Embarking on Your Calligraphy Journey: A Beginner's Guide

Calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, might seem daunting to beginners, but with the right approach and resources, it can be a rewarding and relaxing hobby. This article will guide you through the different types of calligraphy, essential tools, practice techniques, and tips to help you start your lettering journey.

What Exactly is Calligraphy?

According to Merriam-Webster, calligraphy is defined as “artistic, stylized, or elegant handwriting or lettering” or “the art of producing such writing.” The root of the word, “kalli,” means “beautiful.” Essentially, any visually appealing writing can be considered calligraphy. Think of "calligraphy" as an umbrella term, like "cake"-there are many different kinds!

Exploring Different Calligraphy Styles

Understanding the various calligraphy styles is crucial because your choice dictates the tools, strokes, and techniques you'll need to learn. Selecting a style that excites you will keep you motivated throughout the learning process. Here's a breakdown of some popular styles:

Pointed Pen Calligraphy: This style uses a flexible pointed nib to create thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes by varying the pressure applied to the pen. Applying pressure splits the nib, creating a thick downstroke, while releasing pressure allows the split to close, resulting in a thin upstroke.
Broad Edge Calligraphy: Broad edge calligraphy employs nibs with a flat or angled edge. The thickness of the strokes is controlled by navigating the nib's width. Unlike pointed pen calligraphy, which relies on pressure, broad edge calligraphy focuses on the nib's position.

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Brush Pen Calligraphy: This style uses a tapered marker to create letterforms, drawing elements from both pointed pen and broad edge calligraphy. Stroke contrast is achieved by varying pressure and nib position. Virtually any marker with a pointed tip can be used for brush pen calligraphy.
Faux Calligraphy: Faux calligraphy involves manually filling in downstrokes with any writing instrument to mimic the look of traditional calligraphy.
Hand Lettering: For those who want to start slow, handwriting or hand lettering is a great place to begin. It doesn’t require any fancy tools or paper like some other styles of calligraphy. All you need is a piece of paper and a pencil to start practicing.
Ruling Pen Calligraphy: The newest style of calligraphy. The simplest explanation of it is trying to do brush calligraphy with sheet metal. It’s splattery appearance can be adjusted by the vigour you put into each stroke, and having greater texture in your paper.
Blackletter: These are blackletter scripts that I started with and therefore are my personal favourite. The pictures are to give you a basic idea of what is possible with broad edge tools. This family of scripts would be, in my humble opinion, the second easiest to learn but has a very high skill possibility and a LOT of different styles to pick from. The line variation is low compared to the pointed pen, as there is no difference in line thickness when you apply more pressure.

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Essential Tools for Beginners

The tools you need will vary depending on the calligraphy style you choose. Here are some recommendations for beginners:

Pencil and Paper: The most basic tools for learning faux calligraphy and practicing basic strokes. Any paper will do for practice, but using paper with guidelines is always helpful. Rhodia Grid Paper is a good choice.
Brush Pens: Tombow Fudenosuke small tip brush pen is a top recommendation for beginners because it offers control without feeling too soft or wobbly. Choose smooth paper to protect your brush pens.
Pointed Pen: A pointed pen, nib, and ink are required for pointed pen calligraphy.
Broad Edge Pen: A broad edge pen and ink are needed for broad edge calligraphy.
Ruling Pen: A ruling pen is needed for ruling pen calligraphy.

Mastering the Basic Strokes

Before attempting to write letters, it's essential to learn the basic strokes that form the foundation of every letter. For pointed pen and brush pen calligraphy, the key technique is applying light pressure on upstrokes and heavy pressure on downstrokes. Practice these strokes diligently to build a solid foundation.

Practice Exercises:

Light vs. Heavy Lines: Practice drawing a series of upstroke lines with a slight curve, keeping in mind the baseline and waistline. Then, practice drawing straight but slightly angled lines with heavy pressure.
Applying Principles to Letters: Write some letters, paying attention to where you press hard (downstrokes) and where you press lightly (upstrokes). Remember that calligraphy is broken out into basic strokes, so lift your pencil frequently, unlike cursive, which is continuous.

Learning Resources

There are numerous resources available to help you learn calligraphy, catering to different learning styles:

Online Courses: Many online courses are available for various calligraphy styles. TPK's Beginner's Modern Calligraphy Online Course is a great option for pointed pen calligraphy. Becca Courtice's "Show Me Your Drills" free online course is popular for brush pen calligraphy.
Books: Books offer structured learning resources with proper exemplars. "Foundations Of Calligraphy" by S. Waters is a fantastic resource for beginners and advanced calligraphers. "Modern Calligraphy" by Molly Suber Thorpe is an excellent all-in-one resource for pointed pen calligraphy. For broad edge calligraphy, try Margaret Shepard's "Learn Calligraphy."
Worksheets: Worksheets are helpful for self-paced learning. TPK is known for its free calligraphy worksheets. A purchase here allows infinite reprints of the best practice sheets I can offer. It also helps keep you up-to-date with new products and resources I release.
In-Person Workshops: Consider attending an in-person workshop to kick-start your calligraphy journey.
Discord Groups: Discussion groups like Discord are great places to practice and learn calligraphy.

Practice Tips for Beginners

Practice Regularly: Even 15-30 minutes of practice each day is more effective than a long session once a week.
Use Structured Exercises: Focus on structured exercises instead of randomly writing alphabets.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity: Prioritize slow, precise strokes over rushing through pages.
Challenge Yourself: Gradually increase the difficulty of your exercises.
Make it Fun: Find real-world calligraphy projects to apply your skills and keep the learning process enjoyable.
Clean Your Nibs: New nibs often have a manufacturer's coating that prevents ink from sticking properly. Clean the nib by wiping it with a paper towel dampened with saliva until the ink coats it evenly.
Dip into Ink the Right Way: Dip the nib just past the oval hole to ensure it holds the optimum amount of ink.
Hold Your Pen Correctly: Ensure your nib hits the paper at a 45-degree angle, and your vent hole faces straight up to the ceiling.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping the Basics: Don't skip the foundational steps, such as learning basic strokes.
Using the Wrong Tools: Ensure you have the right tools for the calligraphy style you're learning.
Comparing Yourself to Others: Focus on your own journey and progress, and don't get discouraged by comparing yourself to more experienced calligraphers.
Giving Up Too Soon: Calligraphy takes time and practice to master. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.

Applications of Calligraphy

Calligraphy can be applied to different mediums. It’s exciting that you are thinking of picking up a new hobby (the best one) but we first need to narrow what kind of calligraphy you are interested in learning first. You are going to love the ability to never use a store bought card again and create handmade gifts for your loved ones, or to write your crush a sweet note, ooooor when you are fully practiced, start your own business/store.

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