The Ultimate Resource for Beginner Calligraphy
New to Calligraphy?
If you are new to calligraphy or still consider yourself a beginner, I’m here to help you know where to start. I’m currently working on creating a comprehensive resource to explore all possible topics of calligraphy, whether it is traditional Copperplate calligraphy, modern calligraphy, or somewhere in between.
How To Learn Calligraphy
- RECOGNIZE that anyone can learn calligraphy.
- ACQUIRE the basic calligraphy supplies.
- PRINT my getting started guide.
- LEARN to use a pointed pen.
- PRACTICE every day (or as often as possible.)
Let’s Break Down the Basics of Learning Calligraphy
This page is dedicated to you, the beginner calligrapher. Keep reading below as I break down each of these five topics on the subject of beginner calligraphy. We are going to take a closer look at what knowledge you need, what supplies you need to purchase and where to get them, and how to put pen to paper to begin learning the basic strokes and letterforms of Copperplate calligraphy.
1. Anyone Can Learn Calligraphy
I think one of the big misconceptions about calligraphy is that you have to already have good handwriting to be a candidate for learning calligraphy. This is completely false. Most calligraphers that I have recently surveyed (and that you will be meeting soon in my Meet the Calligraphers series on the blog) admit that they did not have beautiful handwriting before they learned calligraphy.
Good handwriting simply isn’t a requirement. Here’s why. Calligraphy is formed ONE STROKE AT A TIME. Therefore, if you can train yourself to draw a handful of simple strokes, then you can learn to write calligraphy. I teach these strokes in my free practice worksheets available as a Getting Started Guide to my newsletter subscribers. If you are learning calligraphy, this is the best place to start.
And good news…I have free videos for how to learn traditional calligraphy in my Instagram TV channel! With these free calligraphy videos and my Complete Set of Beginner Copperplate Calligraphy Worksheets (plus a few supplies I’m about to tell you about next), there is really no reason you cannot learn calligraphy, unless you have a disability preventing you from doing so.
2. Basic Supplies Needed for Calligraphy
My supplies page lists most of the calligraphy supplies I recommend and use frequently. But if you want just the basics, here is what you need. While I think you’re going to want some other supplies later on, at least these few will get you going right out of the gate.
Please note that the prices I list here are approximate, and subject to change. The images below link to these products on Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some products are not available for me to list in the quantity you may want to purchase.
Supplies and Approximate Costs
- Sumi Ink – $6
- Oblique Nib Holder – $13
- Zebra G Nibs – $7
- Canson Pro Layout Marker Paper – $10
- Inkwell – $14
- Beginner Copperplate Complete Set of Worksheets – $16
3. Print My Getting Started Guide
Free Getting Started Guide
My getting started guide is completely free for my newsletter subscribers (along with several other AWESOME worksheets). The guide contains a supply list, worksheets with all the strokes you need to learn for the lowercase alphabet, and blank guidelines for practicing.
4. Learn to Use a Pointed Pen
My list of articles to write in order to teach you calligraphy is longer than a CVS receipt. To start with, however, I recommend going to my Instagram TV channel, where I have free calligraphy videos of how to properly use a pointed pen, as well as how to form each of the lowercase strokes and letters.
Calligraphy Basics Blog Series
How to Troubleshoot Calligraphy Ink Flow Problems
Does this ever happen to you? You’re sitting at your calligraphy desk, writing along with your pointed pen, when all of a sudden the ink just stops flowing. No warning, no obvious reason, it just stops. You pick up your pen and look at it. It looks fine. Nib is full...
How to Form Square Tops and Bottoms with Copperplate Calligraphy
What's the first thing you usually write when trying out a new pen? Your name? The kind of pen it is? I write all sorts of random things when I get a new pen. When you get a new pointed pen, however, the last thing you need to write is your name. Or any other word....
The Secret to Getting the Right Slant with Calligraphy
Do you ever struggle getting your letters or strokes to have a consistent slant? Or, maybe they are consistently...wrong. There is a very simple fix for this, and I'm going to tell you how to do it in this article. Our last three basics articles introduced you to the...
The Basics of Using a Dip Pen for Pointed Pen Calligraphy, Part 3
In my first two articles on dip pen basics, we covered the very introductory material necessary to get started with pointed pen calligraphy. Some of these topics included pen anatomy, how the pen works, and how to prep and clean your nibs. Once you know these basics,...
The Best Pointed Pen Nib for Beginner Calligraphy
Why Do We Need to Know the Best Calligraphy Nib? Beginner calligraphers are often faced with uncertainty when deciding which supplies to purchase as they get started with the craft. In particular, nib selection seems to bring about quite a bit of apprehension. This...
The Basics of Using a Dip Pen for Pointed Pen Calligraphy, Part 2
Have you ever struggled getting your ink to stick to your nib when you get started? Or maybe after you use the nib for a while, you just can’t seem to get that nib to keep writing, especially on that upstroke. It sure would be nice if nibs came with instructions,...
5. Practice calligraphy a few minutes each day.
The best way to practice calligraphy is consistently. I recommend practicing every single day, even if you only have 15 minutes.
My free resources through this blog and the getting started guide will be enough to get you started. As you progress, you will want to get a comprehensive worksheet set that covers all of the lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, punctuation, and connections.
The good news is that I have created this worksheet set for you! When you purchase the supplies listed above as well as my Beginner Copperplate Complete Set, you will have all of the resources you need to learn the art of calligraphy. It really could not be more simple. I do offer a one-time discount for newsletter subscribers, so you might want to subscribe first to get the coupon.
See What’s in the Beginner Copperplate Complete Set
Calligraphy for Beginners
This website and blog were born out of my many interactions with people through my Instagram account, membership in the Birmingham Calligraphy Guild, and just through friends and family who have shown interest in the art of calligraphy. When I look back on my early beginnings of learning calligraphy, I remember how many questions I had and questions I did not even know to ask.
I hope through this page and further through the blog to address those questions for you, so that you have an easily accessible and organized educational resource for your calligraphy journey. If you haven’t already, follow me on Instagram @kallialitheia so you can stay in the know about all the latest blog articles and free resources I am creating just for you.