History of Calligraphy

Series Summary

Calligraphy is the art of stylistic writing. It is also known as the practice of giving an artistic form to letters and signs. It is considered a skill and is often taught in art classes or craft seminars. The skill set learned in calligraphy classes ranges from practical usage to artistic interpretation. In the latter form, function takes a backseat to artistic expression. Practical uses for calligraphy include fancy invitations, font design, logo design, maps, and documentation of other sorts. Depending on the area you are in, different types of calligraphy include East Asian character calligraphy, Indian calligraphy, Persian calligraphy, Islamic calligraphy, or Western calligraphy. There are many different tools used in calligraphy but the two most important are the paper and the pen.

In this series of instructional videos, you will learn more about the art of calligraphy. Our expert explains the history and demonstrates Western calligraphy. You will learn more about the resurgence in popularity and the functionality of this style of writing. Watch as our expert demonstrates each letter, number, and symbol used in common calligraphy. Get instructions for changing colors of ink during a calligraphy project. See examples of upper and lowercase letters written in this style of calligraphy. See different examples of calligraphy styles and get ideas for projects. Get recommendations on types of paper and pens or markers used for creating beautiful calligraphy pieces in these expert videos.

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Brenda and today we are going to be talking about calligraphy. Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing and is as old as writing itself. It links us today with past cultures and extinct civilization. It survived the dark ages and the cloistered monks. The items that we would be using today for our calligraphy exercise are a calligraphy pen such as this one. We have various nibs we can use for the lettering. We have different cartridges of colored ink. These can also be bought separately when we run out of ink in this type of container. We also have a lined tablet and our little instruction manual that comes with the set to help us get on our way. Calligraphy is a lot of fun and it can be used to make beautiful wedding invitations or school announcements or diplomas or Christmas cards. You can add a flair to any of your writing. It is easy to learn and it is quite exquisite when you receive an envelope in the mail that has calligraphy and your name written on it. "