Calligraphy for beginners (2023)
Welcome to an introduction on Calligraphy for beginners. For centuries people have used calligraphy as a form of writing, art, and communication. When you walk through stores, you can spot handwriting and calligraphy on signage, posters, and even product packaging. Nowadays with modern technology, people can learn to letter from their iPad or smartphone.
Many people think calligraphy may just be a dying art form, but it’s still more relevant than ever. Considering the hundreds, if not thousands of fonts to choose from, calligraphy is still very present in our everyday lives.
Calligraphy for Beginners may seem like an arduous task at first. However, with just a little bit of practice, you’ll be making your own, unique Calligraphy in no time! In this article, we’ll explore the origins of Calligraphy, Western Calligraphy, Modern day Calligraphy, and the style of hand lettering.
Don’t forget to download your free copy of our Calligraphy for Beginners: Champignon Calligraphy practice template at this article’s end.
Calligraphy Origins
The word Calligraphy originates from Greece and directly translates to “To write with beauty”. It requires one to write with immaculate detail and maintain its composition.
Many script-based languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, and Hebrew are written with strong illustrations. It is said that Calligraphy is rooted in ancient China. Traditional artists would carve illustrations into the shells of Tortoises and animal bones. This was later adapted into the Chinese ink brushes we know today.
Artists began to note that ink density and water absorption all played a part in the final result. The influences of Chinese Calligraphy later went into practice in countries such as Japan and Korea and opened doors to all those who invented their own form of handwritten art.
Western Calligraphy
If you’re familiar with Calligraphy, it’s most likely Western. Western Calligraphy is most recognizable because of its use of the traditional Latin alphabet. This too includes the use of the Cyrillic and Greek alphabets. It is said that the Romans used feather quills dipped in ink to write on long rolls of paper, which was later adapted by Churches to copy Biblical texts into modern Calligraphy.
Calligraphic writing has played an extraordinary part in the history of the West, dating back as far as the 18th Century when officiated documents were hand-scripted or drawn up in engrossed, handwritten form.
Calligraphy continued to maintain its relevancy through the 18th century – mainly through commissioned work such as wedding invitations, memorial documents, and company logos.
The well-known Western establishment – Mac Donalds – has been using Calligraphy with their original McCafe franchise for years.
Modern-day Calligraphy
One cannot define modern-day Calligraphy to a specific style, as it is an adaptation of both Western and Eastern handwriting styles, with the freedom to create your own variations.
If we were to put a label on Modern-day Calligraphy – it would be any Calligraphy aside from Traditional Calligraphy. Traditional Calligraphy in the style of Copperplate or Spencerian is written with specific strokes and formations, whereas Modern-day gives you the freedom to create your own, unique Calligraphy.
Some helpful points to follow when attempting Modern-Day Calligraphy:
#1 – Modern-Day Calligraphy doesn’t adhere to Traditional Rules
The majority of traditional Calligraphy styles require you to follow very particular styles and letterforms, whereas Modern Day Calligraphy doesn’t stress the details. You are free to create what your heart desires.
#2 – Modern-Day Calligraphy is easily accessible
There is a niche for almost everything. Nowadays, a simple Google search can take you as far as Pinterest boards for Calligraphy, downloadable practice templates, and even Facebook communities devoted to Calligraphy.
#3 – Modern-Day Calligraphy can mix and match.
Instead of spending time learning the whole Alphabet for each form of Calligraphy, introduce letters you find stand out for you and emulate them in your new projects.
If a specific letter stood out for you in your last writing, try introducing it into your latest piece, mixing and matching different Calligraphy forms to create a new one.
Hand Lettering
Hand lettering is the art of taking traditional Calligraphy and reshaping it to make something completely new. Unlike Calligraphy which is created in a single stroke – hand lettering is the art of taking the body of the letter and drawing on top of it to create something completely new.
Hand lettering doesn’t require you to be picture-perfect – that’s one of its best features, you’re the creator, and there are no restrictive guidelines you need to follow.
Lettering has evolved so much that it is now common in household decorations and crafts.
In Conclusion
In this blog, we’ve learned about the origins of, Eastern and Western, and Modern-Day styles of Calligraphy, and how hand lettering differentiates from the traditional one-stroke style of Calligraphy.
Now that you’ve got an idea of how Calligraphy works and how you can create your own unique style through Traditional or Modern-Day styles, you’re finally ready to put that pen to paper!
Still not sure where to start? We suggest finding yourself an intricate Fountain Pen such as the Parker Vector XL Fountain Pen and grabbing a copy of our Downloadable Champignon template below!