Letter Styles
Primary 4 · Creative Arts
Letter Styles
Lesson 2 of 4
15 min
Let's begin
The school is having a football match on Friday. Keza is asked to make the big sign for the gate. "The letters must be thick," says the head teacher, "so that people on the road can read them."
Keza needs block letters.
Block letters are thick, simple letters. Every part of the letter has the same thickness, and there are no curls or little feet. They are easy to read from far away, so they are used on signs, posters and noticeboards.
The easiest way to draw them neatly is on a grid of squares.
Most letters are 4 squares wide. But I is narrow, only 1 square wide. M and W are wide, about 5 squares, because they have more strokes. If you squeeze M into 4 squares, it looks crowded.
Remember how you drew a box in Unit 1? Letters can have depth too. Draw each letter again, shifted a little down and to the right, and colour only the part that peeps out, in a dark colour. This is a shadow, and it makes the letters look solid, like blocks of wood.
Next time you walk through your town or village, look at the shop signs, the bus signs and the signs at the health centre. Which ones use thick block letters? Can you read them from across the road?
Tip
Same thickness, same height, same gap
Check these three things and your block letters will always look neat.
Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
What is special about the thickness of block letters?
Answer: Every part of the letter is the same thickness.
Which is wider in block letters: I or W?
Answer: W.
Mugisha leaves no space between his letters. What happens?
Answer: The letters touch and run together, so the word is hard to read.
Which way do you shift a letter to draw its shadow?
Answer: A little down and to the right (or any one direction, as long as every letter uses the same one).
Make it: On squared paper, draw your first name in block letters, 5 squares tall. Add a shadow to make it 3D.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa, including the diagrams and the exercises (Try it yourself and the practice questions).
Quick check
Keza's block letters are 4 squares wide. How wide should she make the letter I?
