How to Write in Calligraphy
Outline or sketch the general shape and placement., Hold your writing utensil correctly., Create the letters., Use pressure to control line width., Use the correct stroke order., Protect your writing surface., Add decorations.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Outline or sketch the general shape and placement.
If you want to, outline where you wish your characters to go on the page.
You can simply leave basic base lines or you can outline the space for each character.
If you want to get even more elaborate, you can design the entire page before you begin.
Use a ruler to get the spacing right and look at references for your preferred style so that you can copy the general style of the letters. , The calligraphy brush will be held differently than the pens.
The brush will also be held differently depending on whether you are using it for Western or Eastern calligraphy.
Holding the utensil properly will help you form the letters correctly.
For Eastern calligraphy, hold the brush so that it is nearly straight up and down in the first three fingers of your dominant hand.
The closer to the bristles you hold it, the more defined the line will be.
In this style, your elbow should be held high and your hand still, moving the brush only with your fingers.
For Western calligraphy with the brush, hold it in much the same way you would use a normal paint brush.
Using a brush for Western calligraphy, rather than a pen, will give your letters a rounder, more fluid form.
For Western or Arabic calligraphy, hold your pen at a constant 30-60 degree angle with the point of the nib pointing away from you, up and to the left.
When the wide part of the nib is parallel with the paper it will create a thicker line and when it is perpendicular it will create a thinner line.
Quills will work in a similar manner. , Form the letters on the page.
Pay attention to how you are holding your writing utensil.
Use line width variation to give the letters a pleasant form.
Keep your strokes even and proportional.
Be sure that you are not moving the writing utensil too slowly.
This will cause too much ink to go onto the page and lead to bleeding and uneven lines.
Allow the ink to dry before touching the lines.
Make sure to keep the heel of your hand off of the paper, as this will cause the ink to smudge. , You will want to use line width variation to make your letters have the calligraphy look.
This can be done by controlling the angle of your drawing utensil, but it can often also be controlled by pressure.
Press down harder for brief periods to get a thicker line and use only the lightest touch to get those hair-thin lines.
Different nibs, or pen tips, will also help you get different line thicknesses.
There are lots of different nibs and some are better for certain styles than others. , Each letter or symbol will be made up of several different sections.
These sections are done in a single movement, so they are called strokes.
Which order you do these strokes in will matter, so be careful.
It is advised that you follow the correct order of the strokes because they follow a certain rhythm.
Stroke order will be different for different types of calligraphy.
The best way to know how to do this is to get a book on calligraphy.
A trick for Western calligraphy is to essentially use the same strokes as if you were writing normally (vertical, then horizontal lines, for example).
Stroke order not only ensures that the sections overlap correctly and are even, it also often has philosophical significance! , You will want to make sure that the paper you are writing on doesn't get smudged.
Some of this will require planning; write in such a way that your hand will not make contact with ink that is still wet.
You will also want to protect the paper from anything you might already have on your hands, like grease.
You can put an extra sheet of paper under the spot where your hand is to help protect your document. , Once the ink is dry you can add decorations and elaborations.
This can take the form of illustrations, color, or gold embellishments.
These will make your text stand out and give it more character and appeal. -
Step 2: Hold your writing utensil correctly.
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Step 3: Create the letters.
-
Step 4: Use pressure to control line width.
-
Step 5: Use the correct stroke order.
-
Step 6: Protect your writing surface.
-
Step 7: Add decorations.
Detailed Guide
If you want to, outline where you wish your characters to go on the page.
You can simply leave basic base lines or you can outline the space for each character.
If you want to get even more elaborate, you can design the entire page before you begin.
Use a ruler to get the spacing right and look at references for your preferred style so that you can copy the general style of the letters. , The calligraphy brush will be held differently than the pens.
The brush will also be held differently depending on whether you are using it for Western or Eastern calligraphy.
Holding the utensil properly will help you form the letters correctly.
For Eastern calligraphy, hold the brush so that it is nearly straight up and down in the first three fingers of your dominant hand.
The closer to the bristles you hold it, the more defined the line will be.
In this style, your elbow should be held high and your hand still, moving the brush only with your fingers.
For Western calligraphy with the brush, hold it in much the same way you would use a normal paint brush.
Using a brush for Western calligraphy, rather than a pen, will give your letters a rounder, more fluid form.
For Western or Arabic calligraphy, hold your pen at a constant 30-60 degree angle with the point of the nib pointing away from you, up and to the left.
When the wide part of the nib is parallel with the paper it will create a thicker line and when it is perpendicular it will create a thinner line.
Quills will work in a similar manner. , Form the letters on the page.
Pay attention to how you are holding your writing utensil.
Use line width variation to give the letters a pleasant form.
Keep your strokes even and proportional.
Be sure that you are not moving the writing utensil too slowly.
This will cause too much ink to go onto the page and lead to bleeding and uneven lines.
Allow the ink to dry before touching the lines.
Make sure to keep the heel of your hand off of the paper, as this will cause the ink to smudge. , You will want to use line width variation to make your letters have the calligraphy look.
This can be done by controlling the angle of your drawing utensil, but it can often also be controlled by pressure.
Press down harder for brief periods to get a thicker line and use only the lightest touch to get those hair-thin lines.
Different nibs, or pen tips, will also help you get different line thicknesses.
There are lots of different nibs and some are better for certain styles than others. , Each letter or symbol will be made up of several different sections.
These sections are done in a single movement, so they are called strokes.
Which order you do these strokes in will matter, so be careful.
It is advised that you follow the correct order of the strokes because they follow a certain rhythm.
Stroke order will be different for different types of calligraphy.
The best way to know how to do this is to get a book on calligraphy.
A trick for Western calligraphy is to essentially use the same strokes as if you were writing normally (vertical, then horizontal lines, for example).
Stroke order not only ensures that the sections overlap correctly and are even, it also often has philosophical significance! , You will want to make sure that the paper you are writing on doesn't get smudged.
Some of this will require planning; write in such a way that your hand will not make contact with ink that is still wet.
You will also want to protect the paper from anything you might already have on your hands, like grease.
You can put an extra sheet of paper under the spot where your hand is to help protect your document. , Once the ink is dry you can add decorations and elaborations.
This can take the form of illustrations, color, or gold embellishments.
These will make your text stand out and give it more character and appeal.
About the Author
Susan Davis
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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