Although much of our correspondence is done via keyboards, tablets, and smart phone, actual writing—particularly calligraphy—is seeing a comeback. That artful hand-lettering has been appearing in all sorts of printed pieces, from magazines to invitations to events and art on walls.
From looking at the beauty of calligraphy, you might assume that you have to be an expert or have a background in art to create script like this. But there are accessible ways for everyone to take up calligraphy and to create their own brush lettering pieces that endure—either letters to make a birthday card special, for example, or a family motto that gets framed on a wall.
Before you begin, it helps to know a little of the history of calligraphy. The art form has been around for thousands of years, and used many different types of writing tools, including ink brushes made of bamboo stalks.
A more modern approach to calligraphy relies on a brush pen, much easier to use than bamboo, of course. Some have a tip that’s more like a marker than it is like a traditional calligraphy pen, and others will allow you to have more artistic freedom in your creations. And with brush pens, it’s easier to create calligraphy that’s made of different colors, too.
Are you ready to get started on a new artistic endeavor? This graphic explains some of the tools, techniques, and ideas of calligraphy.
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