Fancy Writing

Back in February, Twin Sista and I took a modern calligraphy class together. The class description emphasized that one doesn't need good handwriting to excel at calligraphy, which was totally reassuring since anyone who has seen my handwriting can probably understand that I needed to hear that.

The two of us had the goal in mind to apply our new skills to address envelopes for Twin Sista's upcoming wedding. We both didn't know what to expect but we hoped to have beautiful script at the end of the 2.5 hour session.

The supplies were provided which included a pen holder, nibs (the pen tips), ink, letter set and a writing pad.

We practiced strokes: up and down, angled, circles and flourishes which are created by applying different pressure on the paper. I like to sum up this type of calligraphy as a combo of thick and thin lines with flourishes.

It was easy in that first hour of writing to have a shaky pen with little control over the pen but after tracing letters and practicing strokes, I started to get the hang of it. It takes heaps of practice and patience. I obsessively practiced writing each letter and then started writing all the names of the characters from the movie Keanu since I was watching it while practicing calligraphy.

In the end, my envelopes were usable and that's more than I could have asked for. I also started using my blank cards to make cards for friends. And I'll keep working on it so we can apply it to more wedding details soon.

So I highly recommend finding a calligraphy class nearby if you're interested. It was fun, educational and it's a fun way to impress people with your new skills. (Nothing beats having an in person learning experience and many of the fellow classmates said store-bought calligraphy kits were low quality and not that helpful).