In short, any piece of visually-appealing writing can be considered calligraphy. Different Types of CalligraphyĪccording to Merriam-Webster, “calligraphy” means “artistic, stylized, or elegant handwriting or lettering” or “the art of producing such writing”. I will then give you the vocabulary and the resources to follow your interest. My goal is to connect you with the kind of calligraphy that resonates with you best. Today, we’re going to examine all the different types of calligraphy. Still others consider brush pen calligraphy to be the predominant form of calligraphy, and there are many people who see broad edge calligraphy in their mind’s eye when the word “calligraphy” pops up.īuckle in. For the reporter, good handwriting and calligraphy were synonymous. When I think of calligraphy, I see pointed pen calligraphy (which is difficult - and unnecessary - for children to learn). That was when I realized that “calligraphy” means different things to different people.
Everything was going well until she asked, “And how important do you think it is for kids to learn calligraphy?” She specifically wanted to know about calligraphy, which is one of my passions and a cornerstone of TPK. If you end up making one of these, I’d love to see - tag me on Instagram ( or share via email ( ).For today’s article, I put together a detailed guide for calligraphy beginners.Įarlier this week, a reporter interviewed me for a local magazine. In that case, this simple calligraphy city map is a great option. I’m all about making an intricate watercolor map over a several day period, but sometimes a person realistically only has an hour or two to dedicate to a project. I like this project because it’s quick and versatile. Now, you can sit back and appreciate the lovely result of your efforts: Once it does, you can use a good eraser to get rid of any pencil draft lines. Your gold watercolor should only take a couple of minutes to dry. If you’re not sure how to write with gold watercolor, see this tutorial. Then, trace over the block lettered street names with gold watercolor and a Nikko G nib. If you made illustrations on your map, trace over them with iron gall ink as well. (For now, leave the street names alone.) You can use your Nikko G nib and straight pen again for this step, but I prefer the more sumptuous stroke contrast of the Brause EF66 nib. Now, use your iron gall ink and your favorite calligraphy nib/pen combination to trace over your calligraphy. A pencil draft ensures that you end up with a balanced layout that you’re happy with! 4. Pencil drafts are a bit tedious to create if you’re in a hurry, but you’ll be glad that you took the time to make one. Feel free to complement the calligraphy on the map with a couple of illustrations. I used small Sans Serif lettering to denote street names, then I used Kaitlin Style calligraphy to write out general areas and a couple of landmarks. Once your ink has dried (it won’t take long), use a pencil to make a draft of the calligraphy and lettering that you want to include on the map. Once you’re finished, your map should look something like this:ģ. (The Nikko G’s medium flex makes it an excellent drawing nib.) It’s a good idea to use a Nikko G nib for this step because it’s capable of creating clean, consistent lines. Put both pieces of paper on your light box, then use your straight pen, Nikko G nib, and iron gall ink to trace over the streets. Trace Streetsįirst, place your watercolor paper over the city map printout. If you need to resize the map image that you find online, you can use a program like Microsoft Word or Google Docs to do that. *Your printout should fit within the bounds of your watercolor paper.
Printout of a map of your city (I ran a Google Image Search for “Boulder CO city map”)*.Piece of watercolor paper (I cut mine to size 8″ x 10″, but you can make any size you want).Optional: Brause EF66 nib + oblique pen.Gold watercolor(plus a #2-ish paintbrush to brush the watercolor onto your nib).Light Box (to read about light boxes and light box alternatives, see this article).You can find a list with links below this photo. In order to make this map, you’ll need a few key supplies.
Enter this calligraphy city map! It’s simple, eye-catching, and elegant: an excellent little gift. Her Colorado visit comes to an end today, and I wanted to give her something special to remind her of her beloved city. After our friend’s graduation in 2019, she went back to her home country of Kuwait, but she’s been dreaming of Boulder ever since. For the past month, we’ve had a friend staying with us who lived in Boulder for eight years - and she still loves it.