How to Learn to Draw Calligraphy

Crafting letters and words by following the methods of beautiful writing—the literal translation of calligraphy—is a most rewarding skill to learn. Taking it a bit further and finding out how to learn to draw calligraphy, you are sure to not only amaze your friends and family members with handwritten notes, invitations and letters, but also with accompanying artwork that is firmly rooted in the methods of calligraphy. So go ahead and put your calligraphy pen aside, pick up some thin art brushes, and learn to draw calligraphy.

Things You'll Need

• Calligraphic symbols (in this case the Greek alphabet)
• Three bamboo art brushes
• Cup of water
• Brush-up paper
• Absorbent paper towel
• Ink
• Calligraphy paper

Instructions

1. Print out a copy of the Greek alphabet with both lower and upper case letters. There are several websites that offer upper and lower case Greek letters as well as explanations about their corresponding English alphabet letters.

2. Familiarize yourself with the bamboo paintbrushes. If you bought a set, each brush will have a different width. These different widths will make for distinct brushstrokes. Get a feel for how the brushes lie in your hand and how it feels to turn them.

3. 

   Place a sheet of brush-up paper in front of you. Decide which Greek letter you wish to try first. Since learning to draw calligraphy—as opposed to writing it--will most likely require you to put several symbols together and then supply them with a border, you may want to start with the upper case delta. It looks like a triangle.

4. Pick out a brush with a width of your choosing and dip the tip into the cup of water. Practice the strokes of the delta on the brush-up paper. Experiment with the different brushes to get a clear understanding of the limitations each brush has.

5. 

   Experiment with another upper case Greek letter, this time one that requires fine as well as bold lines. The perfect letter for this is xi. Repeat Step 4, but instead of delta, use xi.

6. 

   Practice the uninterrupted strokes of the lower case xi next. When you work with this letter on the brush-up paper you will have good practice at swirls and uninterrupted curving.

7. Dry your paintbrushes carefully with the absorbent paper towel. You are now ready to move on to the calligraphy paper and the ink! For your first attempt at learning to draw calligraphy you could use the Greek symbols for the word “draw.” Refer to your Greek alphabet printout for the formation of the letters; they are delta, rho, alpha, and omega.

8. Practice drawing this word in Greek calligraphy symbols on your paper. Try upper and lower case versions and even combine them for a stunning visual effect. When you are finished, take pride in the fact that you just completed your first visual masterpiece of drawing calligraphy!

Tips & Warnings

• The best ink to use when learning to draw calligraphy is super black India ink. It does not clog and can be applied with pens as well as brushes, making it a perfect medium for written and drawn calligraphy projects.

• Although the use of brush-up paper is optional, it is a unique way of practicing your brush strokes without wasting ink and calligraphy paper. Best of all, since you use water during your practice, the sheet is reusable time and again.

• Practice makes perfect when it comes to calligraphy but unlike written calligraphy, when you draw calligraphy your feel for the brushes and mastery at coaxing different widths and strokes out of them will go a lot further than mere mechanical skill.

• Experiment with other alphabets as well. The Tibetan alphabet in particular is beautiful!

Resources

• The best bamboo art brush sets may be found at the In2Art.com website where the Loew Cornell Bamboo Brush Set stands out.
• If you are not sure where to find great calligraphy writing and also calligraphy painting paper, check at the AcornPlanet.com website.
• A good source that shows the Greek alphabet is found at the Greek-Language.com website.
• When you are ready for a bit more of a challenge, visit the Chris.Fynn.Googlepages.com website for the Tibetan alphabet.