Calligraphy

What is Calligraphy?

Calligraphy literally means "beautiful writing." The word comes from the Greek, but many different forms of the craft have flourished in different parts of the world.

In the English-speaking world, we most often think of calligraphy as having to do with Latin and the illuminated manuscripts, often religious in nature, that were printed by hand by scribes in the days before moveable type. Before the 1500s, this was the way books were produced. There were three main fonts, or "hands": Roman, italic and Gothic.

In the 1500s, printing with type became easily accessible and hand-lettering books fell out of favor. But, in the 19th century the Arts and Crafts movement reinvigorated the ancient art and there have been many people practicing this skill since then.

Calligraphy can be both functional and artistic; at times beauty takes over and trumps even being able to read the words that are written. There are many more standard hands these days. In fact, many of them were the inspiration for computer fonts.

Tools for the Craft

You do not need a lot of tools to get started in the craft, just a pen and some paper. In most craft stores, you can buy a variety of pens. The cheapest pens look like felt-tipped pens and can be purchased in a variety of widths for fine or bold writing.

These pens aren't great for really fine work, but they are acceptable when you are learning. And, if you find you have no aptitude for the craft, at least you won't have spent a lot of money.

More expensive pens often have interchangeable nibs, much like fountain pens. There are also pens made of special materials such as bamboo. You can buy brushes, lettering pens and art pens which combine the look of a ball-point pen with the style of calligraphy.

For paper, parchment is the traditional choice. However, there are many fine papers that are suitable for calligraphy. This paper can be quite expensive, so while you are learning you will probably want to stick to practice paper. Like the lined paper of your school days, this paper helps you learn proper spacing through the use of lines and grids.

Sources for Tools

• Dick Blick
• J. Herbin
• Artist and Craftsman Supply
• Asian Brush Art
• Scribblers (British)

Learning the Basics

Many beginner kits come with a sample alphabet or two that you can practice with. You can even look at the calligraphy fonts on your computer, print out the alphabet in a large size, and use that as your practice sheet.

Like children do when they learn to write, you can cover these printouts with vellum or some other clear paper and practice going over the lines until you feel comfortable forming the letters.

It is also possible to find lessons online. Chuck McGarven has an excellent set of free calligraphy tutorials that you can print out and work with at your own pace. Studio Arts also has a nice set of lessons.

If you learn more by watching than by doing, or simply feel a little lost trying to teach yourself, you may be able to find a local class at a craft store, arts center or adult education center. If none of those options pan out, look for a local calligrapher who might be interested in giving you a few lessons or starting a small group class. However, don't contact local calligraphers in the spring. They'll likely be busy with all the summer wedding prep work.