How to Use Mixed Lettering on a Fishing Quote

Let’s draw some mixed lettering styles as we think about fishing with an illustrated quote.

I didn’t grow up fishing, but I did grow up going to the beach and the lake. These trips usually involved swimming, boat riding or skiing. But now I have a father-in-law who loves a good day fishing as well as a husband and couple of sons who enjoy it occasionally too.

Me? I love the fishing day feeling … the aura that goes with the idea of a peaceful day on the lake. Whenever I smell salt or lake air, I see the beauty of creation and feel that I’m-gone-and-might-not-be-back feeling.

Do you know the feeling too? Where do you go to let your cares drift away?

Today, we’ll try to recreate the feeling while we draw, letter, and paint a fishing quote.

Gather your supplies

Basic calligraphy supplies with Ziller ink
Basic Watercolor supplies
Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketcher’s Pocket Box
Lamp black for mixing and cerulean blue hue for sky, optional
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White
Mixed Lettering on a Fishing Quote Printable Worksheets

Read on for extra tips and tricks or jump to the video tutorial.

Choose a Fishing Quote and Mixed Lettering Styles

Start by choosing your fishing quote. In this tutorial, we’ll use, “Gone fishing. Be back … ?”

Now, spend some time thinking about that fishing feeling and what lettering styles share it. I like to pair block lettering styles with script lettering and incorporate some kind of visual when I work with lettering quotes. Fishing rods will do nicely.

When I talk about block letter styles, I mean any letter that works well as an outline that I can fill with a color or leave open, showing the watercolor background. Below, you can see a few styles I tried while brainstorming.

gone in block lettering — Let’s use the bottom one this time.

gone in two block lettering styles — Let’s use the bottom one this time.

The word fishing works well for those fishing rods because the top of the f and h stick up above the other letters. Let’s give it a try with some script lettering.

A simple, printed lettering style will work for “be back … ?” It’s a simple statement of truth, and the style feels that way too.

Fish Drawing

We need a little more of an illustration to capture that on-the-lake feeling. How about a fish jumping and some water?

If you want to make a little joke, draw your jumping fish away from where the fishing rods are fishing. (I always want to make a little joke.)

Gone fishing quote in mixed lettering styles — Use your calligraphy pen to vary the thickness of strokes as you letter and draw.

(If you’d like the lettering ideas and a final drawing in worksheet form, look for Mixed Lettering on a Fishing Quote in the products.)

Watercolor Background

Now, for a little color. Feel free to use the colors that look like water and sky to you. I used a watered down cerulean blue hue for the sky and mixed a couple of greens with lamp black until they looked like lake water, a little greener than ocean water.

Paint the sky first.

Hint: When painting with watercolor, it’s always a good idea to start at the top of the page. It allows you to keep working without getting your fingers/hands in the wet paint. It’s annoying to find spots of paint all over your artwork from where your hand lightly touched the wet paint and retouched another area.

As you’re painting, leave white areas for clouds. And remember, you can always tap a little more color in while it’s still wet, but it’s harder to remove color if you get too much.

painting a blue sky with watercolor — As you paint, leave white areas to look like clouds in your sky.

Then work down the page to paint the lake water colors in much the same way. Leave white areas where the light reflects off the water. Tap in a little ultramarine blue (found in the pocket box) while it’s still wet. The colors will continue to blend as they dry.

adding blue to the watercolor lake water — You can add more color while the paint is still wet.

Let it dry completely.

First layer of watercolor on the fishing quote — Notice how the green and blue in the lake blended as it dried.

Accent Colors

To help the letters of gone stand out from the background, paint them a darker shade of blue.

Hint: If you accidentally paint outside the lines (like I did), use a dry paper towel to pick it up off the page. If you do this right away, you should be able to remove most of it.

Use the lazy stippling watercolor technique to give the jumping fish a mottled look, a little like a bass.

Finally, use bleed proof white to paint a splash and droplets under the fish.

Paint a white splash under the jumping fish.

And you’re finished! What a great gift for your favorite fishing friend. It will remind them that it’s time for another day at the lake. Use it as a card or artwork to decorate their favorite room.