Lowercase letter · 24 of 26
Lowercase bubble letter x
Lowercase bubble x is a squat cross of two thick strokes, its four arms parted by shallow round notches.
- The font
- Modak. Round, puffed up. Free to use, from the catalogue.
- Step by step
- 1Sketch two short slants crossing halfway up an x-height.
- 2Draw round both strokes at one distance, each of the four ends rounded.
- 3Hold all four notches open, even though a small x makes them shallow.
- 4Grey the lower right arm and the ends of both lower arms, with a glint on each upper tip.
- Watch for
- At this size the crossing swells into a knot. Keep the strokes a little thinner than the other small letters’.
- Mixed up with
Drop one lower arm and a bubble x turns into a y; Modak draws its x as loops, and so does Bagel Fat One, close to a bow or a figure of eight on its side.
- Practise with
- x-ray · xylophone · box · fox
01 / In other fonts
x in 4 more fonts
Titan One draws the widest x for its height and Modak the narrowest.
02 / To colour in
A page to colour
On US Letter the sheet prints the x 96 mm tall and 95 mm wide, 3.8 by 3.7 inches, with about 76 cm² to colour; on A4, 104 by 103 mm. The alphabet sheets print A to Z or your own name.
One page: the x big and hollow in Modak to colour in, and the same x 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 x, 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 x?
On a small x the depth runs along the outer sides of both lower arms and under the crossing.
Why do some bubble fonts draw x as loops?
Fat straight strokes meet in a lump; four round lobes look puffier and keep the notches open. Modak draws x that way, as does Bagel Fat One; Titan One and Coiny keep straight strokes.
How do you colour a bubble x?
Colour the strokes one at a time; a second colour shows where they cross.