Chances are, you’ve seen a word written on a poster, certificate or artwork that was written in such a beautiful way it couldn’t be considered any other than pure art. Calligraphy is more than beautiful writing – it’s a performance, an experience, an art, a dance on paper. Starting letter art may be easier than it seems, the most important thing is to stay curious and inspired. Read a bit about the history of calligraphy and how I started my journey of making art with words.

Starting calligraphy may seem more intimidating than it actually is. The more you practice, the more beautiful your letters will become. The nice thing is that you don’t need fancy expensive equipment to start making beautiful letters. However, there are a couple of basic tools I do recommend that will really help you.

Fiber tip pens:  These pens are perfect for practicing, but not for permanent work as it fades after a while. I don’t like using fountain pens.

Dip pens: There are a variety of steel nibs available on the market and are bought separately from the holder. These are the basic essential for all calligraphers.

1. Broad nibs have a flat nib – available in different sizes.
2. Pointed nibs are steel nibs that come to a fine point and are very flexible. (Zebra G nibs are my favourite)
3. Quills
4. Ruling pens for experimental lettering.

My favourite nib especially for beginners, are Tape nibs.  They are well priced and are a decent quality. I import my nibs from John Neal booksellers. Most nibs need to be treated with a match flame briefly to remove the protective varnish on the new nibs to be able to let the ink flow freely.  Working with ink and nib pens can be tricky in the beginning because you need to hold you pen at a lower angle than you usually would to actually allow the ink to flow out of the nib.

Brush pens: Calligraphy done with brush pens can take a bit longer to learn due to the wide variety of types of lines you can create with varying amounts of pressure on the brush.

Brushes:  I love using pointed brushes and chisel-edged brushes. It’s important to choose the right brush for the effect you want.

Paper: I suggest practicing on normal printing paper and for permanent work use a a heavy weight paper that doesn’t bleed, wrinkle or bruise. The wetter you work, the heavier the paper.  I prefer working on Arches HP (hot-pressed) 300gsm. The smaller the nib the smoother the paper.

Pencil: Going back to the most basic writing tool. The pencil is an absolute essential for calligraphers whether it be to rule lines, to plan composition of the artwork or even prep before writing on the final artwork with a permanent medium. I often use a kneadable putty eraser after I have made pencil marks to make the lines very faint before I go over it with ink or paint.

Ink: And of course you need something that will make the actual marks on the paper. For practicing I use non-waterproof ink like Parker/Quink ink.   I love working with Indian ink as well because it is pitch black and waterproof when it dries, so I can continue working on the artwork after I have done the calligraphy. (Make sure to wash nibs immediately after working as it is waterproof.) Walnut ink is also an all time favourite – it has a warm brown colour which is so stunning when you are looking at creating a bit softer and organic letters. (This does fade after a while.)

Watercolours:  I love mixing watercolours when using my pointed/chiselled brush.

Gouache: I use Winsor and Newton Gouache for permanent work to give me the fine hair lines and opacity that I want in my work.

Rulers:  I use a 30cm metal ruler for accurate drawing of lines. Longer lengths for cutting large pieces of paper.

Cutting mat:  I use a large cutting mat and craft knife to cut my papers.  Never scissors!