9 Easy Calligraphy Practices For Beginner To Learn

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Working and learning art is never an easy feat. The process demands determination and time. At some point, you have to find the time and creativity to eventually reach a certain degree of completion. That is why practice is a must. In this case, you will find some of the tips and ideas on how to learn calligraphy for beginners. 

Practices are the key to mastering or learning the art form. In the case of calligraphy, you have a lot of practice or ideas to work on. Most of the time, people consider the learning practices pretty hard to follow. But it is easier to let go or give up. Before you feel like that, you can try some of these easy calligraphy practices. Again, remember that persistence and practice are the keys!

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The Calligraphy practices 

1. The Roundabout 

The best and most recommended practices are roundabout calligraphy. It is one of the handwriting styles that come with the simpler steps and shapes to learn. The calligraphy practices are pretty easy since you will work your habits with the basics. The idea of easy calligraphy goes to the best hand and simplest form of skills and habits. 

In this case, the roundabout is the perfect style for beginners who are just starting to learn the art form. The handwriting technique and the routine are pretty basic. But, when done properly and regularly, you can develop proper foundational training. So, what is roundabout calligraphy? What kind of exercise will you do? 

In this case, it is safe to say that the calligraphy style is the popular and coming back style. It covers some 8th century Carolingian Reform practices. After that, it also got adopted for the renaissance era and re-adopted by Edward Johnstone in the 20th century. The foundational style includes easy calligraphy practices that look beautiful and clear. 

The proportion of the letter and the style have minor errors. It is also made of basic shapes and strokes, such as regular smooth lines, circles, and letters. It is easy, and you can fix some errors during your drill. Starting with the roundabout calligraphy practices encourages you to make good habits and prepare yourself to learn complex skills and results.  

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2. The Gothic 

The gothic style tends to look very daring and intimidating. The straight, powerful, and statement style makes the script have a pretty strong impression. It also creates definite calligraphy practice's first impression, which looks hard due to its characteristics. However, that mindset is completely wrong. You can say that gothic is the epitome of calligraphy. 

So, how can it be part of an easy drill for beginners? The reasons go to the fact that it was meant to focus on each stroke. The straight, angled, and separated strokes help you focus on every small element. Thus, you can take your time to perfect every stroke before creating a letter altogether. While it does take more time, you can create a perfect letter. 

Suppose you are skeptical about the idea of easy calligraphy practices; try to consider that gothic is mostly made up of parallel straight lines. Thus, it has easy movement compared to many curves calligraphy. But again, this assumption goes back to individual preferences. Working with straight lines also guarantees you work with simpler elements. 

Consider how many basic strokes you have to learn in modern calligraphy practices. You need to learn about upward, downward strokes, loops, curves, oval, and many more. In the case of gothic design, you most likely do not find these kinds of strokes. So, the practices are particularly easy. 

Another point is the significant and characteristic ornamental appearance. The use of unique swooshes and 45 angled pens make the gothic style have its recognizable points. At some point, many people who try the calligraphy practices will call it the old, medieval, or gothic-looking letters. Thus, make your handwriting result more rewarding and identifiable.  

If you think that easy calligraphy means less complexity and repetition, you are wrong. Indeed, there are a lot of ways and styles you can learn. So, your practice easy meters are different from one to another. However, there is nothing called easy to practice. At least when you just start to learn as a beginner. There are many more attempts you should follow. 

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3. Mind The Grip 

After you know what kind of styles to learn, your easy calligraphy practices for beginners should start from the fundamental skill. In this art form, the first thing you learn is the pen grip. Yes, many calligraphers make the art form drawing looks very easy and breathtaking. But, to do that, they have to remember the basic skills, including the pen grip and angled position. 

You can see from the gothic calligraphy practices and examples that it has a very clear 45 degrees angle stroke. So, your pen and stroke angle is one of the basic practices you need to learn over and over again. Again, you cannot skip the exercise of using proper pen grip. At some point, you might have to do the same routines hundreds of times to adopt muscle memory.  

But again, the calligraphy practices can differ from one style to another. If you are working or learning for faux style, the pen grip is not necessary. But, if you are a beginner of brush, dip, or highlighter style (modern calligraphy), please always keep in mind the whole exercise routine. In this case, there are some points you need to keep in mind. 

The first one about pen grip is the 45-degree angle from the paper. So, the reason for doing so for your calligraphy practices is to master creating thick and thin strokes. Aside from paying attention to the pressure, your pen angle helps you create a smooth transaction between them. So, the upward and downward strokes will have different lettering stroke weights. 

Another trick for your easy calligraphy practices is to hold the pen a little bit away from the pen tip. It is a trick behind a smooth and lighter movement. To make it even more comfortable, you can also learn how to hold your pen with a loose grip. So, it will not make your hand tired. It is also the reason why the pressure and strokes look natural.   

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4. Pause Between Strokes

There is nothing to stop for each stroke. The idea is to help your handwriting at a steady speed and consistent pressure. It also helps you a lot to correct or fix your hand grip. Thus, you can create more rewarding calligraphy practices. Is it easy? No, it is not. At some point, you need to figure out the next movement. Thus, stopping between strokes helps you learn the next step. 

Another reason for doing this easy practice is to consider the spacing between every letter. In calligraphy, consistent spacing or kerning help create a wholehearted creation. Doing so will also remind you of the alignment and the line. Most of the time, working with a curved and angled pen is bound to make your hand lettering slightly upward or downward. 

Thus, creating uneven writing. Stopping in every stroke also appears in many calligraphy practice books, which include repeating the same movement over and over again. It will aid you in building up muscle memory. However, as you do it, try to lift the pen slightly. So you won't put too much pressure or ink in the paper.  

The idea is also very important as part of the easy calligraphy practices. It is especially true for those who are learning the modern style, such as bouncy or brush lettering. You have to write it slowly and pause for a second between strokes. Thus, your stroke will have more definite thin and thick strokes. 

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5. Pay Attention To Your Pen Pressure 

As you do the easy trick by stopping in every stroke, don't forget to pay attention to your pen pressure. The point is that you need to sync your pen pressure with the stroke. Why so? Because your pressure will create different effects in your calligraphy. The best practice is to put pressure for thicker strokes and lighter pressure for thinner strokes. 

The width variation of the procedure is part of easy basics. The fundamental point you need to learn is thick downstroke and thin upstroke. In other words, greater pressure for the downward line and a lighter one for the upward line. It sounds like some easy calligraphy practices for beginners. But it needs more muscle memory and habit to do it right. 

Surprisingly, you don't need to be worried about putting too much ink or breaking your tools. Some mediums and equipment are made to resist pressure, such as brush pens. It is one of the easy tools you can use and find. It also comes with varying options, models, and usage. Thus, you can choose whatever fits your practice. 

In this case, try to incorporate all of the previous details and tips. If you are going to work with a roundabout calligraphy style, try to stop as you complete one stroke. Try to measure your pressure. So the stroke gets the right impression. Remember that an upward stroke will look like a hair-like or thin line. The key is to lessen your pressure and move your pen fast yet steady. 

Meanwhile, when you do a downward stroke, try to put more pressure, so the line looks thicker. Again, you can measure your pressure to ensure it does not overwhelm the whole letter. In this case, again, you can learn by stopping your stroke before creating a complete letter. The calligraphy practices are perfect to learn gothic style. 

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6. Do It Slowly

Nothing looks easy when you start something new. In this practice, you will find that it is not about rushing your process. Remember that you are not doing cursive but calligraphy. Whether it is a roundabout, modern, or old gothic style, working slowly would not make you lose anything. It even helps you gain a better improvement. 

The importance of slowing during your easy calligraphy practices is to nail every detail, stroke, and line width. As mentioned in previous points, you can train by doing calligraphy by stopping in every stroke. The easy practices also highlight the importance of pen grip and pressure. They are not an easy feat. And rushing everything will gain you nothing. 

Surprisingly, the obvious easy tip can help you improve basic calligraphy practice in many ways. The most noticeable reward is creating sharper and even strokes. Yes, it is not easy to make that crisp straight thin line. Even more, if you are rushing the lettering time. Not only that, you can digest the letter form and learn how to make it better. 

Remember that you got a lot of strokes to apply and make during the practice. A loop, curve, strokes, oval, or anything, each letter will have a different set of strokes. Thus, working slowly and paying attention to each stroke help you nail the proper shape. Take your time! Learning art and calligraphy does take time. And you don't need to be ashamed of it.

Don't forget that you are learning as a beginner, which means starting from the most basic. Building muscle memory takes time. And creating the proper one is not as easy as flipping your hand. So, take your time to nail every detail of your preferred lettering style. Thus, it will look easy and get more bearable as time goes.  

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7. Pay Attention To Your Posture 

Until this part, you have learned all of the tips and tricks for easy calligraphy practices. For beginners, working and learning about art is not about time. But it is about nailing all of the vital elements for the process. Thus, easy practices are never available. It does take time, effort, and repetition, which most people hate. 

Your sitting posture is not the primary point of the drill, but it still affects your process. Remember that you need to work with every little detail and perks, such as pen grip, angle, pressure, and movement. Thus, paying attention to your posture can help make everything feel easy. At some point, you can prevent a tired or stiff hand. 

The comfortable posture during the calligraphy practices might look out of reach or not necessary. But if you are comfortable, the amount of time and effort will feel less stressful. So, the best posture for your easy exercise is straight back and comfortable height. The table and your chair position should neither be too high nor low. 

One simple and easy trick that is mostly done by artists is adjusting their page and posture from time to time. Why so? It does not only create a comfortable posture but also helps you see the art from a different perspective. It helps a lot, especially if you are trying to create calligraphy without guidelines or freestyle. A different view might show you unexpected flaws. 

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8. Make Your Practice As Your Routine 

The idea of putting your date for your lettering exercise means turning it into a routine. Again, there is nothing called an easy and fast way to learn anything. It is especially true for an art form as complex as calligraphy. A constant practice routine is easy to make but also easy to forget. People can get bored easily. So, set your pace as you prefer. 

You can try to do the easy calligraphy practices once or twice a week. Thus, you can see your improvement from time to time. One thing that makes this tip very rewarding is when you feel you have no improvement. Remember that you have been practicing for a long time, so you can refer to your order sheet and see improvement. 

Even if it is just a slight improvement, an increase is still meaning better than nothing. Try to appreciate yourself and pat yourself on your back. No matter how small the developments are, take it for granted. It is easy to get disappointed, but it is better to see it in a different light. You are your worst critic, after all. So, don't feel down for your calligraphy.  

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9. Keep Records And Improve Yourself 

On the previous tips, you learn to appreciate yourself and make a practice date. In this tip, you will need to make the easy calligraphy practices as your record. The idea is that you can keep the old sheet, use the internet or social media, or take pictures and save it in your computer folder. Choose whatever helps you keep your exercise on track. 

In this modern world and better technology, everything makes your life easy. You can start posting your work on Instagram or social media for free storage. Your calligraphy works might not be on par with professionals. But you can be part of communities to share your development and progress. And it is also a great place to build a trustworthy portfolio. 

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Conclusion

The idea of practices is always part of art and handwriting learning. Beginners or professionals will need constant repetition to increase their mastery and skills. In this case, you can choose between gothic or roundabout calligraphy. After that, you can implement all of the exercise tricks to help you improve the routine.