Capital letter · 19 of 26
Bubble letter S
Bubble S is two fat curves turning opposite ways, the top one a little smaller, with both ends rounded off.
- The font
- Modak. Round, puffed up. Free to use, from the catalogue.
- Step by step
- 1Pencil an S whose upper curve is a little narrower than the lower one.
- 2Inflate the line to one thickness, finishing both ends in half circles.
- 3Keep the two bends wide: the white inside each turn closes quickly in a fat S.
- 4Shade beneath the top curve and the lower curve’s base, and put a shine on the upper curve.
- Watch for
- An S drawn too tight fills in at both bends and looks like a fat 8, or like a 5 if one end goes flat. Draw the thin S wide and open before you outline it.
- Mixed up with
With its ends curled in until they touch, a bubble S closes into an 8; with a flat top it looks like a 5.
- Practise with
- Super · Star · Sam · Sunny
01 / In other fonts
S in 4 more fonts
Modak draws the widest S for its height and Bagel Fat One the narrowest.
02 / To colour in
A page to colour
On US Letter the sheet prints the S 135 mm tall and 120 mm wide, 5.3 by 4.7 inches, with about 132 cm² to colour; on A4, 131 by 116 mm. The alphabet sheets print A to Z or your own name.
One page: the S big and hollow in Modak to colour in, and the same S 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 S, 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 S?
An S shows its depth under the top curve, outside the lower bend and under the bottom cap.
Why is a bubble S so hard to draw?
It has no straight stroke to lean on: two curves, each the other turned round, have to look the same weight. Draw the thin S first and outline it at one distance, and the weight follows.
How do you colour a bubble S?
Colour along the S, from the top end round both bends to the bottom end, so the colour follows the turn.