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If you are a beginner at calligraphy, the following tips are for you to learn and improve your skills. These tips are very useful and simple, that can be followed by anyone who want to learn calligraphy.
So, grab your tools and let’s begin:
1. Get down with the basics
The best way to learn calligraphy or the lettering skill is by learning and using strokes. Learning basic strokes don’t just include upstroke to be thin and down stroke to be thick. Instead, it included the eight shapes like entry stroke, overturn, oval, and so on used for structuring a lowercase alphabet. Once you master your strokes, the calligraphy is yours to innovate. The different combinations of the eight shape strokes help in constructing a complete lowercase alphabet.
There are free procreate calligraphy brushes, which are highly recommended for modern calligraphy and are the best too to get started with. It would be best if you kept the consistency in practice, and the learning will get easier and better every day. Use proper guidelines- Many people use guidelines to start their calligraphy, which is very useful and makes the strokes in a more defined manner. The guidelines are basically used for keeping the angle of the alphabets and letters aligned and the height of the letters consistent.
The traditional calligraphy scripts had to be drafted with proper rules of size and proportion, and only the scripts with accurate size and proportion would be considered and recognized. However, with the brush lettering, you can use procreate calligraphy brushes and draft scripts without following the rules. Using guidelines to get well-defined lines and angles with the help of different rulers is also recommended.
2. Correct hold of the pen
While we learn to perform art, say, for example, learning to play the guitar, one of the most important steps in the learning process is how to hold a guitar. It might seem very easy to look at but can take too long to implement in the right way. Similarly, while learning the art of calligraphy or brush lettering, one of the most significant steps is learning to hold the pen.
Holding a pen doesn’t mean you should feel discomfort in your hand while writing. It should actually feel like the pen is an extension to your hand and is part of your body. The flow of the pen should be very natural for getting the best output. You should always avid tighten your hand and bending your wrist. The brush should be held at 45 degrees roughly. Hence, regular practice is the only trick to master the skills in an accurate way.
3. Sketching your letters
It is always recommended to sketch the letters before using the brush pen. This will reduce the chance of making mistakes or errors. It is a very challenging task to get the best work done in the first attempt of brush lettering. The beginners should always start with a pencil and paper to try out the various ideas they have in mind and decide how to go about it.
While starting the draft, there are many ideas and thoughts floating in one’s head. Thus, the first attempt is often not the best one. So before you use calligraphy brushes for procreate, you should sketch the letters to get a structure.
4. Go slow with the flow
The common problem that beginners come across is speedy lettering. As they are not used to professional calligraphy, they write in the usual way. You should always go slow and lift your brush pen. The best tip for hoe to take it slow is by slipping the movement according to the strokes. Define the calligraphy strokes and go with the strokes in a slow manner.
The reason why going slow while the lettering is recommended is that you will be able to control the movement and get a well-defined script. On the other hand, the modern calligraphy with illustrator texture brushes makes it easier to control the movements and get the accurate letter spacing.
5. Get your posture right
Getting your posture right is another very important aspect of calligraphy learning, which is often neglected. Most people do not realize the significance f body posture in brush lettering until they experience it. Every art requires a proper ambiance and environment to have the best results. This goes for the calligraphist as well. It would help if you created a suitable writing environment to get the best script and design.
6. Relax
Art is a way to express your feeling; you should not take it has pressure. While starting your writing practice, you must make sure you are relaxed and comfortable. Even if the calligraphy script is for your official work, you need to be calm to get the best output possible. Pressurizing yourself will block your innovation and creativity. Therefore, all these tips come handy when you are starting to learn calligraphy skills, whether through traditional methods or with ipad calligraphy.
