As a child I remember finding an old Speedball Textbook at my house and gushing over the various styles of lettering within its pages. I've always had a strong interest in type and letters, and now it seems as though calligraphy (once a lost art) is trending again.
Calligraphy is something I knew I could do, but I had no clue where to begin or what supplies I needed. So I signed up for a six-week beginner's calligraphy course which was taught by a very revered calligrapher with remarkable talent. I really enjoyed the course, but honestly, I could have attended just one or two days of class and figured out the rest on my own. I just needed some basic information and understanding on how to use the supplies properly.
If you're somewhat artistic and you'd rather not spend money on a course, it would be fairly easy to teach yourself as long as you are diligent about it (as with anything). The supplies you should buy to start out are very basic. As you dive into the art further, you may decide to expand or upgrade your collection. That way you will not have spent a fortune on something you realized you did not like at all. If you're one of those people who needs a teacher to start, there's nothing wrong with that either. By all means, find a teacher near you, and take a course!
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Here are my suggestions for the very basic calligraphy supplies if you're just beginning:
INK: Pelikan Tusche A Drawing Ink - Black (nice and intense black, easy to apply to nibs)
NIB HOLDER: E+M Two-Way Wood Nib Holder (just one that I like...you can always go cheaper)
PAPER: Bienfang Graphics 360 Marker Paper (beautiful bleed proof paper that's easy to see grids through)
MARKER: Itoya Doubleheader Calligraphy Marker - Black (for extra practice without having to re-ink)
NIBS: Speedball C-2 and B-2 (choose for left or right hand)
BOOKS: (I found many calligraphy books at my local library instead of buying them.)
20th Edition Speedball Textbook for Pen and Brush Lettering
The Calligrapher's Companion by Mary Noble & Janet Mehigan
Learn Calligraphy by Margaret Shepherd
Calligrapher's Bible by David Harris
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I would recommend learning some foundational scripts first (i.e. types of gothic or roman script).
With these tools, as well as some others that you probably have (i.e. pencil, ruler, eraser, scrap paper), you're ready to start learning. These supplies will get you far enough in practicing those until you understand the basic concepts of calligraphy.
Your hand may get very sore with your first attempts, but it's worth it to keep pushing through. Just give yourself rest between practice sessions. Researching some hand exercises may also help to strengthen those writing muscles! Nowadays we don't use pen and paper enough. Our hands are weak, but they can always get stronger by working with them more.
Hopefully this is helpful information for those who have no idea what to get or where to begin.
Now get to practicing! Happy writing!!
