How to Learn Calligraphy

Calligraphy, literally translated, means "beautiful writing." Heralded as an art form above and beyond a means of communication, calligraphy is a wonderful way to express yourself.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blank-inside Greeting Cards
• Calligraphy Pens
• Candles
• Music For Zen Meditation
• Soothing Music
• Art Papers
• Ink
• Tracing Paper
• Candles

1. Choose professional calligraphy pens and ink. The best choice for beginners is a chisel-point pen with a width of approximately one and a half millimeters.

2. Take the time to relax and meditate. Calligraphy is an age-old art form that draws on a steady hand and inner peace.

3. Begin by finding a copy of the uncial alphabet. This is one of the more common calligraphic alphabets, and was utilized by the early Christians.

4. Trace the letters of the uncial alphabet slowly and carefully several times to get a good feel for the curves of the letters and the pen strokes.

5. Focus on keeping your letters straight and uniformly sized. You can move on to the fancy maneuvers later.

6. Research local beginning calligraphy classes at a junior college or art institute. Nothing can replace the helpful guidance of a trained calligraphy professional.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your newfound calligraphic skills to create unique birthday cards, party invitations, gift certificates or valentines.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Earn your degree from industry experts at University of Phoenix. Take the next step in your career.

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on 10/3/2007 why candles???

on 4/3/2006 To be good at calligraphy you should find an alphabet on the Internet with calligraphic letters and trace over it several times.

on 2/10/2006 I learned with cheap felt-tip calligraphy pens, and as I learned the correct letter shapes I moved up to better calligraphy pens (both cartridge and dip).

I also used graph paper to get lines already printed to make it easier for me to get a feel for the size of each letter. Now, all I have to do it make two lines lightly in pencil. After calliging and letting the ink dry, I erase the penciled lines. Or if you have light box, you can have lines on a transparency then place the paper on top of the lined transparency and light box and use the lines that show through the paper.

on 11/22/2005 By searching on the Internet, you can see the views of other people. You can also compare the ways in which people do calligraphy.

on 11/22/2005 Most calligraphy kits have enclosed step-by-step instructions to help you get started with all strokes of each alphabet. They are enclosed along with the set of pens and ink cartridges.