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Calligraphy definitions from various sources. Calligraphy and lettering for beginners

In the modern world, calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing. not everyone knows. In some schools and universities, calligraphy has been and continues to be studied as a separate subject. But most people, especially the younger generation, have no idea about beautiful and graceful writing.

The emergence of calligraphy in the world

The history of calligraphy is interesting and varied. The term was first used in the 16th century in Europe. During this period, a beautiful and flawless image of words came to be called calligraphic writing. However, throughout the previous 16 centuries, the art of calligraphy has constantly evolved. Even ancient people who lived in caves painted various drawings on the stones. Over time, drawings began to be replaced by symbols, and this style of writing was called cuneiform.

Then in the IV millennium BC. in ancient Egypt, hieroglyphic writing arose, and already in the III century BC. it began to be replaced by the Greek capital writing. Every century in different parts of the world there were more and more new types of writing. Already at the end of the 11th century in Italy, the delicate and beautiful writing of texts could be safely called calligraphic. During these times, almost all of Europe used letters that have a huge number of similarities with calligraphy.

In different countries, calligraphic writing has evolved in different ways and at different intervals. For the most part, the development of this art depended on when writing appeared among the people.

Writing of the Slavic people

What is calligraphy - the Slavic people learned in the 15th century. In 846, the Slavs only had their first alphabet. This was facilitated by the Byzantine state, which wanted to preach Christianity in writing at all costs.

There is little information about the origin of writing among the Slavs, but two brothers are considered the founders of writing: Constantine and Methodius. The Moravian prince Rostislav asked Constantine to create an alphabet for Christians, and brother Methodius, who at that time was the abbot of an Orthodox monastery, agreed to help him.

In the 15th century, the first beautiful manuscript began to appear. Behind him is the teratological style, ligature and initial letter. The teratological style was perhaps the most beautiful and unusual. The letters were depicted as one piece with various animals and birds. These could be both existing animals and fictional ones. The ornament was foliage or flames around the letter.

With the question of what calligraphy is, everything seems to be clear now, but who is a calligrapher and what does he do.

Who is a calligrapher

This is a profession that involves the ability to write calligraphy. At first glance, it seems: can this profession really be in demand now? In the age of computer technology, people use less and less writing on paper. Indeed, in almost any text editor there are many different fonts, and more and more are constantly appearing. However, these fonts are created by calligraphers-artists.

A calligrapher is a man of art, he is both an artist and a writer in one person. Nowadays it is very popular to be able to write calligraphically. This skill gives any person the mark of good parenting and elegance. In elite families, even the smallest ones know what calligraphy is.

It is believed that calligraphic writing has the properties of meditation, like any other creativity. A person has a unique opportunity to “withdraw into himself” for a while and plunge into the world of art. Calligraphy technique is not difficult, and almost everyone can learn it.

In order to learn calligraphic writing, you do not need special skills, and yet it is painstaking work. Restless people with poorly developed fine motor skills are unlikely to succeed. It is desirable, of course, that those who want to learn calligraphy know how to draw well and have a good imagination. In any case, everyone should try to learn how to beautifully portray letters.

Learn calligraphy

Calligraphic writing involves the use of pen and ink. However, before purchasing all the necessary equipment, you should try your hand at an ordinary pen. Choose a font that you like (best if it is one of the simplest fonts), and save yourself the alphabet of that writing style. At least one letter must be written every day. This type of calligraphy is called artificial.

Fake calligraphy is more difficult than conventional calligraphy, since the nubs have to be done by yourself. Because the nib has a nib (as opposed to a ball in a pen), it is easier for them to recreate calligraphic letters.

When each letter of the font has been worked out, it's time to learn how to connect and decorate them. See what the connections look like in the selected font and try to repeat them. When artificial calligraphy is at least a little worked out, you can move on to calligraphic writing with a pen.

Calligraphy tools

Typically, a pen and a pen holder are used for writing, as is common in European calligraphy. Eastern calligraphy, on the other hand, prefers the use of brushes. Feathers are very different: pointed, broad-pointed, poster. For beginners in this business, pointed ones are best suited. Having mastered them, it will be possible to move on to other types of feathers.

It will not be superfluous to acquire a special notebook for studying calligraphy. It has special markings that make it much easier to keep the proportions of the letters.

In the modern world, you can find calligraphy pens, markers and even such know-how as a brush pen (a fountain pen with a nib tip) on store shelves. However, it should not be forgotten that it is still difficult to replace the pen and ink with something.

Place to study

A place to practice calligraphy is also important. It should be quiet and comfortable while studying beautiful writing. Be sure to sit comfortably with your back and legs straight. The non-working hand should bear the bulk of the load, while the writing hand should hover over the workbook. You can learn calligraphic writing only in complete peace and harmony with yourself - this is the most important rule that you should not forget.

Calligraphy for the little ones

What is calligraphy for children and do they need it? Surely the answer is yes! Calligraphic writing disciplines a person, teaches him perseverance and calmness, and this is exactly what many children lack. In addition, when learning calligraphy, children's handwriting is leveled. The letters in school notebooks acquire the same size, and the child develops

A lot can be said by the student's handwriting: character, mental state, mental development. Beautiful calligraphy will open up many paths for your child in the future.

CALLIGRAPHY, and, pl. No, f.[greek. kalligraphia - beautiful handwriting] (book).

Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron

CALLIGRAPHY, greek., the art of writing beautifully, was especially improved before the invention of printing by scribes of manuscripts. In the same era, the main ones were invented. types of fonts and embellishments of capital letters, beginnings and endings of chapters, etc. At the present time, especially with the invention of typewriters, K.'s art is in decline.

Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language by Vladimir Dahl

CALLIGRAPHY, f. Calligraphy and erasure. Calligrapher , M. Krasnopisets. Calligraphic , referring to calligraphy.

CALLIGRAPHY(Greek kalligraphía - beautiful handwriting, from kallós - beauty and grápho - I write), the art of beautiful and clear writing. The history of K. is associated both with the history of type and writing tools (reed quill-kalam in the ancient world, among the peoples of the medieval East; bird feather in Europe until the first half of the 19th century; brush in the Far Eastern countries), and with the stylistic evolution of art ... K. not only pursues the goal of readability, but also imparts an emotional-figurative graphic expressiveness to the letter. The style of K. tends either to clarity of outlines, the ability to read at a distance, or to expressive cursive italics, or to decorative ornamentation, sometimes going to the detriment of ease of reading. In China and other Far Eastern countries, calligraphy was especially highly valued as the art of communicating an emotional and symbolic meaning to a graphic sign, conveying in it both the essence of a word and the thought and feeling of a calligrapher. This is the reason for the freedom of rhythm and the sharp expression of the hand in many samples of K. in China, Korea, and Japan. Famous whale masters. K. - Wang Xi-chzhi (IV century), Xuanzong (VIII century), Mi Fei (XI century). In countries where Islam limited the visual arts, K. became the source of the richest ornamental and rhythmic compositions, often combined with geometric or floral patterns, even with graphic elements. Among the largest calligraphers are the masters of the naskhi script Ibn Mukla (10th century), Ibn Bawwab (11th century) and Yakut Mustasimi (13th century) in Baghdad (Iran) and the Central Asian masters of the nastalik type Mir Ali Teb-rizi ( XIV century), Sultan Ali Mashhadi (XV century), Mir Ali Haravi, Shah Mahmud Nishapuri, Ahmed al-Husseini (XVI century). In Europe in ancient times, classical examples of Greek and Latin writing were created, clear and harmonious in proportion; In the Middle Ages, K., whose hearths were monastery scriptoria, evolved from the classical correctness of Carolingian samples to the decorativeness and fracture of Gothic writing. Outstanding examples of K., beginning with the "Ostromir Gospel" (rewritten in 1057 by deacon Gregory), are known in Russia. Since the XV century. the leading role in European capitalism passed to engravers, as well as to scribes and artists - the creators of fanciful type compositions that became a luxury item. Typography sharply limited the scope of K., and with the advent of typing, it was preserved mainly as a subject of instruction in elementary school ("calligraphy"), as well as in a number of areas where artistic hand-drawn fonts are used (book design, posters, industrial graphics, etc.). etc.).

Lit .: Kazi Ahmed, Treatise on Calligraphers and Artists, M. - L., 1947; Istrin V.A., Development of a letter, M., 1961; Bonacini C., Bibliografia delle arti scrittorie e della calligrafia, Firenze, 1953; L "art de l" écriture, P. - Baden-Baden, 1965.

Publishing dictionary-reference

CALLIGRAPHY, the art of beautiful and clear writing, associated primarily with the history of the handwritten book.

Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

CALLIGRAPHY, the ability to write beautifully, craft and art, which had excluded. importance in the book business in the pre-press period. The ancient writing tradition (in contrast to the Arabic and Far Eastern traditions) was characterized by a striving for clarity of outline. Rus. K. also gravitated towards geometric. clarity of handwriting (charter), edges were further partly lost in semi-ustav and cursive writing. Handwriting manuscript. book went to bed. first typographer. fonts.

The New Oxford Dictionary of English

CALLIGRAPHY, decorative handwritten letter or hand-drawn letters.

Derivatives: calligrapher - noun (calligrapher - noun); calligraphic - adjective (calligraphic - adjective).

Origin: Greek kalligraphia, from kalligraphos "a man who writes beautifully."

Cambridge International Dictionary of English

CALLIGRAPHY.

Noun.

The art of beautiful writing, often with a special pen or brush.

These old manuscripts contain several examples of excellent calligraphy.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Writing: cal lig ra phy

Pronunciation:\ -fē \

Part of speech: noun

Etymology: French or Greek; French calligraphie, from the Greek. kalligraphia, from kalli- beautiful (from kallos beauty) + -graphia - letter

Date: 1604

1.a) Creative, stylized, or elegant handwriting b) the art of creating such a letter.

2. Quality or style of handwriting

3. Decorative line in a drawing or painting

Cal li graph ic \ ˌka-lə-ˈgra-fik \ adjective (calligraphic - adjective)
- cal li graph i cal ly \ -fi-k (ə-) lē \ adverb (calligraphic - adverb)

Chinese calligraphy concept

Shūfǎ (Shufa) - Canons of writing

Japanese calligraphy concept

Shodō (Shodo) - The way of writing

Arabic calligraphy concept

Khatt ul-Yad - Beautiful letter

Calligraphy concept in Hebrew

קליגרפיה - calligraphy, the art of beautiful or elegant writing

Greek calligraphy concept

κάλλος - Kallos (kallo) - beautiful;

γραφή - Graphe (grapho) - I write.

Calligraphy concept in hindi

Beautiful letter

Persian calligraphy concept (Farsi language)

Calligraphy

Korean calligraphy concept

Seoye - The way of writing

The European word for calligraphy:

Spanish

CALIGRAFíA

Italian language

CALLIGRAFIA- calligraphy. Formed by borrowing the Greek words "kallos" (beautiful) + "grapho" (writing)

Writing with beautiful lettering is a real art that our ancestors attached great importance to. Today is the time to find out what calligraphy is, why was it so important before, but has lost its relevance today? Do the people of the 21st century have the opportunity to learn to write with style and elegance? Where and how can this be done? Let's figure it out!

What is calligraphy: definition

The word "calligraphy" passed into Russian from Greek, where it, in turn, was composed of components, namely "kallos" - "beauty" and "grapho" - "to write." In other words, this concept describes an ancient branch of art, the essence of which is beautiful and clear writing on paper. Today, most people are familiar with a different definition, and the question: "What is calligraphy?" evokes in them associations with beautiful and fast writing. This is a side branch called applied or everyday calligraphy.

Calligraphy as an academic discipline

A similar aesthetic design of handwritten text took place not only in the field of applied graphics, but also in schools as an educational discipline, where children were offered recipes for calligraphy and taught its basic foundations: the same size of letters, the uniformity of the slope and arrangement of letters, a similar size of spaces, total clarity and legibility of both words and punctuation marks. In elementary school, calligraphy was called calligraphy. It required discipline, perseverance, concentration of attention and, for example, in the USSR it was the only school subject inherited from the times of pre-revolutionary Russia.

The history of the development of calligraphy is associated with two positions: firstly, it is the evolution of the font, writing tools (bird, metal, reed pen, brush) and sheet materials (papyrus, silk, parchment, paper), and, secondly, stylistic changes in calligraphy as a separate form of art and human activity.

What was calligraphy originally intended for?

From time immemorial, beautiful handwriting has performed the following main functions:

  1. Simplification of reading.
  2. Communication of emotional imagery, graphic expressiveness to writing.

For calligraphy, the first point has always been characterized by clarity of outlines and details, giving a person the opportunity to read at a distance, while the second - expressive cursive italics or ornamental patterns of decorative design. The latter was especially highly valued in China and other Far Eastern Asian countries, where calligraphy was viewed as the art of conveying behind a simple graphic sign a whole palette of emotional and symbolic meanings and meanings, the essence of the word, thoughts and feelings of the writer.

Calligraphy in Western Europe: origins

"What is calligraphy?" - a question that can be considered clarified. However, it should be noted that calligraphy is not a universal phenomenon for all territories. The key unifying element for the historical development of calligraphy in different countries is its evolution in the general mainstream of the fine arts. However, along with this, beautiful handwriting has changed over time, depending on the prevailing stylistic influence in a particular era. Firstly, the degree and frequency of a particular direction in the two states could be different, and, secondly, traditions, motives, symbolism characteristic of a particular locality also played a significant role. That is why today the world is familiar with several unique calligraphic schools at once.

Calligraphy in Europe developed from Greco-Roman writing, the classical canons of which, developed in ancient times, are used even today. The first alphabets of the Greeks and Romans appeared in the III millennium BC. The predecessor of Latin was the Etruscan alphabet. Initially, the letter used exclusively capital letters; lowercase appeared later, during the reign of the Carolingian imperial dynasty in Europe. To a lesser extent, the Cyrillic alphabet has contributed to the Western European art of beautiful handwriting.

The period of active development of European writing

Calligraphy in Western European territories began to develop most actively with the spread of Christianity, because there was a need to copy the Bible and other texts on religious themes, and their harmonious design. Therefore, calligraphy lessons were taught to the clergy, as evidenced by the many surviving monuments of medieval calligraphy. The peak of the art of calligraphy falls on the 7th-9th centuries, when monks in Scotland and Ireland created the illustrated Gospels - unique medieval masterpieces. They were handwritten books richly decorated with colorful ornaments and miniatures. In Russia, such calligraphy, which was also taught among monks and clergy, acquired the name of a "facial manuscript".

In addition to the above, in the 11th century, Gothic writing also appeared, on the basis of which a font called "pseudo-Gothic" was created. The main branches of such calligraphy were:

  • Fractura - sharp writing with broken edges and outlines;
  • the texture is just sharp writing;
  • rotunda - a transitional type of writing from Gothic to serif, or typographic type with characteristic serifs;
  • Schwabacher, or bastarda - broken writing with rounded outlines of some specific letters;
  • current - italic in the Gothic style; at the beginning of the 20th century, the Zütterlin typeface was approved as the traditional Gothic cursive.

A characteristic pseudo-Slavic script was also created on the basis of the Cyrillic alphabet in Western Europe. Since the 15th century, the dominant role in the tradition of European calligraphy passed to artists, scribes and engravers, after which, with the invention of book printing in the same century by John Gutenberg, the role of calligraphy sharply diminished.

Calligraphy in East Asia

Calligraphy developed in a completely different way in Korea, Japan and China, as well as in Muslim states. Translated from Chinese and Korean, the concept is translated as "the way of writing" and represents a refined form of pictorial skill. For the art of handwriting, it was traditionally not pens for calligraphy, not pens, but brushes for writing and ink were used here. Famous masters of Chinese calligraphy include Xuanzong (VIII century), Wang Xi-Zhi (IV century), Mi Fei. In the list of the largest Islamic calligraphers, the first are Ibn Mukla (X century), who specialized in the Naskhi script, a native of Central Asia Mir Ali Tabrizi (XIV century), who painted materials with a unique Nastalik script, and others.

It should be noted that in the states of Islam, calligraphy had a particularly inextricable connection with religion. Thus, calligraphic inscriptions were widely used to decorate mosques and in the census of the Koran. In the Arab countries, with the help of graphics (here called "hutut" or "khatt"), the manifestation of desacralized Beauty, permeating every corner of the folk culture, was affirmed. The Arabs developed their own system of 6 calligraphic handwritings, each of which was used in specific circumstances. Their names:

  • naskh;
  • sulse;
  • muhakkak;
  • raikhani;
  • tauki;
  • hand.

By the way, the inadmissibility of depicting animals, people or Allah can be attributed to the characteristic features of Arabic calligraphy, because, according to religious dogmas, worshiping God through a painting makes a person like an unbeliever. For the same reason, no other creature is allowed to be portrayed. However, if calligraphic images are created separately, but in the end they are added to a single element, then the rules do not prohibit this.

Calligrapher traditional set

A minimal set for learning the art of beautiful writing includes calligraphy nibs, ink and paper. In addition, a pen with a paste of the desired color, gouache, watercolor, ink, charcoal, pastel, a can of paint (if we are talking about a modern branch of calligraphy - graffiti) and much more can be used as the main writing instrument. It is interesting that before the use of feathers, people got by with sticks, thanks to which they squeezed out signs on clay, or simply carved inscriptions on stones, because the imprinting of signs on relatively hard surfaces has been widespread for a long time: this also includes writing on wax or birch bark. The first (reed) feathers in the Middle Ages were replaced by bird feathers, mainly goose feathers. Then they became composite, and in the 18th century they gave way to steel ones. It becomes obvious that the canonical instrument of a calligrapher does not exist, because different aids were used by scribes in different periods.

Calligraphy for beginners: about age and methods

Nowadays, calligraphy is perceived rather as a kind of aesthetic phenomenon. However, it has not lost its practical significance either; Thus, today the art of beautiful handwriting is the basis for the development of typefaces for typesetting computer fonts. Calligraphy for beginners today is quite accessible both for independent study and for practicing with a teacher. Many programs exist for the assimilation of material by schoolchildren, because it is much easier for children to retrain at an early age than for adults. Teachers and project curators offer parents to order calligraphy lessons.

A real-time attendance and presence system is usually practiced, but classes can also take place in the form of online distance courses. In the latter case, they include guidelines for adults and offer calligraphy recipes so that parents can correct and correct their child's handwriting at home. The same features apply to adult education programs.

Beautiful handwriting is becoming a rare phenomenon in the modern world. Handwriting is as unique as a fingerprint. But if some people manage to write beautifully and legibly, then what others have written is sometimes difficult to make out.

What is calligraphy writing? How to learn to write beautifully in calligraphic handwriting? There are general tips and tricks to help you learn how to write beautiful letters without losing your own individuality.

Where does a beautiful letter begin?

First of all, you need to sit down correctly. Knees should be bent at right angles, feet pressed to the floor. Particular attention is paid to the back, it should be flat. The left hand (if the person is right-handed) is located on the desk, since it takes part of the person's body weight onto itself. The right hand also needs to be placed on the surface. When properly seated, the working brush will be less stressed and therefore less fatigued.

If the muscles of the right arm are relaxed, the handwriting will be more beautiful and lighter. It is important to write with your whole hand. In this case, with a long working process, the handwriting will remain as smooth and neat as in the beginning.

It is also worth considering your workplace and equipping it. It is strongly not recommended to place the table in dark rooms.

There is an opinion that a person's handwriting is interconnected with a person's character. Maybe this is actually the case. However, everyone can make changes that may affect any traits of human nature.

1. Practice. You need to write as much as possible. It is worth studying with concentration, without being distracted by extraneous matters. Classes should not take place in a rush, it is important to focus on the process.

2. Correct prioritization. It is important to tune in to a long learning process, because a beautiful and even handwriting cannot be achieved after a few days of training and work on oneself. It is imperative to do it with pleasure, in this case the procedure will bring faster results and positive emotions.

3. Development of fine motor skills of hands. Developing activities with small objects, for example, weaving from beads, modeling from plasticine, knitting or crocheting, will perfectly help to form a beautiful calligraphic handwriting.

4. Creativity. You can also paint. The lessons will also help you on your way to achieving your goal in the form of calligraphic handwriting. At first, it is better to draw with a ballpoint pen. If a person does not have a talent for drawing, then it does not matter, you can print drawings with a large number of lines and trace neatly along the contour. You can also resort to simple shading, this will be a useful activity.

5. Imaginary workouts. In their fantasies, people often draw ideal images of what they want to see in front of them. In the case of calligraphy, this is also possible. You can imagine in your imagination not only how the letter will look, but also combine vowels with consonants, forming whole words. Such training sessions can be done anywhere, when you have a free minute.

6. Working tools. After mastering the ballpoint pen and getting a visible result, you can start using other writing instruments: pencils, felt-tip pens and even gouache. In addition to the fact that this type of activity helps to relieve stress and tension, already acquired skills and abilities are also consolidated.

7. Development of your own corporate writing style. When the results of painstaking work are already noticeable, it is worth considering that the handwriting may differ in originality and dissimilarity from other handwritings. Some letters can be lengthened or decorated with monograms or curls.

8. Posture. If you keep your back straight, you can not only learn to write beautifully, but also get rid of back pain, providing your spine with a healthy existence.

Do not overload yourself with a lot of tasks and exercises. Several tips have been developed, adhering to which, a person will not spend more than an hour a day on lessons.

1. The first step is to buy a common recipe that everyone remembers from childhood. The principle of this technique has been tested for more than one decade and really bears fruit.

2. The next step should be a notebook in a line, only one that does not have an auxiliary ruler. It will be necessary to prescribe everything that has been studied and worked out in the recipes. Then it's worth comparing the result. If the difference is striking, then it is recommended to return to the recipe again and continue training.

3. Prescribing each letter separately. You need to work on both uppercase and lowercase letters. Until all the letters are studied in detail, you should not start working on inter-letter connections.

4. In order to achieve stable results, it is necessary to make it a rule to write one page of text every day. In this case, constant practice is very important, especially at the learning stage.

5. An important aspect will also be the correct inclination of the handle, it should be 45 degrees. When writing, you need to monitor the position of the fingers; only the index, middle and large are involved in the procedure.

Every person can learn to write in beautiful calligraphic handwriting. You just need to be patient on the road to success.

For all the individuality of any handwriting, some people tend to change the manner of writing. For handwriting to become graceful and memorable, you need to go through some preparation and practice a lot.

Study your handwriting

Before learning how to write beautifully, take a close look at your own handwritten text. Try researching the trend of your writing. This will help you improve the spelling of specific words later on. You can determine the degree of freedom of your movements, as well as the rigidity of your hand, by the following criteria.


Then it is worth moving on to the definition of active muscles. The softness of the handwriting depends on their movements. Beautiful letters can be drawn only with the work of the hand, all fingers and even the shoulder. It is necessary to write a short text and see if the whole hand is straining or just the palm. Remember not to put too much pressure on your fingers, otherwise the letters will come out crumpled. To a greater extent, you should move the shoulder and the whole hand, and not just one wrist.

Select stationery

Writing accessories, which primarily include pen and paper, are useful to select individually. However, there are certain general principles.

  • The computer paper is not of very high quality. More expensive options can be purchased at the clerical departments, and it is with their help that the likelihood of sloppy blots and unnecessary drops is reduced.
  • You can use Moleskine notebooks for regular practice and learning to enjoy your handwriting. They have very high quality paper that makes the lines straight.
  • Pen lines are more beautiful than pencil lines. At the same time, you should not purchase cheap ball models. Fountain pens have a much more convenient ink flow. Calligraphy markers or stationery can be used early in your workout. Sanford with a flat tip. Thanks to these pens, you can display multi-colored pens with different lengths and widths.

Basic principles of practice


Beautiful letter in italics

Many people think that the practice of writing beautifully immediately involves creating whole words, or even sentences. You actually need to practice writing each letter of the alphabet. To remember such basics, school books are suitable for writing, where it is indicated how a capital or capital letter should look like. You can also search the web or borrow from the library for additional textbooks on creating cursive handwriting.

Before learning how to write beautifully with a pen, you need to learn the rules of correct hand placement. The pen should be placed between the index and middle fingers so that the last phalanges and thumb touch the tip of the writing instrument. This position can minimize the likelihood of pain in the forearm, wrist, and fingers.

In the process of training, special attention should be paid to the development of connecting lines. Italics are just a combination of letters. In the process of such a lesson, you need to ensure that the upper parts of the letters are always completely completed, otherwise it becomes very difficult to distinguish one sign from another.

How to master calligraphy

Calligraphic practice requires even more attention to your posture. The feet should be completely flat on the floor and the spine- straightened. The handle is placed between the first two knuckles. It is surrounded by the index and thumb and rests on the middle finger. Visually, it looks like holding the handle at a 45 ° angle.

Calligraphy is also impossible without quality writing instruments. It is best to use automated pens, markers, and fountain pen models with a natural nib or metal shank. It is very important to buy paper that will not leak ink. If the special sheets are not at hand, take notebook sheets with a high cotton content, which will make the lines harder. Remember to pay attention to the ink in the pen. So, Indian versions of ink quickly clog up office supplies because of the specific varnish in the composition. It is worth making a choice in favor of water-soluble ink.

When starting your calligraphy, remember to keep the lines in the right direction. You need to correctly place a sheet of paper on the table and determine the height of the pen. An example for beautiful lines is the Italic font with a height of 5. The following types of lines are distinguished in calligraphy.

  • Basic. Determines the bottom points of letters in a string.
  • Upper. It rises above the base line and can change its height in accordance with the height of the characters.
  • Ascending. All ascending letters touch this line, which are "b" and "c". In the classic version, the height of this line is 5.
  • Descending. Descending letters, for example, "z" and "d", touch this line. Also has a height of 5 from the baseline.

Once you understand how to write beautifully, you should prepare yourself to practice the calligraphic style regularly. Gradually, the hand becomes accustomed to the repetitive movements, and the angle of inclination of the handle is restored automatically. To diversify such a handwriting, you can experiment with paper, a pen and periodically draw just circles and lines to feel the degree of pressure on the pen.

Freedom of creativity

Truly beautiful and unique handwriting can be based on several styles at once. You don't have to be limited to italics or calligraphy. Studying the works of various graphic designers, artists and calligraphers, who have their own unique writing style, will help to diversify your horizons on this issue. It is also helpful to research interesting posters and posters to identify and memorize typeface. Moreover, a variety of sketches and bizarre tree shapes can be a source of inspiration for acquiring a new handwriting.

Some students are helped by looking at medieval texts. There are always unusual letters used. Capital characters are portrayed especially beautifully. They can reflect both individual animals and entire historical scenes. Ancient manuscripts can also provide inspiration, so don't ignore Egyptian hieroglyphs or Norse runes.

Developing your own writing style is aided by the consistent application of developed calligraphic handwriting. First of all, calligraphy is used for beautiful signatures on postcards, but you can also make whole posters with lines from your favorite poems or familiar sayings. It is also useful to train by creating a lettering ornament for which a permanent pen is used.

  • The most efficient way to develop great handwriting with a consistent style- train constantly. Moreover, you need to train not only in writing the letters themselves, but also in maintaining the correct posture for writing, automatically setting the pen to the desired position.
  • If your hand often hurts after training in beautiful writing, you are probably gripping the pen too much, pressing on it, or simply sitting incorrectly. To find out which writing method works best for you, experiment with different options.
  • Today, calligraphic exhibitions are very often organized, including master classes, where you can get acquainted with associates of the same interests. If you find it difficult to master calligraphic writing on your own, find like-minded people in your city who will create in a group under the guidance of an experienced specialist.
  • As a practice, you can ask a friend or relative to give a dictation, during which you will practice writing a fairly large text. The main thing- remember that quality is more important than speed.