Capital letter · 2 of 26
Bubble letter B
A bubble B keeps a flat back on the left and two round bumps on the right, the lower one a little fuller, each with a slit of a hole.
- The font
- Modak. Round, puffed up. Free to use, from the catalogue.
- Step by step
- 1Sketch an upright line with a small bump at its top and a bigger one under it.
- 2Puff both bumps and the back out evenly, rounding the two corners where the bumps leave the back.
- 3Leave a small hole in each bump, and a notch on the right where the two bumps meet.
- 4Add shadow round the outer curve of both bumps and beneath the lower one, with a shine on the upper left of the back.
- Watch for
- Bumps of the same size make a B look top-heavy, and a lost notch on the right merges them into a D. Draw the upper bump smaller and dent the right side clearly where the two meet.
- Mixed up with
Round the back as well as the bumps and a bubble B becomes an 8; flatten the bumps into one and it is a D.
- Practise with
- Birthday · Best · Ben · Boom
01 / In other fonts
B in 4 more fonts
Coiny keeps the biggest holes in its B, 23% of the letter’s height across, and Modak the smallest, a slit of 5%. Rubik Bubbles draws the widest B for its height and Bagel Fat One the narrowest.
02 / To colour in
A page to colour
On US Letter the sheet prints the B 133 mm tall and 121 mm wide, 5.2 by 4.8 inches, with about 141 cm² to colour, its two holes about 6 mm across; on A4, 129 by 117 mm. The alphabet sheets print A to Z or your own name.
One page: the B big and hollow in Modak to colour in, and the same B in the other fonts under it. Crayons, markers or paint; or trace it.
In the print dialog choose Save as PDF to keep a file. The sheet fills one page of US Letter at full size.
Preview · 1 page · Modak
03 / Questions
Bubble B, answered
A 3D bubble letter is its outline drawn twice, the copy a little down and to the right, the corners joined.
Where does the depth go on a 3D bubble B?
The 3D edge hugs the right side of both bumps, dips into the notch between them and runs along the bottom. Inside each hole it shows as a crescent at the top left.
How do I keep a bubble B from looking like an 8?
Keep the left side straight: an 8 is round on both sides, a B only on the right. Bagel Fat One dents its B on the left as well, near the top, which brings it nearest an 8 among the five.
How do you colour a bubble B?
The two holes are tiny, so trace round them with a fine pen before filling; colour the bumps in different shades to show they are two.