The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering: Create and Develop Your Own Style - INCLUDES 3 BUILT-IN CHALKBOARDS Hardcover – Illustrated, September 22, 2015

Fun book! Very easy to follow and encouraging in style. I love chalk signs and wanted to learn how to make my own. Let me say, my handwriting is STINKY and if I just handwrote a sign, it would look terrible (I've tried and failed!). I also have no drawing experience. I bought the book because the author swears you don't need to have good handwriting to hand letter a sign and she is very encouraging. She is right! We were having a big party for my hubby's 50th and I wanted to make a sign to greet guests in the hallway. I didn't have time to do all the lessons, but I read thru the book and copied some of the lettering styles and embellishments in the book. My first effort was great and it was too fun - and it only took like half and hour! I had no idea I could draw like this, since my writing is all over the place. Go for it - you never know the talents you have unless you try new things, and this book is an excellent tool to learn to make chalk art!

My daughter is very creative with chalk, has been her whole life. She is expecting her first child so I bought her a sandwich-style chalkboard (like you see at coffee shops) figuring it will be extra special for birthdays, holidays, announcements, etc. I bought her some chalk markers as well as regular, old-school white chalk...and this amazing book! It is incredible, it has everything from how to season your chalkboard to sharpening your chalk with a pencil sharpener (who knew!!!). Do not hesitate to buy it, you will not be sorry!

This is not only a great chalk lettering book, it is a great Lettering book, period. I have a lot of books on lettering, calligraphy, design, and the like, and this is one of the most useful lettering books I have ever used.The author begins by clearly and succinctly explaining different kinds of type-face, with a super easy description of serifs and flourishes. She uses simple language throughout, and builds on skills in easy steps. I not only learned a lot about working with chalk, I learned a lot about all decorative lettering, from how to write out different fonts to how to lay out a composition. I am truly astonished by how user friendly and useful this book it.Recommend to anyone who want to work on lettering.

I bought this book to help with my lettering using chalkboard MARKERS, however, most of the techniques in this book really only apply to using actual chalk - utilising the dust, etc. It's actually a really awesome book - well written with clear instructions, so the error was on my part not checking clearly what I was buying. I love the cute chalkboards on the front and back fold out cover, so you can start practicing right away. I will be able to use some of these techniques with my chalkboard markers, so I'm glad to have it and read it anyway.

This was actually my gift and I'm loving it. I've always been a fan of calligraphy and lettering and wanted to learn a few new fonts and techniques. I got more than I bargained for. This book is packed with not only letters, but different frames, embellishments, how to do shadows (YES!) an more. I love the different projects to try and the chalkboards included actually work just like chalkboards. There is a lined board in the front and then folded boards in the back which you can open and look at the tutorials as you draw...or fold to the back to use sketchbook style. It is a very well designed and thoughtful book and a great value for the money. I purchased the Allary Chalk Cartridge Set, sold here on Amazon, to go along with this purchase and LOVE them. They are a great companion to the book as they are thin chalks in a mechanical pencil type holder that don't need to be sharpened (but can be) and I was very surprised that they weren't waxy. - Denise Cold

I have been a fan of Valerie McKeehan's work for a while now so I was quick to pre-order this book.When it arrived, I dug right in. The author does a great job of breaking down her process and the various elements of a chalk lettering design. She gives step by step advice and encourages practicing each and building skills at each step. The descriptions are clear and she makes the process approachable. She encourages everyone - even those with messy handwriting - to focus on refining their skills and using her provided tips to develop a unique personal style.Whether it works or not will depend on how much I work it. As they say, practice makes perfect. As you would expect with any skill, there is definitely a learning curve and it will improve with practice but this book has essentially everything I need to coach me through that process. I have always wanted to be able to create a beautiful lettering design on a chalkboard and with this book's help, I think I'll get there.

We purchased this as a gift for a relative who just recently bought a display chalkboard for use at home. She would write notes relating to the season/holiday at hand or inspirational sayings. After receiving this, she has taken her displays to a new level! She is a creative person, but not an artist per se. She said using the techniques and examples in the book, it is very easy to get great results.

This book is amazing! The author presents the material in an organized, concise fashion that enables the reader to grasp the knowledge quickly. The book begins with the fundamentals of chalk lettering, including how to properly prep a chalkboard (wish I had known about this one a long time ago), how to sharpen the chalk and dusting techniques before expanding to concepts such as font families and stoke techniques. Finally, it teaches the readers how to develop their own unique, individualized styles. The book covers include chalkboard practice surfaces so you can implement the techniques as you read through chapters.I bought this book after purchasing some chalkboard contact paper that somehow led to me creating my own labels. I'm happy that I bought this book because it has tremendously helped me advance my skills.