3 Ways to Avoid Shaky Lines When Hand Lettering
3 Ways to Avoid Shaky Lines When Hand Lettering: Use these tips to help you improve your hand lettering.
The most common question I get about hand lettering is why are my lines shaky? Shaky lines are common when starting out in lettering. Many experienced letter-ers still experience shaky lines. But remember…hand-lettering is meant to be a little rough around the edges just like all handmade things. Even so, there are ways to stop your hands from shaking when you write. Here are three tips that will help you avoid shaky lines.
3 TIPS TO AVOID SHAKY LINES
Before we get to the tips, I want to recommend the two pens that I use for lettering, the Tombow Fudenosuke and the Tombow Dual Tip Brush Pens
I find these two pens easy to use for beginners. The Fudenosuke is best for smaller letters and the Dual Tip Brush Pens work best for larger letters.
TIP 1 – REST YOUR ARM ON THE TABLE
When you rest your arm on the table, the pen is able to glide over the paper easier and you have more control over the strokes. I have found that my lines are less shaky when I use this method.
TIP 2 – LOOSEN YOUR GRIP
When you loosen your grip on the pen, you allow the pen to flow and adjust to curves more easily in your hand. Try loosening a bit to see if that helps.
TIP 3 – GO SLOW BUT NOT TOO SLOW
One of the major tips that I give people who ask about improving hand lettering is to go slow. Going slow is important but if you go TOO slow, your lines may become shaky. When you write too slow, you are allowing more time during each stroke for shaki-ness to occur. Try to find a good “medium” speed when lettering so your pen glides smoothly across the paper.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL MY HAND LETTERING PRACTICE SHEETS
BONUS TIP – PRACTICE
I can’t stress this one enough…practice, practice, practice. Lettering takes practice just like any other skill. Daily practice is required in order to improve. Set aside time each day to practice your lettering. It doesn’t have to be a big chunk of time. A few minutes a day can make a big difference.
MORE LETTERING POSTS
- 5 Tips to Easily Improve your Hand Lettering
- 8 Basic Brush Lettering Strokes
- 10+ Brush Lettering Practice Sheets
- Hand Lettering for Beginners: An Ultimate Guide
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