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# Illuminated Letter B Watercolor Tutorial With Gold Paint
- URL: https://cecilieo.com/illuminated-letter-b/
- Published: 2020-07-21T12:27:26.000Z
- Updated: 2024-08-02T15:08:35.000Z
- Description: With inspiration from a medieval alphabet, draw and watercolor an illuminated letter B with your own creative flair. Video tutorial included.
- Author: Cecilie Okada
- Tags: Letters & Gold, #wordpress, #Import 2024-04-18 19:07

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Medieval manuscripts are full of beautiful, illuminated letters. Would you like to learn how to draw your own version of an illuminated letter B? In this tutorial, I take you through the creative process. I have also provided a video where you can see the process in action. 

Taking inspiration from a 12th-century medieval alphabet, I sketched the letter shape until I came up with a version I liked. Using the creative method described in the [letter A blog post](https://cecilieo.com/illuminated-letter-a-watercolor-tutorial/), I decided on a flower, saved images from Google search for reference, and let my hand loose.

I have provided a [free PDF with the line art and letter B practice sheet](https://newsletter.cecilieo.com/one-tree-art-club?ref=cecilieo.com) in the One Tree Art Club library. You can draw from scratch or use my outline to paint your own illuminated letter. In this article, I show you [how to make watercolor gold paint.](https://cecilieo.com/how-to-make-watercolor-gold-paint-in-four-easy-steps/)

## The drawing process

I first started drawing the flower. With the flower partially drawn, I embarked on the letter shape. Following this order, it is easy to integrate the flower with a letter shape. 

If you first draw the full letter and then try to combine it with a flower, you may find yourself frustrated and stuck. It can become a puzzling dilemma of how to make it work. I know because I tried it many times before it dawned on me how to take the easy route.

When I recorded the drawing process, the camera was too close to my hand, so in this video, you will learn about the application of watercolor, gold paint, and colored pencils.

![Inspiration from a medieval alphabet for drawing an illuminated letter B](https://apsiflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/inspiration-alphabet-illuminated-letter-B-cecilie-okada.jpg)

![Flower inspiration for drawing an illuminated letter](https://apsiflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/inspiration-flower-illuminated-letter-B-cecilie-okada.jpg)

*Top: My sketches of the letter B, taking inspiration from a 12th-century alphabet. Bottom: A photograph of this flower in a meadow is the inspiration for my artwork. I used my botanical handbook to randomly select a flower species for my illuminated letter and then search online for a photograph..* 

You can download a [free practice sheet for letter B](https://newsletter.cecilieo.com/one-tree-art-club?ref=cecilieo.com) and then have a go at creating an illuminated letter yourself. If you want to focus on painting or coloring only, the [PDF includes the line drawing of my letter B that you can trace or print out.](https://newsletter.cecilieo.com/one-tree-art-club?ref=cecilieo.com)

[![Free resources for drawing an illuminated letter B](https://apsiflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/illuminated-letter-B-free-download.jpg)](https://newsletter.cecilieo.com/one-tree-art-club?ref=cecilieo.com)

Some more tutorials with illuminated letters:

- [Illuminated Letter A Watercolor Tutorial](https://cecilieo.com/illuminated-letter-a-watercolor-tutorial/)
- [How to Paint an Illuminated Letter E With Watercolor Gold](https://cecilieo.com/illuminated-letter-e-with-watercolor-gold/)
- [How To Make Gold Watercolor In Four Easy Steps](https://qiita.com/advent-calendar/2022/sveltekit?ref=cecilieo.com)
- [Swan Watercolor With Illuminated Letters](https://cecilieo.com/swan-watercolor-with-illuminated-letters/)
- [Illuminated Letter C Watercolor Tutorial](https://cecilieo.com/illuminated-letter-c-watercolor-tutorial/)
- [How to Make Your Flower Painting Shine With Watercolor Gold](https://cecilieo.com/watercolor-gold-flower-tutorial/)

For art materials needed for this tutorial, check my [Guide to Art Supplies](https://cecilieo.com/guide-to-art-supplies/).

[![Download free line art & more](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/free-download-graphic.png)](https://newsletter.cecilieo.com/one-tree-art-club?ref=cecilieo.com)