Basic Hand Lettering: Bubble Embellishments

Is there anything more fun than bubbles? Just as real ones can make anyone smile, sketched ones can add a touch of whimsy to any lettered piece. If you’re working with a lighthearted phrase, adding bubbles as an embellishment could be the perfect way to enhance your design. They’re very easy to create, just a combination of some basic shapes…tkae a look.

Step 1: Draw a circle.

Don’t worry about making it perfectly round. In fact, it looks more natural if it’s not! If you’ve ever watched bubbles as they float away, you’ll notice that the breeze is constantly changing their shape.

Step 2: Add a small rectangular shape and circle in the upper right.

These act as highlight areas to show light reflecting off of the bubble and create dimension. I like to keep the edges of my rectangle rounded rather than sharp.

Step 3: Draw a curving line on the bottom left inside your bubble.

This also helps to show that the shape has depth instead of being a flat circle.

Step 4: Use a light blue marker to add a bit of color on the inside edges.

Bubbles can certainly be drawn in black and white too, but a touch of color really brings them to life.

Step 5: Add a shadow.

A quick line with a grey marker will do the trick and make your bubble look like it’s floating off the paper.

Once you master drawing a bubble, don’t stop there! Bubbles rarely travel alone, right? Instead, fill your page with them and maximize the fun. Here’s a sample design you can recreate as you practice! Start by printing “Don’t forget to” with your brush pen. Don’t worry about pencil lines and keeping things straight, just write on any angle or curve you like…this design is all about letting loose and having fun! Use a bright colored marker to write “play,” then outline it in black and add some dots in another dark color for accents. Create shadows with your grey marker. I chose to leave some space between my letters and shadow lines this time to make the word really seem to jump off the page. Finally, start filling in with bubbles anywhere you want them to go. Whaddya think?

Now, give yourself permission to let loose and have some fun today!