Explore Letters and the Alphabet

This book is about letters and alphabets and how they can be used in an exploratory and creative way in art. The aim is to encourage the reader to complete letter related projects with hands-on involvement.

Children and adults can often feel daunted when having to express themselves in realistic terms using everyday subjects. They feel less inhibited when using letter forms with which they are more familiar. Letters and alphabets are inspirational for design and creativity. As well as providing a fascinating means of learning about history and culture, their intrinsic shapes and designs lend themselves to expression and manipulation.

Each chapter focuses on one of the fourteen alphabets representing a range of design and writing systems. The format is made up of an appropriate figure, maps, historical texts and relevant material associated with that alphabet.

Exploring Letters and the Alphabet is an art project book based on illustration as well as text. In an increasingly multicultural society, a knowledge of other letters and alphabets encourages a greater awareness and respect for other cultures, while also exploring similarities those cultures may have with one's own.