There’s a whole article on reducing the chances of things going wrong, but sometimes with the best care we still find something has gone awry. When you notice something has gone wrong, often the best thing to do is go and have a cup of tea. (An exception to that is if the bottle of …
As a calligrapher the questions you’re likely to be asked include “How long did it take you?”, “did you do it on the computer?” and the favourite of all: “what do you do when things go wrong?” Things going wrong – it happens. It’s part of developing our calligraphy. And it’s not the end of …
Stuck for ideas for making Christmas cards? Perhaps you’d like to create a batch of hand made cards, but you don’t want it to become a chore. Choose just one of your calligraphy tools – one edged pen, a brush or (as here) a pointed pen. Working just in black and white, cover a piece …
As Christmas approaches, all sorts of opportunities arise for making use of your calligraphy skills. It’s great to enjoy the freedom of creating things that perhaps only have a short life: table names, menus, envelopes for cards, gift tags. They are all opportunities to try out new and adventurous ideas, safe in the knowledge that …
So you’ve finished a piece of work, and you’re pleased (or at least not displeased – we’re rather good at the self criticism, us calligraphers!) Getting the finishing touches right can elevate a piece of work into something special, so these last stages are really worthwhile. Rubbing out the lines Often we will have ruled …
Calligraphy is likely to be better if we’re writing words that matter to us. The fact that the words are meaningful to us somehow translates into better rhythm as we create the piece on the page. While alphabet sentences have their place as we learn letter shapes, it’s not that inspiring to write “How quickly …
Even after many years of practice, I still look at a “finished” piece and see flaws particularly in spacing between letters. Do you have any tips for correcting this? There are two issues here. The first is that I don’t believe you’ll ever get away from seeing the flaws… It seems to be a fact …
A Copperplate Facebook cover photo was designed for us by Rachel Yallop. This time ‘Scribblers Calligraphy’ has been written in a wonderfully flourished Copperplate style. Here, Rachel describes how she developed her ideas and fine-tuned the design to produce a very elegant and flourished final piece. I am passionate about copperplate. It is, for me, …
Gillian Hazeldine is a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators (SSI) and a Full Member of Letter Exchange. In this article, Jilly gives advice and tips on writing names in a memorial book. Writing names in a memorial book and adding names to certificates are two of the most frequent calls on the …
Whilst designing a Facebook cover photo, Rachel Yallop. kindly agreed to make notes, to give us a better understanding of how a professional lettering artist approaches and creates such a lively and eye-catching piece of work. I’ve recently rediscovered the Zig Art & Graphic Twin felt pen and have been experimenting quite a bit with it. …
To celebrate Her Majesty’s 60th year on the throne, heraldic artist Neil Bromley created an ornate family tree, detailing the royal line of succession since 1066. Set down in elegant calligraphy and decorated with intricate heraldic artwork, we can see the Royal Line unfold through history, from William the Conqueror in 1066 to Her Majesty …