Our own drawing, from the Alphabet Atlas letter set.
Bubble letter Q (and q)
A bubble letter Q is the plain letter Q puffed up into a rounded tube with a dark outline, and the quickest way to draw one is to sketch the thin letter first, outline it one finger-width outside, round every corner and erase the first line.
Q and q in 6 colours
About the bubble letter Q
Bubble Q and q sit at position 17 of 26 in the alphabet. In English text q is the 25th most common letter, making up about 0.1% of the letters, so you will draw it often.
The lowercase q has a closed hole (a counter). In a bubble version the tube grows into that hole, so keep the hole at least a thumb-width across or it fills in and q starts to look like a blob. Its tail drops below the line, so leave room underneath the row before you start.
The capital Q has an enclosed shape too, so the same rule applies: draw the outline around the outside, then a second smaller outline inside the hole.
How to draw it, step by step
- Sketch a thin, light Q in pencil. Start on the top line at the middle. Go all the way round in a closed oval and meet your starting point, ending on the top line at the middle.
- Draw a second line about a finger-width outside the first, all the way round. If the letter has holes, draw a smaller line inside each one.
- Round every corner and merge the outlines wherever two strokes meet or cross.
- Erase the first sketch, add a short curved highlight near the top left of each stroke, then colour it in and darken the outline.
The thin letter underneath
Every display letter starts as a plain letter. These are the strokes of the thin version:
- Start on the top line at the middle. Go all the way round in a closed oval and meet your starting point, ending on the top line at the middle.
- Lift your pen and start again just below the dashed midline at the middle. Draw a straight line down and to the right, ending on the baseline at the right side.
Tips for bubble letters
- Fat letters need space: leave about a quarter of a letter-width between neighbours.
- Keep the outline the same width all the way round; it is the detail that makes the letter look professional.
- A highlight on the same side of every letter makes a row of bubble letters look lit from one direction.
Words that start with Q
More about this letter
See the same letter in other styles: cursive q, cursive capital Q, print q. Or use the bubble letters generator for a whole word.
Questions about the bubble letter Q
How do you draw a bubble letter Q?
A bubble letter Q is the plain letter Q puffed up into a rounded tube with a dark outline, and the quickest way to draw one is to sketch the thin letter first, outline it one finger-width outside, round every corner and erase the first line.
Is the bubble letter Q free to use?
Yes. The q on this page was drawn for Alphabet Atlas, so you can print it and use it for school projects, posters, cards and notes. Please do not resell the artwork as a font.
How do I make a whole word in bubble letters?
Open the bubble letters generator, type your text, choose colours and download a PNG with a transparent background.