October 29, 2013

Calligraphy Tutorial | Getting Started, Calligraphy Lowercase "a-z"


This little exemplar is the "nuts and bolts" foundation to all pointed pen calligraphy. If you've never seen one before…you may be scratching your head thinking, "How does this differ from the cursive I learned in grade school?" 

Well, the main difference is the "magical" pen. Remember that pen holder and nib that we talked about yesterday ? That's the one. This awesome tool is what allows you get those desirable, lovable and gorgeous thick and thin lines. YUMMY!

Without writing a book here (we'll suggest some fabulous ones tomorrow), getting the thick and thin lines in your letters is both simple AND difficult. It's simple because all it takes is PRESSURE. It's difficult because you have to learn how the pen behaves and make the pressure smooth. Only then will you have swoon-worthy letters.

To use the this exemplar, follow the directional arrows (from left to right), and press down on the pen when the line is thick and lift off of the pressure when it's thin. You'll want to take some time to play around with the whole pressure thing before diving into letters. Try some lines and circles until you get the hang of it!

Ready for some really JUICY letters? Here's Bailey in action!



A little parting wisdom for the new-calligrapher...

Calligraphy Truths:

-Calligraphy takes Practice. And not just a little…but a whole lot.

-You'll know within a few hours of classes (or practice) whether or not calligraphy is for you.

-It takes LASER-LIKE focus--especially if you want to spell things right.

-Writing something meaningful is MUCH more inspiring than the alphabet. Get the basics down and move onto "real" words. (Like a song, poem, recipe, ode to your cat…whatever speaks to you)

-You'll never, NEVER stop learning. Calligraphy is a vast and fascinating subject. Once you start…it's like getting sucked into the rabbit hole with no turning back.

-Buy quality supplies. It make ALL of the difference.

-Calligraphers are the most friendly and awesome bunch of folks on the planet (kinda bias here)--but they're truly the best resource out there. Find a mentor and ask questions!

-On Instagram, it seems like all calligraphers have adorable cats. Don't know why…but it is true. (Guilty here too!)
We'll be back with your CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT RESOURCES tomorrow. Until then…

Peace, love and letters,
Emma & Bailey

14 comments:

  1. OMG I love you guys for doing this! =D

    I live in a place where calligraphy is pretty rare and there's no workshops so this is a god send.


    Thank you again!

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    1. Yay JiaJia! We're so glad that you're loving the new series:)
      xo
      Bailey

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    2. Hey! Wow this is really cool! Is there any script of the capital letters in calligraphy? If you do, please send it to me and I would be very grateful!

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  2. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and beautiful talent with us! Can't wait to get stuck in!

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  3. Can I ask where you get the dotted paper from that's in the video?? Thanks!

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    1. Hi Erika,
      Its from a Rhodia notepad. Rhodia is the best paper for practicing.

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    2. Is there any Rhodia notepads you would recommend as best for practicing? They have so many options it's hard to know which is right!

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    3. Hi Katherine,
      They are all the same type of paper and all work well. I typically suggest the graph or ruled paper for practicing so that you don't have to draw lines to stay straight. I use all of them in the studio so it doesn't hurt to have a collection!!
      The size of the pad is probably more important. The 9x12 ones are my favorite! Hope this helps:)
      xo
      Bailey

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  4. I LOVE watching calligraphy! It seriously never gets old. What nib are you using in this video? Thank you so much!

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    Replies
    1. Brianne, I totally agree...it never, ever gets old. There is something supremely relaxing about it! The nib used was a Nikko G.
      xo
      Bailey

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  5. I just stumbled upon this on Pinterest. I've been looking for something like this FOREVER. Following you on bloglovin' now, too!

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  6. What do you call a nib that creates thin upstrokes and thick down strokes? thank you very much!

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  7. Some of your post here really made me confused. But rather i enjoyed reading your post, lots of new ideas i have found. Thanks for sharing!
    Calligraphy

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