Try your hand at calligraphy and lettering
Calligraphy and lettering is a great way to get creative for those of us who haven’t been blessed with the skills of illustration.
It’s structured and practical, meaning it can be learned and mastered through practice. If you’re interested in giving it a go, here’s some websites and resources that can help you do it.
Sourcing your materials
To get started, you’ll need a few materials, but this doesn’t need to be expensive.
- Pens: A manuscript round hand set will give you the nibs you need to try a few different styles.
- Ink: Calligraphy ink bottles are around £5 to purchase, or can be picked up as a set with a pen included.
- Paper: Calligraphy paper and stencil paper can help you give form to your letters when you’re practicing, and might be useful as you’re first starting out.
Online Tutorials
Once you have the materials you need, here’s some free online guides to help get you started.
The beginner’s guide to modern calligraphy from a blog called the Postman’s Knock is a brilliant place to start. It’s visual, informative and has a few videos to help you get to grips with everything from holding your pen to mastering the lettering itself.
The website Calligraphy Skills also has a useful beginner’s guide about how to write calligraphy which includes some of the more technical aspects you might want to know when it comes to holding the pen and controlling the ink.
If you’re interested in beautiful lettering but not in traditional calligraphy, this guide to ‘faux calligraphy’ is a great place to start – perfect for any beginners looking to quickly pick up some decent lettering skills for things like party or wedding invitations.
If, on the other hand, you want to learn the more traditional styles like gothic Blackletter, this brilliant guide offers an insight into its history, tips to get started, and links to free worksheets where you can practice.
Finally, for anyone left handed who struggles with the tips above, these ‘lefty tips’ from the blog Dawn Nicole are exactly what you need to get started.
Have you ever tried calligraphy?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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