Practice! Practice! Practice!
This is probably the most generic advice I could give, but the reason people say it all the time is because it's so incredibly true. Calligraphy, just like any sort of skill, requires development over time to improve. Practice daily, and practice as much as you can. Here are some little specific ways that you can practice:
- Song lyrics/quotes
- Bullet journaling: my headers for everything are always hand-lettered
- Audiating: if I'm in class or just lazing around watching YouTube videos, I sometimes hand-letter words that I'm hearing/people are saying
- Drills/worksheets/challenges: you can find many online, such as on The Postman's Knock and The Happy Ever Crafter
This leads me to my next tip:
Slow Down
One way to actively improve your calligraphy is to make sure that you're slowing down. This goes along with being conscientious; if you're doing calligraphy really quickly (especially with things like large brush markers or paintbrushes), then you lose the deliberateness and control necessary to improve and perform the best that you can.
Watch Videos of Other People
Especially when you're first learning and still a little confused by everything, watching videos of other people hand-lettering can be really helpful. Particularly with videos from the side, you can see their pen grip, pen angle, speed, how much pressure they're using, etc.Use Pencil for Composition
Personally for me when it comes to hand-lettering, I think composition is one of the most difficult aspects of the art. One way to really hone in on this is to practice using pencil. When you use brush marker or pointed pen or whatever when making layouts, a large part of your focus is on the techniques of the particular medium. However, when using pencil, you can hone in on the composition itself.Study Other People's Work
Something that has really helped me--and is still helping me now--is to study other people's work. When looking at the hand-lettering of others, find the specific things you like about their style or that particular piece. Do you like the manner in which they flourished the Y? Do you like the shadows on the capital letters? Do you like how the last word is placed? Find those specific things, and then implement them into your own calligraphy.
In the beginning, that's how I started to solidify my own style and go-to alphabet. Now, I especially do this to find inspiration in new lettering styles and interesting composition--again, probably my biggest weakness when it comes to calligraphy. Since I'm on Instagram a lot, I use the "save" function to collate particular pieces that I find inspiring to look at later.
I hope you found these short tips to be helpful. One last word of advice: though you may be discouraged in the beginning, I promise that your calligraphy will improve. After all, everyone started from somewhere; it just takes time! I believe in you!
I find it impossible to learn :( even something as simple as holding the pen the "correct way" or at an angle... I struggle so hard �� I want to learn this more than ANYTHING.
ReplyDeleteYes, practice is an essential part to master anything. But in calligraphy, you can see the results clearly, due to the improvement that you receive with each time you write it.
ReplyDelete