Welcome back to the Culinary Canvas! In this lesson, we’re finishing up our tomato basil pasta recipe illustration by adding the finishing touch: hand-lettering.

Lettering adds charm, personality, and balance to your artwork—and it’s a great way to fill in any blank spaces in your drawing. Whether you love script, block letters, or a mix of both, you’ll learn how to incorporate words naturally into your food illustration.

✨ Step 1: Choose Your Lettering Style

You don’t need to use the same style I do! I love mixing all caps with a script font for a playful, cozy look—but you can go with whatever feels most comfortable and fun for you.

✨ Step 2: Use Lettering to Fill Blank Spaces

As you add words, let them fill empty spots around your drawing. Don’t feel pressured to copy my placement exactly—this is where your personal style can shine!

Here’s how I arranged my lettering for this project:

• “San Marzano Tomatoes” tucked near the tomatoes.
  
  
• “Olive Oil” above the tomatoes, combining uppercase and script.
  
  
• In the center, I had extra space—so I added “Salt + Pepper” and surrounded it with tiny specks and dots to mimic salt and pepper flakes.
  
  

✨ Step 3: Personalize Your Illustration

Feel free to move your lettering around! The goal isn’t to copy my drawing exactly—it’s to help you build confidence with your own illustrations.

Once your lettering is done, you’re finished with the pen portion of this project! You can set your pen aside and get ready for the next step: adding watercolor.