Hmmm so I don’t know if this was a faulty e-book copy or if it really just isn’t that informative. Based on what I read here are my thoughts.

The parts where she explains all the different writing tools was really thorough and well thought out. This is faux calligraphy which is really cool and what I was looking to learn, however there weren’t any examples or step by step photos to walk you through everything. It was a lot of explaining theory and not a lot of putting those theories into practice. So that said I’ll give it 3 starsz

I received an electronic review copy from the publishers and it must have been faulty.

The book gives information on what materials to use, but sadly I was missing some guidance in how to actually draw/paint the letters. The project ideas provided showed how to get the bones of the letters done and then flesh them out, but I was missing the "calligraphy" part (which might have been what was hidden in the faulty copy).
Furthermore, most of the project ideas are based on Bible quotes, going so far as to actually draw letters into a Bible. I''m not a religious person, but defacing a book - even to enhance it - is not my cup of tea.

This book focuses more on ‘faux lettering’, aka writing out what you want to say and adding in the bits that make it look pretty after!
I really like this technique, and I feel like this is much more accessible than trying to learn the ‘proper’ way to do it! There is lots of advice on how to get started, what equipment to use and even some project ideas and tutorials to get you started!
There are LOTS of pages for you to practice on, some quite similar to what you get when you starting school where you can trace and then try it yourself. And there are some where you can try out whole phrases and designs!
My only problem with this book was how religion heavy it was! I imagine it would put slot of people off, as if I had know how many bible quotes and talk of Jesus and God they was, I probably wouldn’t have read it myself!
But if that doesn’t bother you, or it is something you like, then this book is perfect for a beginner lettered!

This is a workbook more than an idea book, which is why I'll be purchasing it personally, but not for my library. I've been looking at lettering titles and this one seems to have exactly what I need to begin my journey. I'm looking forward to it and will be gifting it to an artsy friend as well.

Fake it 'til you make it!
Or just keep on faking it because it comes out awesome! Danielle Stringer shows how to use "faux calligraphy" to make some really neat hand-lettering. You don't need any special materials - whatever you usually write with will work for this, too. And can I just say how wonderful it is to have a "book for beginners" that is actually written for absolute newbies? With lots of practice pages and a handful of project ideas to put your new skills to good use.

Blogger at Momotips

As mentioned by the author this book doesn’t have pages dedicated to practice, which I missed, I wish there were. The entire book for me is ok, that is why I gave 2 stars. There are few things that I wished were a bit different. I liked how she explained the supplies to use. What I also liked is the fact that the book is divided in projects and the author explains the steps for each specific projects. What I feel are missing are some sections where is better explained the singled letters, and the different handwriting styles. But, even if some more practical pages are missing, I could see an improvement throughout the book while practicing on a paper using her tips. I think as the title says that this book is perfect for very beginners. What I understood since the beginning is that we do not need to copy a style but mostly we have to create our own and while practicing, from our mistakes we can find out what is better for us.

Well, this was thorough for sure. I love how the author explains every single thing, so this book is perfect for beginners, how the title promises. I wish there were more pages dedicated to practice, but honestly, I would buy this as a Christmas gift, I think it's perfect.

This book was just okay for me. I think that it shows details on what supplies to use and steps for specific projects, but it just shows a project-based font. I don't think this is a font you would be able to apply to anything wordier. It definitely was gift/craft focused. I was a little bit surprised on how Christian this book was related to hand lettering. She explores lettering in a bible, lettering bible verses, etc. If that is what you are looking for, then I think this book would be a great book for you.

This is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to learn faux calligraphy. I like that it is a workbook where you can follow the step-by-step instructions right on the book itself. The author goes through full sets of the alphabet both in upper and lower case so you are not left grappling as you do your own lettering later.

For more practice, there is also a section where you can trace the letters, and even a part where you can trace a work of art with lettering and have it framed up. Guidance on a few ideas and projects are given. Once you learn how, the sky is the limit as to what you can use your new skill on!

A few of the quotations used are verses from the Bible, and I love that as the verses are meaningful to me, and the Bible is after all also a great piece of literature!

Thank you Netgalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Lettering for Absolute Beginners by Danielle Stringer, 176 pages. NON-FICTION, CRAFT
Fox Chapel Publishing, 2020. $20.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - NO
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Stringer was a beginner at lettering not too long ago herself, and she’s never taken a class in lettering. Her love for and success with lettering drives her desire to teach others who may want to learn how to write more creatively.
I love how encouraging and upbeat Stringer is throughout her instructions. However, I feel that Stringer was very repetitive, going over the same tips and processes with each project she suggested. Furthermore, teaching a skill takes a lot of practice, and I appreciate examples to see what I’m supposed to be practicing; Stringer did more telling than showing as she directed readers in the art of lettering, making it more difficult for me to follow along and want to practice.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This is a very Christian book on learning one very specific type of hand lettering for one very specific type of font style (faux calligraphy). The author shows you how to draw (not write) letters as words and then go back and fill in one side of every single letter to give a fake calligraphy look. She then gives you about 6 fonts to learn but they all look very similar -- really flouncy, hard to read cursive with lots of squiggles and swirls. Along the way you practice writing some big signs of sayings, mostly psalms and other biblical inspiration. At the end there are a handful of projects (I liked the giving plate) and lined pages to practice your writing.

I like my handwriting and I like doing lettering projects but I'm always looking for new fonts, projects and tips. I don't really care for the type of lettering where you have to hand draw each letter and fill in one side, as it is just so much work and I don't think it's necessarily nicer looking than other font styles. I do it occasionally but I wouldn't choose it as my only technique for hand lettering as this book does. If you want to make signs like those you see at Hobby Lobby ("But first, pray!" and FAMILY) and such, this will show you how to make those and to make that sort of generic script for name tags, signs, etc. Don't expect a lot of variation. I had a hard time even reading some of the words with her fonts.

Goodreads says that two stars means "it was okay," which is how I viewed this book. Interesting, helpful for some, not really for me.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

This book was just okay for me. I didn't find anything new that would help me with lettering. All this information can be found on youtube in various videos. I found it to mainly be full of gift giving suggestions. I think this book is best suited for someone who does arts and crafts with lettering and would like ideas.

This book is a great resource for learning basic lettering. It’s a great place to start for those who would like to begin the art of lettering or wish to refine their skills. Very informative and gives many ways to practice.

I loved this book. It was very helpful at showing me the basics of creating gorgeous lettering. It was easy to understand and definitely a great book for beginners

This is truly the book for absolute beginners. I was left feeling a little unsatisfied by this book unfortunately. I was really eager to learn from this book being an avid bullet journal user I hoped to gain a better grasp on lettering, but this book sort of fell flat for me. It really felt like one, maybe two tips and that was it. In addition to that you get space to practice and some ideas for places to letter on. I also found this book to be heavily religious for a book to teach lettering.

Great if you really have never attempted lettering in your life but if you have, you likely know the tricks already (but I guess that also makes you not an absolute beginner!).

This is a great beginners book for anyone interested in lettering. This has some simple easy steps to follow. Good information!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book was full of great tips and hints in very easy to understand language. I’m ready to get my pens out and give lettering a go! Thank you.

This is truly aimed at people who have absolutely no experience with lettering — there are some useful tips but I found that I didn’t really learn much from this book. I also found that there wasn’t a lot of ideas for me given the amount of religious-related projects... not really for me.

I really. Enjoyed this book it is a very simple basic practice book for simple and fairly specific lettering. I did notice a few people were disappointed it wasn’t more expansive. However, the title in and of itself states it is specifically for beginner level lettering and I feel it hits the mark. It takes a great deal of practice to get good at lettering and this book will help build confidence and give you the stepping stones to move on to more complex lettering books. I personally feel that as a beginner it will help me master basic consistent results. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I recommend it for those that have little to no experience and I believe you will be pleased.

I love how simple and easy to follow the steps are in this book. For anyone who loves calligraphy and wants to do a DIY project, this is a great inspiration and I'd recommend it.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.