LEARNING CALLIGRAPHY- A GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED

Learning the ancient art of calligraphy is lots of fun and is also a very practical skill. Once you get some practice, no doubt you’ll have lots of family and friends asking you to write beautifully for them!  Here is a guide to getting started on your journey of learning calligraphy:

BELIEVE YOU CAN

People often say that their handwriting is ‘so terrible’ that they wouldn’t be able to do calligraphy.  Although it may look complicated, by practicing basic calligraphy strokes anyone can learn to write beautifully.  You do need to learn specific calligraphy techniques, but with regular practice you’ll be on the way to writing well in no time.

CHOOSE YOUR STYLE

Modern, copperplate or brush calligraphy? Dip pen or brush pen? With the resurgence in popularity of calligraphy in recent years comes a huge range of styles and tools. When starting out it can be a bit confusing as to what to learn so have a look at some different styles and pick the one that most appeals. You can start with those basic calligraphy tools and principles. Then you can expand your skills to include other calligraphy styles later on. You’ll also start to develop your own style because calligraphy writing is unique for each person.

BUILD GOOD FOUNDATIONS

Learning calligraphy is a great hobby because all you really need is a pen, ink and paper. Make sure you start your calligraphy journey with the best supplies. That way you can focus on your technique and not have to struggle with scratchy nibs, watery ink and porous paper. We can provide supplies in our special beginners calligraphy kit here

The best foundation to achieve consistency is to learn the basic strokes of calligraphy and then build up to letters and words. Create good lettering habits by practicing regularly.

GET GOOD KNOWLEDGE

There are lots of resources to help you learn calligraphy so choose a way that suits your learning style best. You may like to learn from a book, online videos or face to face lessons. Seek good instruction on the correct tools to use, how to set them up, and how to use those tools to form calligraphy letter strokes.

STAY MOTIVATED

Find time to practice regularly and you’ll see that you are making progress. Part of learning calligraphy is being inspired by all the gorgeous projects you can create with your lettering. You can apply your new-found skills to write calligraphy on place cards or envelopes. Or you can create greeting cards or wall art.

Seek out a community of people you can learn from and be inspired by, either a local group or on social media. Don’t compare and get discouraged though! Be patient with yourself.

Another way to stay motivated is by trying new pens or ink and developing your skills further. Seeing your beautiful calligraphy in glittering gold ink is a great feeling. Have fun experimenting with a variety of materials.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

Learning calligraphy is such a satisfying and relaxing hobby. So by starting well with quality supplies and instruction, you’ll be lettering in style in no time!

And if you need a little help on your journey, please check out our lesson options here