Now available in my online shop – calligraphy cheat sheets!

Cheating in calligraphy isn’t really cheating. Learning modern calligraphy can be tricky, and – as with anything in life – all of us learn in different ways. If you’re one of those people who can watch someone paint or draw, and copy it perfectly straight away, then you’re lucky! I’m not one of those people. …

Modern calligraphy – what’s next when you’ve learned all the letters?

Words are made of letters. Make the right shapes, put them in the right order and you’re all done, right? Wrong. In modern calligraphy, letters are the easy bit (apart form x. I hate x.) Letter drills are a fairly simple way to practice – write m 50 times and you’ll be brilliant at it. …

When modern calligraphy gets challenging – a pep talk

There are days when I begin to write and just don’t feel happy with my calligraphy. Does this happen to you too? I think as creatives we can find it all too easy to be overly critical of our work – I know I can. Those days where I begin a poetry commission four times …

The lost art of lettering – for business!

We are so lucky to live in the online age. We type more often than we write. Calligraphy now is an art, a skill which takes years of practice to develop to a professional level. But did you know that writing a beautiful calligraphy script was once as important to building a career – any …

The single most important trick you need to know to master modern calligraphy

Are you struggling to refine your modern calligraphy technique? Do you have all the kit, but you just can’t quite get the technique despite watching every insta and youtube video going? There’s one tip which I teach at the very beginning of all of my calligraphy workshops. It will make or break your calligraphy. Getting this …

How do calligraphy nibs work? A visual map to explain the magic… Part 2

In my last blog post I explained about calligraphy pens, how they work and the different types. Today let’s have a look at the nib itself. Nibs are pointy little silver magic wands. A genius combination of design and gravity makes a pointed calligraphy nib one of my favourite inventions in the world. The curve …

How do calligraphy nibs work? A visual map to explain the magic… Part 1

Calligraphers are generally serious, quietly academic types. Or were, in the days of formal lettering required to be a ‘proper businessman’. However, I’m blessed with a childish sense of humour I should have grown out of twenty years ago. Still. I’m going to take you on a journey from shaft to flange, via tips and …