The Art of Caligraphy

The Art of Calligraphy 

For people like me, that are not so good with art, calligraphy seems like something only a professional can do.  But it's actually not that hard!  Calligraphy is super easy if you know how to do the simple basics.  To learn the beautiful and unique art of calligraphy I used the "Complete Calligraphy" set by Hinkler.  Everything you need will be included in the set.  But the first step is learning how to correctly hold a calligraphy pen!

 Unlike a normal pen or pencil, a calligraphy pen has a certain technique to it and requires you to hold it a certain way.  The back of the pen shouldn’t be facing towards you or go towards to one of your shoulders.  It should seem like it's going right past your shoulder at a 45 degree angle (Bennet 56). When you’re holding your pen try to imagine that the pen is going past your shoulder.  This will guarantee that you’re holding your pen correctly.  This also helped me because at first I was holding the pen the same way we all hold a pencil, this was making my letters come with no dimension that italic letters come with.  But as I kept practicing and fixing my mistake, my letters got more and more better. Another way you can make sure you are holding you pen correctly is by making a V letter.  One side of the V letter should be a  thick line and the other side should have a thin line because of the angle in which you're holding the pen at (Bennet 57).  This method helped me not only to get used to holding the pen correctly, but also introduced me into writing/drawing with the pen. 

To make your skills of using the pen precise and prefect requires practice.  Try to draw a "+" sign.  If the pen is held correctly at a 45 degree angle, then both the horizontal and the vertical lines should end up to be the same.  The beginning tips of the vertical and the horizontal lines should have a slight slant to the beginning and ends. 

In order to start creating beautiful italic letters, you need to draw two lines.  Inside these two lines will be where you will actually writing the letters.  "The spaces between the guide lines are equal for the Italic alphabet are equal to five peri widths..." (Bennet 58).  Five peri widths make up a nib width which is basically the height or the gap between the two lines.  To draw a nib width, you have to draw a small horizontal dash or mark.  On top of this line that you just drew, draw another one stacked upon it diagonally.  Repeat this step until you have drawn five lines that are diagonally placed on each other.  Finally, draw two horizontal line that go to the end of the paper with a piece of pencil.  You should draw the first line starting at the top of the nib width and the second one starting at the bottom of the nib width.  Now you’re ready to start writing!

While writing the letters inside of the two lines you just created, the tops of the letters should go just slightly above the top line so it looks like the top of the letter is sitting on the line (58).  For letters such as g, j, and y, the bottom part of the letters should go below the bottom line, just like when you are writing normally with pencil and paper.  For now, getting the pen technique and writing the letters is the most important.  Next will be how to properly format the letters that you are going to be practicing to wright.  Are you willing to try the gorgeous art of calligraphy yet?

Bennett, Jim. Calligraphy for Dummies. For Dummies, 2007. Print.