A in Bubble Letters

Outline version to colour or trace

How to draw a bubble capital A

1. 1Draw two thin slanted lines that lean toward each other but stop a little short of meeting, so the apex starts as a flat hill rather than a point.
2. 2Add a short crossbar about a third of the way up from the bottom, spanning the gap between the legs and not poking out past them on either side.
3. 3Inflate each leg into a rounded tube, then let the two tubes merge over the top into one smooth dome instead of a sharp tip.
4. 4Trace the outer contour in pen, then draw the small triangle counter above the crossbar as a rounded teardrop, leaving at least a pencil width of paper inside it.
5. 5Erase the skeleton, add a second shape under the crossbar if you like, and shade the right leg darker than the left.

Tip: Draw the inner triangle first as a plump teardrop, then wrap the outline around it. If the teardrop is fat enough, the apex rounds itself and you never have to fight the point.

How to draw a bubble lowercase a

1. 1Choose your form first: for the single-story a, draw a circle with a straight stem on its right edge, touching the circle's side.
2. 2For the double-story a, sketch a small bowl at the bottom and a curved hood over the top that lands on a short stem at the right.
3. 3Inflate the bowl so it is a round balloon, keeping its inner hole as an oval large enough to colour in.
4. 4Join the stem to the bowl by letting their outlines merge into one shape, with a slight pinch where the stem meets the circle.
5. 5Erase the guide lines and shade the belly, the lower right curve of the bowl, so the round part reads as the heaviest.

Tip: If you want the lowercase to match a row of other round letters, pick the single-story form. It is simply a bubble o with a stem, so its weight lines up with d, g and q.

What makes A awkward or easy

The trouble with A is the triangle. A closed counter of that size shrinks fast when each stroke gains an outline, and the crossbar sits right on top of it. The apex is the second problem because two outlines meeting at an angle make a point, which breaks the balloon look. The lowercase has a different issue: the double-story form has a tiny upper hole that disappears, which is why many bubble artists switch to the single-story shape.

Variations

Graffiti-style bubble A often leans the whole letter forward and drops the crossbar into a low heart-shaped bubble. A kid-friendly version draws A as a wide pear with a hole cut in the middle. For outline-only work, leave the counter white and shade just the crossbar. A 3D version pushes the extrusion toward the bottom right, which makes the apex look like the top of a rounded hill.

Common mistakes with bubble A

• The apex stays a sharp point at the top.

  Stop the skeleton legs short of touching so the outlines meet in a curve. Draw the top as an arch of paper, not a corner.

• The triangle counter closes into a dot.

  Move the crossbar lower or splay the legs wider before inflating, so there is still a visible hole after the outline is added.

• The crossbar sticks out past both legs.

  End the bar inside the outline of each leg. Its rounded ends should disappear into the legs, not hang in the air.

• The lowercase a looks like a lowercase o with a stray line.

  Attach the stem to the circle's right side so the outlines merge, and make the stem the same thickness as the bowl wall.

Ideas for bubble A

Capital A is the natural initial for names such as Ava, Amir or Aria, and a big bubble A with a face drawn inside makes a quick classroom door sign. A row of A, B and C in three colours suits a first alphabet poster. Monogram makers often tuck a smaller bubble letter into the counter of A, which gives you a ready-made space for a second initial.

Bubble A: questions