Mackenzie Patel

Watch my video on how to make calligraphy letters here:

Hello world travelers! I have been able to write in the calligraphic script for about 6 years now, so I thought I would do a simple tutorial for my viewers. Nowadays, it is quite easy to write calligraphy because of the convenient (and inexpensive) felt tip pens available at Michael’s or Joanne’s craft stores. Calligraphy has its origins in the Ancient Eastern World (Ancient Egypt) but also Ancient China as well (c. 3000 BCE). Many elaborate and beautiful scripts were either inked (i.e Egypt’s Book of the Dead) or incised into a hard material. Chinese calligraphy was usually on long scrolls that were meant to unfold like a continuing drama or story. Later on, Muslim calligraphy became prominent because it is the only art form allowed in the Islam faith. Muslims cannot depict images of the divine for fear of being revered as idols, so they resort to geometric and abstract deigns for mosque decorations. These intricate lines, called “arabesques,” are undulating, never-ending, and hypnotizing (think of the exterior and interior of the Dome of the Rock). Along with the Koran, religious calligraphy was popular during the Medieval period in Western Europe. Monasteries had dedicated monks who diligently wrote and copied illuminated manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. For example, the Chi Rho Iota page of the Book of Kells is highly stylized and geometric, and the calligraphy letters are very meticulously rendered.

Calligraphy example!

I am going to make a few videos on how to write simple, beginner calligraphy because it too complicated and long to write out in words! I am going to be writing “Italic” calligraphy letters. According to www.Calligraphy.co.uk, “This was the form used by engravers in copper.” Here are a few short calligraphy tips:

1. Buy the correct pens. I have always bought “Speedball,Elegant Writer” pens because they are inexpensive ($3.99 for one pen at Michael’s), long lasting, and vibrant. The easiest/most friendly size for the tip is 2.5 mm; anything smaller is too narrow and spindly, while anything bigger tends to be chunky. However, if one purposely needs a thicker line, I would recommend 3.0-3.5 mm. I buy the multi-color variety pack (with a coupon!) because using strictly black ink all the time can get dull. Although true calligraphy uses ink in a well and a special pen, using a felt tip marker is much easier and it produces a similar line.

2. Angle the pen 45° before beginning to write. This produces the sharpest line and most precise letters.

3. Check that your pen is held at the correct angle by drawing a checkmark on a spare piece of paper. The checkmark should have a think end and skinny tail. See the picture below.

4. Begin by practicing disjointed letters before moving on to connected sentences. Also, remember that calligraphy letters are made in STROKES, not by one continuous, up-and-down motion. You will have to lift your pen twice or three times to make one letter.

5. Always practice. Practice writing your name, passages, quotes, etc. It took me 6 months to a year to become proficient at the basic level of calligraphy. Once I started creating more difficult letters, I used images online for inspiration.