Calligraphy is a visual art form that uses a paintbrush, pen, or other writing instrument to create memorable messages on a variety of mediums. The art of calligraphy can be a cherished hobby, one that results in handmade gifts for loved ones, or it can be transformed into a profitable business developing signs, creating greeting cards, designing murals, or crafting other marketing materials as part of brand design.
Learning calligraphy can help you fine-tune your motor functions, improve your mental health, and flex your creative muscles. No matter what has brought you to the practice or piqued your interest, learning calligraphy is a worthwhile pursuit and a valuable skill to learn. Read below to learn more about the ways that you can benefit from calligraphy.
What is Calligraphy?
A gestural art form, calligraphy transforms the written word into a visual masterpiece. The term calligraphy comes from two Greek words meaning beauty and writing. Believed to have originally come from China, early emperors exercised their power by engraving edicts or pronouncements on stone in their own calligraphic script. It also has deep roots in the Arabic language as is a fundamental element of Islamic art.
Modern calligraphy has deviated away from ancient scripts and is essentially free-hand pointed-pen cursive. Learning calligraphy has gained in popularity as a way to create bespoke pieces of art or one-of-a-kind graphic logos for businesses. Calligraphy is about incorporating visual appeal into written language and can be a great way to encourage your creative side.
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Benefits of Learning Calligraphy?
Calligraphy, like any art form, has many benefits. Whether you intend to begin a new hobby, create intentionally-made gifts for those you love, or start a potentially lucrative side hustle or business, there’s something to be gained from practicing calligraphy. Plus, the practice has known mental and physical benefits as well so, no matter why you chose to start, you’ll enjoy the feeling that comes from mastering a new skill and creating something that is all your own.
Make New Friends and Form Community
Looking to make new friendships through a mutual interest? Making new friends as an adult can be difficult, especially when you add in demanding jobs, busy schedules, and family obligations. Taking a calligraphy course would allow you to meet other curious artists in your area, forming friendships based on a common passion. Calligraphy also offers so many outlets for forming a community. From the Society of Scribes & Illuminators in the UK to the Society for Calligraphy in Southern California, there are endless groups and forums just waiting for passionate new calligraphers to join!
Improve Your Fine Motor Skills and Memory
Did you know calligraphy stimulates neuronal activity? Creating each stroke by hand activates the motor areas of the brain, which include the cerebral cortex, the basal ganglia, and the cerebellum. Practicing calligraphy also simultaneously activates the language portion of the brain. This combination of engagement helps improve your fine motor skills and sharpens your memory. One study even found that calligraphy therapy can help enhance cognitive function in older people with mild cognitive impairment.
You can learn these benefits firsthand in this modern calligraphy course if you’re in the NYC area. Located at the Brooklyn Craft Company in Greenpoint, Margaret Fu of Wispy Letters will walk you through the basics of calligraphy while you practice your fine motor skills on worksheets. You’ll begin to develop your lettering style and create a hand-lettered art piece or greeting card.
You could also try Italic Calligraphy in Atlanta, Georgia. Students will learn how to produce generously wide strokes with a broad edge nib that can easily be dressed up or down. You’ll also learn the intricate details of the minuscules and majuscules as well as spacing and layout for addressing envelopes.
Makers Mess in Silver Lake (Los Angeles) offers a beginner-friendly course called Modern Calligraphy. Described as “frustration-free, ” this two-hour workshop explores fundamental techniques on pen pressure, lettering, and how to connect letters. Students can expect to use dip pens during this class while they learn all the basics.
Boost Your Mental Health
Do you find yourself easily stressed out by work, commuting, school, or other aspects of your daily life? Practicing calligraphy can help you to unwind at the end of a busy day. Art has long been a tool utilized in therapy, so it isn’t surprising that the repetitive actions and creative exploration of calligraphy can be stress relieving. Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk and one of the most influential living figures in Zen Buddhism, practices calligraphy as a form of mindfulness. If it works for the monks, chances are high that it will work for you, too!
You can practice stress-relieving techniques in Mindfulness Calligraphy, a virtual class offered by Design KOUS. Students will practice breathing techniques and mindfulness while learning "The Path" calligraphy style. A very free and gestural style, practicing “The Path” will focus on loading everything you write with your consciousness and intention.
If you’re in Chicago, Contemplative Calligraphy will teach you to render beautiful letters in the Foundational and Italic hands and explore your curiosity by experimenting with new materials and ideas. This class will also focus on spacing and negative space, design elements, and the historical context for hand lettering.
Also in Chicago, The Art of Calligraphy is offered by the Infinity Foundation in Highland Park. Suitable for all levels, this class invites students to experience the meditative and contemplative nature of the practice. The course will include a variety of examples, as well as a discussion of the historical context of calligraphy while students practice brush lettering with a dip pen (Important note: You are required to bring your supplies such as a dip pen holder, size zero nib, ½ inch flat brush, and ink).
Cheap to Learn with a Potential for Profit
Unlike other hobbies or art forms, calligraphy doesn’t require a specific list of expensive things or a lot of supplies. All you need to get started is ink, paper, a nib, and a pen. And, while your initial costs may be minimal, your potential profits are anything but. Expert calligraphers can sell handmade greeting cards, framed inspirational quotes, or other customized gifts. Highly-skilled calligraphers can even take on large-scale projects like murals or logo development for other businesses.
You can jump-start both your learning and your calligraphy supply collection when you attend Modern Calligraphy for Newbies at Post Studio Productions in Houston, Texas. Not only will you learn the basics like lettering, flourishing, and colored inks, but you’ll also be given a beautiful calligraphy starter kit containing a personalized clipboard, pen holder, calligraphy inks, two nibs, calligraphy exemplars, cheat sheets, and a calligraphy tracing pad.
If you’re located in Seattle and looking to level up your skills, you should check out Continuing Calligraphy at Paper Delights in Wallingford. Designed for intermediate practitioners, this class covers topics like connecting letters, spacing, angles, transitions, flourishes, swashes, envelope layouts, and creative lettering variations.
How to Start Learning Calligraphy
Are you ready to get started? There are a variety of ways to learn calligraphy, from video tutorials and blogs to multi-week workshops, but a structured class with a highly-skilled instructor is your best bet for fast and easy in-depth learning.
In-person classes offer face-to-face interactions with your teacher and the other students and, typically, all your supplies are provided at no additional cost. While you will have to commute to these classes, you can receive live feedback and have any questions answered right when they arise.
Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing in Rockville, Maryland offers a variety of in-person calligraphy classes. Intro to Hand Lettering teaches the beautiful art form of brush lettering, a technique similar to calligraphy that uses a brush pen instead of a dip pen. You’ll learn all about the needed supplies, how to use them, and the different stroke techniques. Uncial Script Calligraphy teaches two different European manuscript hands: the uncial of Late Antiquity and half-uncial of the Early Middle Ages.
If you’re in Denver, Copperplate Calligraphy at Arapahoe Community College will help you discover the joy of self-expression through this creative art form. This class focuses specifically on just copperplate calligraphy, the style of writing used in the Declaration of Independence.
Looking for a longer series? Modern Calligraphy: Chalk Sign & Large Scale Lettering in San Diego is a six-week course that teaches the basic skills needed to achieve hand lettering using chalk and bistro markers and to create signs and large-scale work. You will complete set exercises and explore making items like lettered framed art, photo props, gifts, menus, wedding signs, and more!
You could also try out one of many classes at The Write Occasion Calligraphy in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their Calligraphy Boot Camp is an all-day workshop crash course on the basic techniques and styles of calligraphy and hand lettering. If you’re looking for less of a time commitment, their Intro to Modern Calligraphy is a two-hour workshop with hands-on practice using a dip pen and ink. This class includes a small starter supply kit which is yours to keep.
Online calligraphy courses, whether live or on-demand, offer more flexibility for students with difficult schedules or long commutes. No need to worry about traffic or the cost of gas; students simply log into their courses from the comfort of their own homes. You’ll still have access to expert instructors and a community of fellow artisans, just like in-person classes. Generally, online courses require students to purchase their supplies, and the responsibility of creating or finding an appropriate workspace also belongs to the students.
In this hand lettering basics class you can learn how to use simple materials to transform your handwriting into a work of art. You’ll begin with letter anatomy and styles, progress into compositions, patterns, and more illustrative techniques, and end the class by creating a collaborative zine that you can take home.
Intro to Copperplate Calligraphy is hosted by Design KOUS and is a four-hour course where you will practice the alphabet of casual script calligraphy. Students will gain a better understanding of the correct lines, shapes, and proportions of the letters, as well as develop better control over their calligraphy tools of choice.
Sierra Madre also offers a calligraphy course for all levels that will focus on basic letters and techniques. The only supplies needed are a pencil, a thin black Sharpie, and a few sheets of paper, which you probably already have at home! By the end of class, you’ll have made your own unique art piece.
Jade Scarlett also offers several classes. Virtual Beginner’s Calligraphy (Part 1 & 2) requires no prior experience and includes a full list of supplies for you to purchase. This class will cover how to use lettering tools, the eight basic strokes of modern lettering, how to compose both upper and lower case, and how to connect letters to form words and phrases. They also offer Hand Lettering and Brush Calligraphy for Beginners and Virtual Beginner’s Calligraphy (the first class in a series of three).
Key Takeaways
- Calligraphy is an art form with ancient roots and the name comes from a combination of two Greek words that mean beauty and writing.
- By learning calligraphy you can create custom greeting cards, letters and mailers, inspirational posters, and even murals and business logos.
- Studying calligraphy has several benefits like improving your fine motor skills and memory, reducing stress, and providing you with an additional source of income.
- There are multiple ways to learn calligraphy but a structured classroom environment with highly-skilled instructors is often considered the most efficient way.
- In-person classes allow you to work alongside your teacher and other students, and your supplies are typically provided at no additional cost.
- Online or virtual classes offer more flexibility since you can attend from your home, office, or local coffee house.
CourseHorse can also provide private lessons and private group classes to fit your exact needs. Virtual Calligraphy Workshop is ideal for groups of 10 or more and can be customized to include all your supplies. You can reach out through the website to find out about options for in-person, online, and private group sessions.