Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

BEFORE YOU READ THIS REVIEW: - I was not paid, I buy a lot of amazon things and rarely even bother to write reviews unless I'm very happy or very angry - I am a very VERY picky book reader. I take hours to choose one, and spending a single bad cent drives me crazy. ------------------- Grace Song is not just great at brush pen lettering. She is a good teacher - something that is way too rare in the world of instructional art books. And I've had my share of being hoodwinked by uninspired rambling in print with pretty covers. This book is NOT that. In this book, you learn the foundations of some very attractive letters. Then, you learn drills of different types that strengthen your muscle memory, and your brain's understanding of what makes a letter. You're taught a lot more than "well this is how I do it, so do it like this" - she fills the gaps by answering 'WHY' things are how they are, and that gives you the understanding of how to build a letter set that's all your own. In the meantime you get to learn a few beautiful styles you can put to use immediately as you develop your skills as a calligrapher. Topics I enjoyed the most * What to do, also what -not- to do, illustrating common errors that beginners make * How to study and improve consistently, even when you're strapped for time * How to stay encouraged and re-set myself when lettering gets hard or daunting, or if I make too many mistakes at once * Exploring different types of pens and what to expect from pens based on how they're built * How to embellish your letters with a variety of techniques * How to do bouncing lettering PROPERLY so it doesn't look like a hot lopsided mess * How to systematically create your own style yet keep the letters consistent and deliberate * Mixing serif and sans-serif letterforms properly * Diy projects (like gift tags, wrapping paper, place cards, etc.) - I'm going to try some for an upcoming event I'm going to host! Compare this to many other books that teach you how to do things in a set way. Lots of artists don't know how to get you out of the box that they put themselves in, so you're trapped mimicking someone's style, or learning in the way they do, and you never feel like your art is your own as a result. On the contrary, this book is stripped of ego, and that's what I cherish about it most. I don't feel like Grace Song is teaching me "How to Letter Like Grace Song". It's teaching me how to hone my craft, from my own resources, for myself, using her experiences as a springboard. In conclusion, I feel like my money was well spent. There's no buyer's regret, and if she writes more books like this, I will gladly spend on her wisdom again. If you have any questions for me concerning the topics and content, feel free to ask under my review.