An Abecedary to color: L

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full-page, printable.  

Two weeks ago I showed you the way that printing your letter onto  parchment paper can add a Celtic feel to your color choice.  There are lots of other background textures that will help your letters create a different visual story. 

Here I printed a cross-stitch capital L onto denim motif paper and colored it in with colored pencils in two shades of lavender.  The slight variation in tone imitates the texture of yarn.  Voila: personalized bluejeans!  

I have left the grid lines showing in this example. If you want the cross-stitch L without the grid, I've pinned that version onto my Pinterest board, "An Abecedary to Color." 

Abecedary to color: E

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high-resolution printable. 

These E s are older than 300 years.  The six letters here show the different forms of E, as well as the many kinds of decorative vinery that the illuminator can choose from.   

COLORING TIPS:
The last E on the page is derived from one of the earliest books printed in South America. I included it because I studied with the researcher, Antonio Rodriquez-Buckingham, when I spent some years at school learning about rare books.  (Here’s what I learned; there is no end to what you need to know about rare books.)  

I included this E to remind you to read the notes I’ve provided on where I found the letters.  They can point you toward color ideas. 

But I also want to remind you that Europe and England are not the only sources for beautiful old letters, nor does North America have a monopoly.  Letter designs in the New World come from all the Americas.  Anglo-Americans should remind themselves that the founding of San Marcos University in Lima predates Harvard by 85 years; a printing press was established in Lima 54 years before the one in Massachusetts. 

To reinforce the Peruvian 
connection, you can borrow from the distinctive blue, turquoise, and golden- yellow color scheme of the distinctive ceramic tiles.  (Though they originated in Spain, and then were brought to Lima, they are now more generally found with an online search for “Mexican tiles.”)    

Abecedary coloring tips: D

Warm! ☀︎

Cool... ❅

Print your page out on paper that adds a background color of its own.  For a striking effect, combine orange, pink, and yellow on pale yellow.  Or, if that feels too hot in late summer's muggy weather, create a cooler effect with deep blue and fuchsia on lilac paper. 

Abecedary to color: D

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high-resolution printable. 

The letter D is shown on this page in a wide variety of its forms, from sources as old as medieval manuscripts and as new as Ben Shahn's 1930s posters.   

Abecedary Coloring Tips: C

Create your background with a wash
of blue watercolor, or find a free image
online to print out. (It’s courteous to
check the copyright status of any
image you use and cite your source
whenever it is requested).

You can print out the full page
of six versions of the letter C.  

You can reinforce your letter’s decorative motif with a background of color and texture.  Here, at right, a wash of pale blue adds the illusion of depth to the fishes who form the letter C. 

Abecedary to color: C

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Here is a page of the letter C. These are complicated!  You can use a lot of different colors, preferably with small points for detail.   

An Abecedary to Color: B

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high-resolution printable. 

Here is your second page of  capitals to print out and color in each week.  Try your favorite colors; then check back in a few days to see this week's "Abecedary Coloring Tips." 

An Abecedary of Calligraphy Capitals to color in: A

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the full-size page.    

These capitals are free for you to print out and color in.  They first appeared a book I wrote and drew for Macmillan Publishing, Capitals for Calligraphy, which explains how to design a single letter and use it on the page.  Starting with these designs for A, I plan to post one page per week, giving you 156 letters from my collection of thousands.  Enjoy! 

Answers to FAQ: 

• Abecedary is an antique word for “alphabetical collection.”  
• The letter pages are copyright free for your own use.  Use them in your calligraphy projects.  
• In the comments section, ask me anything.  

If you like historical lettering, check out my Pinterest board Beautiful Letters from the Past.