TheArtofModernCalligraphy

MollyJacques

Assignment

Yourassignmentistocomposeaoneofakindalphabetofcalligraphicletters.
UnderstandingtheTools

1. Learnthetools
2. Pointedpencalligraphyisatechniquethatusespointednibstocreatebeautifullettering.Themorepressureyouputon
yournib,thewiderthetinesopenupcreatingbeautiful,thicklineweightincontrastwitha(nopressure)hairlinestroke.
3. Belowarethetoolsthatwe'llbeusingforthiscourse...
4. ClassTools
PenHolder
NikkoGNib
Gillott303Nib
Gillott404Nib
BlackInk
SemiTransparentLayoutBond
5. SecondaryRecommendedTools
CalligraphyLinedGuide
ObliquePenHolder(intermediate)
PaperTowel&DishSoap
6. RecommendedReading
MasteringCopperplateCalligraphy
7. Throughoutmytutorials,I'mgoingtobeusingtheNikkoGnib.Thisisagreatnibtostartwithbecauseithasmedium
flexibilityandanicesharppoint.Thismeansitwon'teasilysnagonyourpaperandyou'llalsogetgreatvariation
betweenlineweights.Feelfreetostartwiththisnibandgraduatetoothernibswhenyou'recomfortable.
8. Pleasetakeamomenttolookoverthefollowinganatomychartofyourpenholderandnibs:

9.

***HELPFULTIP:I'mgoingtohaveyouguyssticktothesuggestedmaterials.Thisprovidesmewiththeopportunityto
answeranybeginnerquestionsyoumighthavetothebestofmyability.
10. Putyourpentogether
11. Followthestepsbelowtocorrectlyconstructyourtoolfollowalongwithmyshortinstructionalvideotobesureyou've
gotitright.
Holdyourpenholderonthegrippingareawithonehand.Besurethattheopeningareaisfacingawayfrom
you.

Holdyournib(we'llbeusingtheNikkoGhere,feelfreetotryavarietythoughwhileyou'repracticing!)inyour
otherhandandgentlyinsertthebaseintotheopeningofyourpenholder.
Besurethatthenibisinserteduntilitfitstightlyintotheholder(abouthalfwaybetweenthebaseandthe
shoulderofthenib).
Theventholeonyournibshouldfacedirectlyupward.
12. Voila!You'rereadytogo.

13. HOLDINGYOURPEN
14. Holdyourcalligraphypenasyouwouldaregularpencil.Makesurethatyouholdyourpenlightlyatthegrippingarea
andnottootightortooclosetotheendofyourpen...


15. Inkup
16. Nowit'stimetolearnhowtogetinkontoyournewlyconstructedcalligraphypen.Thisstepisprettysimplebuttakes
somepracticewhenitcomestoknowinghowmuchinkyoushouldhaveonthepenandhowoftenyou'llneedtorefill
yournibwithink.
17. InkingUpYourPen
RemovethepackagingandopenyourHigginsInk.
Dipthetipofyourpennibintotheink,justpasttheventhole.

Whenyouremovethenibfromtheink,theventholeshouldbefilledwithblackinkthisishowyou'llknowthat
you'rereadytostartwriting.

18. Makeyourfirstmark
19. Tomakeyourfirstmarkonthelayoutbond,you'llneedtounderstandhowtheinkactuallyflowsontothepaper.
Here'showyou'llstart...
Withoutanypressure,placethetipofyournibontoyourlayoutbondbeingsurethattheventholeisfacing
upward.

Keepyournibatabouta45angletothepaper.

Gentlyputalittlebitofpressureontothepen&nibuntilbothtinesopenupatthesametime.

Inkupyourpenandkeepingbothtinesequallyopenandyournibata45angletothepaper,moveyourpen
downwardtolettheinkflowoutofthenib.

Cometoanabruptstopandpickupthenibcompletelyoffthepaper.Youshouldnowhaveamarkonyour
paperwhereyournibwas.
20. Nowthatyouknowthebasicanatomyofacalligraphypenandnibandhowitworks,let'smoveontothefunstuff...

LearningLetterStructure

1. Constructthe/shape
2. Takeyourtimeinconstructingthe/shapebyplacingthetipofyournibonthepaperata45angleandslightlyapply
pressuresothetinesopenupevenly.Gentlypullthenibdownwardtocreateastraightlinewithevenpressure.Watch
myshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchasline
consistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.

3.
4.

5.

ConstructtheUshape
CreatetheUshapebyplacingthetipofyournibonthepaperata45angletothepaperandslightlyapplypressureso
thetinesopenupevenly.Gentlypullthenibdownwardtocreateastraightlineandslightlyrelievepressurejustbefore
youreachthethresholdofthecurveatthebottom.Relievepressureonthenibcompletelyontheupstroke.
Watchmyshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchas
lineconsistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.

6.
7.

8.

ConstructthesidewaysSshape
Createthe"sidewaysS"shapebyplacingthetipofyournibonthepaperata45angletothepaperandslightlyapply
pressuresothetinesopenupevenly.Followthestepstocreateyour"U"shapeandsimplecurveovertoconnectone
more"U"toyourpreviousone.
Watchmyshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchas
lineconsistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.

9. ConstructtheOshape
10. The"O"shapeisgoingtolookexactlylikeyour"U"shape,butwithaconnectedandbeautifullycurvedtop.
11. Startyour"O"alittletotheleftofthetopcurvethreshold(you'llbestartingwithahairlinestroke).

12. Bringthetipofyourpenslightlyupandcurvetotheleft.Whenyourpenisstartingtopulldownward,slightlyapply
pressuretothenibtocreatethethickerlineweight.
13. Relievepressureonyourpenbeforeyoureachthebottomsoyou'llgetasmoothtransitionbetweenthickandthinlines.
14. swingyourpenupwardtocompletethestroke(nopressureontheupstroke).
15. Watchmyshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchas
lineconsistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.

LearningTheAlphabet

1. Writelettersam
2. Nowthatyouhavethebasicknowledgeinconstructingletterformshapes,we'regoingtojumpintowritingrealletters!
3. Let'sstartoutwiththelowercaselettersam.Downloadmyalphabettemplatetotraceoverwithyourtransparentpaper
andgetafeelforthedirectionandlineweightyou'llneedtoworkwith.
4. Here'saglimpseattheletterformsyou'llbepracticing:

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Takeyourtimeintracingeachletter,focusingonconsistentspacing,angle,andlineweight.
Next,trywritingyourlettersfreehand,lookingatyourpreviouslytracedalphabetforreference.
Thistechniqueisgoingtotrainyourhandandbraintoworktogetherfirsttracingtheexact,thenslowlygettingyour
handtodoitonits'own.
Dothismultipletimesuntilyoustarttofeelcomfortablewithlettersam.
Writelettersnz

10. Nowontolettersnz.Downloadmyalphabettemplatetotraceoverwithyourtransparentpaperandgetafeelforthe
directionandlineweightyou'llneedtoworkwith.
11. Here'saglimpseattheletterformsyou'llbepracticing:

12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

Takeyourtimeintracingeachletter,focusingonconsistentspacingandlineweight.
Next,trywritingyourlettersfreehand,lookingatyourpreviouslytracedalphabetforreference.
Dothismultipletimesuntilyoustarttofeelcomfortablewithlettersnz.
WritelettersAM
WatchmyshortvideoanddownloadthecalligraphytemplatetoseehowIcreatecapitallettersAM.
Followthesamestepsfromyourlowercaseunit,tracingovermytemplateandthenpracticingyourownletters
freehand.Afewthingstofocuson:
Consistentlineweight
Consistentangleofyourletters
Spacingbetweenyourletters
Counterspacewithinyourletters


18. WritelettersNZ
19. WatchmyshortvideoanddownloadthecalligraphytemplatetoseehowIcreatecapitallettersNZ.
20. Followthesamestepsfromyourlowercaseunit,tracingovermytemplateandthenpracticingyourownletters
freehand.Afewthingstofocuson:
Consistentlineweight
Consistentangleofyourletters
Spacingbetweenyourletters
Counterspacewithinyourletters


21. Writeyournumbers,symbols,andflourishes
22. WatchmyshortvideoanddownloadthecalligraphytemplatetoseehowIcreatemynumbers,symbols,andflourishes.
23. Followthesamestepsfromyourlowercaseunit,tracingovermytemplateandthenpracticingyourowncharacters
freehand.Afewthingstofocuson:
Consistentlineweight
Consistentangleofyourletters
Spacingbetweenyourletters
Counterspacewithinyourletters

DevelopingAStyle

1. GetInspired
2. Findotherartiststhatyou'reinspiredbyjustasIwasinspiredbyEdwardGoreyandBetsyDunlapwhenIfirststarted!
3. Whenlookingforinspiration,findimagesthatportraya"feel"thatyouenjoyandcriticallyexaminehowyoucanacheive
thatfeelwithyourcalligraphy.


4.
5.

Decideona"Feel"
Watchmyvideotoseehowtodevelopeaparticular"feel"withyourcalligraphy.Startwritinginyoursketchbookwithout
mytemplatesasguides.Thisshouldbefreehandatthispointtopromotethemostcreativity.

LetterWidth:Concentrateonthewidthofeachcharacter.Isyouralphabettightlycondensedorwideand
rounded?Focusingonthisdetailwillassigna"feel"toyouralphabet.Noticethephotobelowthatshowsa
condensedletterwidth.Howdoesthisstyle"feel"?

EntryandExitStrokes:Howdoyouwantyourletterstoconnectwhenyouwriteupaword?Playaroundwith
drawoutconnectinglinesvs.condensedtofindtherightfitforyourpersonality

6.
7.
8.

Practiceextratipsandtricks
Takealookatthesetipsandtrickstutorialsandtryyourhandatthem.
Don'tfeelrushedintotryingthesebesurethatyou'vespentlotsoftimepracticingtheactuallytechniquebeforethese.