Ruled Calligraphy Paper. This is a test application I'm using to become familiar with the Google App Engine. You can use it to generate a ruled PDF suitable for calligraphy practice, with ascender and descender lines and slant guides.
For someone like me who gets bored easily, learning more than one script at a time is only natural. Although most calligraphers recommend learning only one script at a time, my ADD brain disagrees. Combined with the fact that there are so many beautiful scripts out there that I most definitely wanted to learn and practice (and still do!), I quickly realized I had to develop a system where I could work on more than one script at a time. Keeping this in mind, I developed the method listed below that allows me to build muscle memory for a new calligraphy script, while practicing the ones I’ve already learnt.The method listed below might not work for everyone. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t seem to make any progress.
Remember, calligraphy takes time. And consistent effort. Some calligraphers are more naturally inclined to grasp a new script faster whereas some take a wee bit more time. Nevertheless, you’ll get where you want to be. Don’t lose heart, and keep marching on!The five pointers listed below have worked wonderfully for me to quickly learn the basics of a new calligraphy script.
If these don’t work out for you, experiment! Spend more time on one method, or develop an entirely new one to see what works best for you.Ready to speed learn a new calligraphy script?
Use good quality toolsIf you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know that I always stress the importance of good quality tools.Note: I said good quality, not expensive. A $200 pen holder won’t work five times as better as a $50 one.
However, a $50 pen holder will most definitely work better than a $2 one. Understanding which tools work for you takes time, but to help you I’ve listed below my go-to tools. They’re relatively inexpensive, I use them on a daily basis, and they’ve never let me down.
Using good quality tools will help you enjoy your practice. Oblique pen holder by my mentor Master Penman Michael Sull.If you’re a more experienced calligrapher, you might want to use the Leonardt Principal EF. You may also substitute a good quality for the walnut ink, but remember to should you choose to do so. Use GuidelinesMost scripts have their own set of x-heights and slant angles. For instance, Copperplate uses a slant angle of 55-degrees while Spencerian is 52.
The x-height, which is the height of a lowercase ‘u’, varies depending on what you’re scribing. It is usually anywhere between 3-5 mm, on average.Guidelines consist of a number of lines that are formed so as to give you an idea of what the script will look like. These consist of:.
the x-height. slant angle. height of descender. height of ascender.
base line. waist lineThe x-height is enclosed by the base line ( below the letter) and the waist line ( above the lowercase u).When you practice a new calligraphy script with its specific set of guidelines, you build muscle memory to scribe within those parameters.
The more you practice using the guidelines, the faster you’ll build muscle memory. And the faster you build muscle memory, the faster you learn a new calligraphy script. It all comes full circle!
I use the Copperplate practice pad (above) to practice my scriptI use a when I need to practice copperplate (duh!) or when I’m doing spot calligraphy. For Spencerian, I use guidelines that are included in. For modern calligraphy, I make my own depending on the slant angle I plan on working with. Observe the letterforms carefullyIf there’s one thing I repeat over and over during my in-person calligraphy workshops, it is this- Observe your script’s letterforms carefully. Letterforms are the individual strokes that make up a particular script.
Remember, if your mind can conceive it, your hand can achieve it. But if you can’t visualize what the calligraphy script looks like, how can you possibly put it on paper?! Not possible!Every time you sit down to practice, spend at least ten minutes going over each letterform that you plan on scribing. Notice the entrance stroke, notice where the swells (the shaded part) lie, notice the ovals, notice the hairlines.
Observe every tiny stroke and imagine yourself scribing it in your mind. Mentally scribe the letter first, then take a deep breath with your eyes closed, and put it on paper.
I guarantee you, with time, this will become second nature to you. Practice the script’s basic strokes dailyYes, daily. If you have only 30 minutes a day to practice, spend half of them on warmup drills and the remainder on basic strokes. The nine basic strokes make up almost 95% of the alphabet, which is why nailing them is key to learning a new calligraphy script quickly. Again, remember to observe the stroke before you put pen to paper.
Keep in mind that basic strokes may not be common across a variety of scripts. Composition writingNow, some of you might resist doing this step because ‘you’re not good enough’. But believe me, composition writing is the last, final, and SUPER important step you need to take to master a new calligraphy script fast.Composition writing includes planning and formatting a piece of text to express a thought or idea. Among other thing, it includes:. writing letters to your friends and family,. scribing your favorite quotes, and.
![Angle Angle](http://www.iampeth.com/sites/iampeth.com/files/lessons/409/1.jpg)
writing in your journal. Composition writing allows you to practice your script in real-world scenariosIn other words, composition writing allows you to put your practice to use. As you become more familiar with the script, composition writing allows you to see the script in action. When I was learning Spencerian, I found this to be one of my favorite methods of quickly grasping this new script. It allows you to practice what your new script will look like in the ‘real world’.
After all, you won’t be scribing ‘a a a a a a a a a a’ or ‘Canada Denmark England’ when you write a letter to your friend, correct? You’re gonna write full sentences that make sense. In this manner, as it makes use of capitals, lowercase letters, letter spacing, word spacing and all the fun stuff, composition writing will allow you practice your new script in the real world. ConclusionSo there you have it! Five ways that you can learn a new calligraphy script in a relatively short amount of time. Again, each of these methods may be practiced by itself as you become familiar with it, or try them all together.Happy scribing!.Psstt I personally buy and use the products recommended above. However, this post contains affiliate links which means when you make a purchase using the links in this post, I get a small bonus (at no additional cost to you) to fund my monthly quota of cappuccinos.