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How to Learn Calligraphy

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(100 Ratings)

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:

  1. Step 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. Step 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. Step 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. Step 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. Step 5

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

  6. Step 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.

Comments  

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shadowinx said

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on 10/3/2007 why candles???

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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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.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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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.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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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.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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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.

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