The draft I’m doing for my calligraphy tips post is getting stupidly long, so I’m going to just put my “quick tips” here while I work on the VERY (very) long post.
A few quick tips for calligraphy:
Try a few different styles unless you know what sort of calligraphy/hand lettering you want to do right away. Each style requires slightly different tools, so learn what works best for you and the style you want (ex. Spenserian vs Black Letter, etc.)
Learn to write with varying pressure, but don’t write with the kind of pressure you might use for a normal pen. Calligraphy pens are finicky, delicate creatures that will revolt if you mistreat them.
You don’t need all of the “high end fancy” tools and notebooks and inks. I started by practicing my letters with a normal pen on graph paper then moved to a multimedia sketchbook and an old speedball nib I found. Start small and work your way up.
Watch videos and learn how to hold your pen correctly. You don’t hold it like a pencil.
Guidelines are your friend.
Clean your fucking pen.
