth Simmons Chou’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Ruth on Instagram)

Joseph Alessio

Joseph Alessio is a hand lettering artist whose work is simply stunning. He can really turn objects like pennies, snow, and more beautiful works of art.

Joseph Alessio
April Fools, hand lettering by Joseph Alessio
Joseph Alessio’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Joseph on Instagram)

Molly Jacques

Molly is perhaps the quintessential hand lettering artist. She is a veteran and teaches calligraphy workshops to thousands around the world in her calligraphy workshops. She has corporate clients and her workshops are booked solid. Well, no wonder — just look at her impressive talent.

Join Molly Jacques for a Modern Calligraphy Workshop in Chicago! October 8th, 12-3pm, Venue TBA. $150 ealy bird registration. Add with hand lettering.
The best is yet to come, hand lettering by Molly Jacques
Molly Jacques’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Molly on Instagram)

Andreas Hansen

Andreas Hansen is a hand lettering artist from Denmark. His style is a brush lettering script with a black ink vibe. Impressive!

Andreas Hansen working on a big canvas
Silly, hand lettering by Andreas Hansen
Andreas Hansen’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Andreas on Instagram)

Jessica Hische

Jessica is an iconic letterer, illustrator, type designer, and author. She is best known for her personal projects, like “Daily Drop Cap.” She is a lettering icon — a true veteran in the field who is always coming up with new visions for the future of lettering.

Jessica Hische posing with many of her art work on a wall
The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life, hand lettering by Jessica Hische
In Progress: see inside a lettering artist’s sketchbook and proccess from pencil to vector, book by Jessica Hische
Jessica Hische’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Jessica on Instagram)

Neil Secretario

Neil is a hand lettering artist with a hand-drawn type style. The typeforms he has created are simply stunning. A true art form — wouldn’t you agree?

Neil Secretario working
Love never loses faith, hand lettering by Neil SecretarioNeil Secretario’s Hand Lettering.
(Image credit) (Follow Neil on Instagram)

Kal Barteski

Kal Barteski is an amazing artist and brush script lettering artist. She is passionate about wildlife conservation and education. Her work is often described as “meaningful, authentic, and poetic.” She believes in art’s power to connect and heal, and has created art for charities. Highly inspiring!

Kal Barteski is surrounded by many sheets of hand lettering on the floor.
Kal Barteski is surrounded by many sheets of hand lettering on the floor.
Your vibe attracts your tribe, hand lettering by Kal Barteski
Kal Barteski’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Zachary Smith

Zachary Smith’s hand lettering has a very hipster feel to it. Like a trip up the mountains with a warm mug of hot chocolate in your hand. It’s a vintage, rubber-stamp pad, meets hand lettered in pencil style.

The great outdoors are calling, hand lettering by Zachary Smith
We are the memories keepers and trappersof time. We are the stealers of stolen glances. We are the chasers of the light, hand lettering by Zachary Smith
Zachary Smith’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Zachary on Instagram)

Karla Lim

Karla Lim is based in Vancouver, Canada, but loves that her work can travel all over the world. She specializes in heirloom wedding invitations and calligraphy.

Karla Lim
Karla Lim’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Karla on Instagram)

Ian Barnard

Ian Barnard is an artist who created the beautiful font named “Outbound”. His work is beautifully scripted and has an adventure-seeking vibe, with a faith-based feel.

dream wider and run through your fears, hand lettering by Ian Barnard
her value is more precious than rubies or pearls, hand lettering by Ian Barnard
Ian Barnard’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Minna May

Minna is a freelance graphic designer, illustrator, and designer. Her work is a playful hand-written style. She specializes in hand lettering, and illustrative designs. Her work has been featured with notable clients like Pinterest.

Make this moment count, hand lettering by Minna May
Minna May’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Max Pirsky

Max Pirsky is an up-and-coming hand lettering artist. His work is lively and full of gusto with lots of Jackson Pollock-style paint splatters. His work is just satisfying to look at.

For the Love of Letters, hand lettering by Max Pirsky
Caprte Diem, hand lettering by Max Pirsky
Max Pirsky’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Lauren Saylor

Lauren started out as a hobbyist, then turned her etsy shop into a real business, working from home, after teaching herself calligraphy and working with brands she loves on her blog.

For You tags, hand lettering by Lauren Saylor
Don't stop until you are proud, hand lettering by Lauren Saylor
Lauren Saylor’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Julie Song

Julie Song is an illustrator, calligrapher and lettering artist based in the Bay Area in California. Her work has also featured in several books, including How to Style Your Brand written by Fiona Humberstone. Her work is worth checking out!

collection of materials with by Julie Song’s hand lettering
Julie Song’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Scott Biersack

Scott is a NY hand lettering artist with decidedly vintage-style lettering skills. His work ranges from vector artwork to hand-drawn typeforms. His script is beautiful and the connecting flourished details make it unique.

Empathy, hand lettering by Scott Biersack
Scott Biersack working on a big wall with the hand letterring that states: face your fears
Scott Biersack’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit) (Follow Scott on Instagram)

Melissa Esplin

Melissa teaches some great online calligraphy classes. She’s a hand lettering artist that has been around for a while. She is well known for her classes in the calligraphy and hand lettering circle.

Many times with different layouts the expression Pen Pointed , hand lettering by Melissa Esplin
Melissa Esplin’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Matt Vergotis

Matt is a hand lettering artist who uses any medium — even markers to create his hand lettering art. Matt’s style has a very street quality to it. It’s got flourishes that are quick and urban.

Matt Vergotis pointing the work uniikon a presentation
Saturday, hand lettering by Matt Vergotis
Matt Vergotis’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Alison Carmicheal

Alison is a hand lettering artist that has her work in print as well as on book covers. Based in London, she studied Graphic Design at Ravensbourne college of design. She has been working commercially for about 15 years winning many industry accolades. Her work is full of romantic flourishes and free-spirited strokes.

Then and Always, a novel by Dani Atkins, cover with a hand lettering made by Alison Carmicheal
Alison Carmicheal’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Bryan Patrick Todd

Bryan is a hand letterer and muralist who creates large-scale lettering projects with a vintage vibe.

Bryan Patrick Todd
Kentucky is my land, hand lettering by Bryan Patrick Todd
Bryan Patrick Todd’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Tara Royer Steele

I believe that Tara Royer Steele has the best handwriting. She has covered her charming bakery with encouraging quotes and words. Even the bathroom walls are full of uplifting quotes! Her chalkboards feature an ever-changing plethora of wise words, catchy sayings, scripture, and inspiration.

If enough of us glow from sould, we will light the whole world - magnolia pearl, hand lettering by Tara Royer Steele
LOVE. L - learn from every situation; O - OK, in the end it will be ok; V - Voice, use your voice to express your feelings; E - enjoy all lessons; hand lettering on a shop, by Tara Royer Steele
Tara Royer Steele’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Paul Von Excite

Paul is a logo specialist, lettering maniac, typography killer and branding expert. That’s right: all in one.

Inspire, hand lettering by Paul von Excite
Revue, hand lettering by Paul von Excite
Paul von Excite’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Luke Choice

Luke Choice uses bold, bright colors in his hand lettering for a very cool style. He also uses a brush and grunge style that combines a chrome-look for a highly stylized feel that looks like melted and liquid type.

We are the music makers, hand lettering by Luke Choice
Stay Weird, hand lettering by Luke Choice
Luke Choice’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Lisa Congdon

Lisa is an author, fine artist, author and illustrator who is known for her colorful abstract paintings, intricate line drawings, pattern design and hand lettering. Her work is very cheerful, colorful, and unique.

Oh happy day, hand lettering by Lisa Congdon
Lisa Congdon’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Mateusz Witczak

Mateusz has a beautiful hand-drawn style to his hand lettering. It has an almost gothic lettering style reminiscent of the old vintage letterers. Take a look!

Be strong in the lord and in his mighty power, hand lettering by Mateusz Witczak
Mateusz Witczak working on a hand lettering
Mateusz Witczak’s Hand Lettering.

Jess Levitz

The combination of upper and lowercase letters really makes Jess’ work shine, and her flourished cursive hand lettering will make you swoon.

Lavender, hand lettering by Jess Levitz
The art of knowing is knowing what to ignore, hand lettering by Jess Levitz
Jess Levitz’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

João Neves

João has a very beautiful style of hand lettering. It is very unique, stylized, and lovely.

Nothing beats experience, hand lettering by João Neves
More encouraging, less complaining, hand lettering by João Neves
João Neves’s Hand Lettering.

McKenzie Elizabeth Ditter

McKenzie Elizabeth Ditter has a unique style of hand lettering and illustrations. She even self-published the amazing hand lettered and illustrated “The ABCs of Homesteading” — a children’s book every homesteading family will want on their shelves. She’s a regular contributor to taproot magazine (a lovely magazine for homesteaders), and she supports many causes with her work.

Elizabeth McKenzie
The ABCs of home steading, cover with hand lettering by Elizabeth McKenzie
McKenzie Elizabeth Ditter’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Jason Vandenberg

Jason is a hand lettering artist based in Toronto. His work features lots of details and flourishes. Very modern and worth checking out!

hand lettering by Jason Vandenberg
The Sweetest Thing, hand lettering by Jason Vandenberg
Jason Vandenberg’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Mary Kate McDevitt

Here’s a pioneer in the hand lettering industry. Mary Kate is an author, illustrator, and hand lettering artist. Her work is very iconic; you may probably already know it is her work by the way she letters. She uses bold colors, lots of design elements, and vintage style in her lettering.

Mary Kate McDevitt
2016 Calendar Cover, hand lettering by Mary Kate McDevitt
Mary Kate McDevitt’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Jay Roeder

Jay has a unique style of hand lettering. He uses bold colors, lots of flourishes, and bright styles.

Summer time and the livins easy, hand lettering by Jay Roeder
I think I will just go back to bed, hand lettering by Jay Roeder
Jay Roeder’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Danielle Evans

Back in 2013, Danielle combined her love of lettering, design, photography, and eating to create food typography. Her work is internationally regarded as both innovative and mouth watering, inspiring new trends in social campaigns, advertising, and motion. Her work is incredible! You have to view the videos of her working with food to create hand lettering art.

Danielle Evans
Home is where the happy is, hand lettering by Danielle Evans
Danielle Evans’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Sean McCabe

Sean McCabe is a hand lettering artist that also teaches classes called Learn Lettering, and how to build and grow a sustainable business. Sean’s style is pencil and ink and sketches, as well as digital. He is a true teacher and loves to help others.

Happy, hand lettering by Sean McCabe
Sean McCabe’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Alissa Mazzenga

Alissa Mazzenga is the owner of Feast Fine Art & Calligraphy and is known for her work to be fluid, painterly, and very traditional. She’s a big fan of using calligraphic and illustrative techniques.

Alissa Mazzenga
card with hand lettering by Alissa Mazzenga
Alissa Mazzenga’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Erik Marinovich

Eric is a hand lettering artist based in San Francisco, California. He does great collaborations and has a distinctive style.

If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint, hand lettering by Erik Marinovich
the smallest notes make the biggest smiles, hand lettering by Erik Marinovich
Erik Marinovich’s Hand Lettering.

Caitlin Bristow

Caitlin started her shop as a hobby and it grew to the shop it is today known as Lettered Life. Her flourished script is refreshing and modern. She has her work on published books, calendars, and more. I love how she uses her beautiful lettering to share her faith.

As for me and my house we will serve the lord, hand lettering by Caitlin Bristow
All good things are wild and free, Henry David Thoream, hand lettering by Caitlin Bristow
Caitlin Bristow’s Hand Lettering. (Image credit)

Drew Melton

Drew is a hand lettering artist with work that is in the style of the old vintage sign painters. Incredible talent!

Brush Lettering 101, hand lettering by Drew Melton
Follow your bliss, hand lettering by Drew Melton
Drew Melton’s Hand Lettering.

Stephanie Ackerman

Stephanie Ackerman’s hand lettering doesn’t really an introduction, as she is a staple in the hand lettering world. But here is about her page collage.

Stephanie Ackerman bio
Pray hope love repeat pray hope love trust repeat, hand lettering by Stephanie Ackerman
Stephanie Ackerman’s Hand Lettering.

Sean Tulgetske

Sean is a hand lettering artist based in Michigan. His work is a mix of letterforms and and more. The swashes in his lettering are old school type forms and have a very vintage vibe.

Smile, hand lettering by Sean Tulgetske
Welcome to our home, hand lettering by Sean Sean Tulgetske
Sean Tulgetske’s Hand Lettering.

It’s been a pleasure sharing some of my favorite hand lettering artists. Hand lettering is an art form that creates art from mere words. See what you feel when you see different types, letterforms,and hand lettering styles when you are out and about in the world. Notice when you are at a restaurant, and the menu is hand lettered in a flourished script — how does it resonate with you? That’s the art of hand lettering at it’s best.

Further Reading

Smashing Editorial (nl, mrn)