Did you know that you can create fonts of varying styles, not just using digital means? Yes, that’s right. Calligraphy studies the various writing styles and provides insights into their subtle variations. Interesting that it’s not just using drawing apps like Procreate and Photoshop that you can create these engaging fonts, but also practice calligraphy writing to indulge in the same.
If you haven’t already taken up a hobby, calligraphy serves as a great immersive activity to bask in. The fact that you require just a pen and paper and can take this up any time during the day is what makes calligraphy such a fantastic hobby idea. Additionally, the fact that you’ll get to learn new writing styles and have various calligraphy fonts in your ensemble is the icing on the top.
In this article, we’ve put together all the nuances that go into calligraphy with a pen. If you’ve been searching calligraphy for beginners, this is your answer. So without further ado, let’s get right to this calligraphy guide for beginners.
Calligraphy Guide for Beginners - Modern Calligraphy with Pen And Ink
Modern calligraphy is often thought to be creating beautiful fonts and writing styles using digital mediums and apps. However, that’s most certainly not the case. You can very well pursue modern calligraphy fonts using just a pen and paper, but you should be aware of the various nuances involved in the same.
For instance, factors like the angle with which the nib of your pen meets the paper and so forth play a significant role in determining the quality and consistency of your calligraphy fonts. Ready to learn calligraphy with a pen for beginners?
Writing with a chisel nib
Consider taking up a chisel nib pen if you’re looking for elegant and consistent calligraphy fonts. This is because the pen’s tip is wedge-shaped. This allows you a multi-faceted writing edge, a broader edged side to achieve thick strokes and a narrower side for achieving elegant and thinner strokes. This duality of your pen allows you to skillfully manoeuvre your way around intricate lettering while efficiently handling the thicker strokes.
The angle of the nib
Although writing with a chiselled pen-nib may provide you with functionality, it also has its fair share of nuances. For example, you need to make sure to start with a 45-degree angle with your paper as you indulge in your calligraphy fonts. Make sure that this initial angle is not altered during your lettering as it may lead to inconsistencies. This is slightly different from the vertical position you’ve to start, otherwise using a regular pen.
Efficiency in this methodology of calligraphy will only come with time. The more time you spend with this technique, the better proficiency you’ll gain. And thus, you must not be disheartened when you face any roadblocks.
Proportions of the letters
Another thing that you must keep in mind while using a pen for your calligraphy fonts is the ratio between the stroke width and the letter height. Too broad a stroke and the font will look too smudged. And too high the letter height, the more uneven your lettering will look. Thus, to achieve a balanced look, you can consider starting with this activity. Start by drawing four or five stroke widths on the paper, one on top of the other and make sure that the lowercase calligraphy fonts don’t exceed this.
As a rule of thumb, make sure to write large-sized letters if you’re using a broad chiselled pen nib and smaller sized letters if you’re using a narrower nib. This will help maintain the proportions of your font and will increase its aesthetics.
Also read "Calligraphy With Pencil | Beginners Guide to Pencil Calligraphy"
Writing with a round nib
Owing to the nature of the round nib, there’s no specification on how you’ve to hold your pen. This applies to a ballpoint pen, fine-liner, pencil or even a felt-tip pen. Indulging in calligraphy using a round nib is more common as these pens are more readily available. Additionally, the round nib will help you achieve more consistent strokes. And ultimately allow you to write lengthier texts with relative ease.
Calligraphy Variations Using A Pen
Let’s finally understand how you can achieve variations in your calligraphy fonts.
Letter spacing
Using this straightforward technique, you can accentuate your calligraphy fonts however you want. For example, by varying the spacing between your lettering, you can direct one’s attention to a specific section of your text.
You can achieve this by reducing the space between consecutive letters to achieve a discontinuity within your text. This highlights one part of your text while redirecting one’s attention from another part of the text.
Letter height
Like letter spacing, the height of your lettering can also accentuate your text. For example, tall letters can be penned closer to one another. And narrower strokes can be used to prevent your text from looking cluttered. On the other hand, to improve readability, letters with a low height will have to be spaced out in proportion.
Final Words
Agreed that gaining proficiency in calligraphy is a challenging proposition but being a part of the journey and imbibing all the values is what makes this such a great hobby to pursue.
Given how caught up we’re with everyday lives, indulging in calligraphy writing through calligraphy courses and calligraphy tutorials is a great way to get your mind off your work.
Done right, calligraphy acts as a therapeutic activity and a great stress-buster.
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