Here’s the thing you’ve got to love about modern calligraphy: you can implement any change — any calligraphy variation — and you’ll still be correct. While there is, more or less, “right” and “wrong” in traditional calligraphy styles like Spencerian and Copperplate, modern calligraphy embraces change.
The most popular calligraphy worksheet on TPK is the Kaitlin, which was used on the invitation suite above. I would imagine its popularity can be attributed to two things: A. it’s pretty and B. I’m always going on and on about how low-maintenance it is {and it is!}. Because it’s the calligraphy style I see people rocking the most on Instagram, I thought I would use it as the guinea pig for today’s calligraphy variations.
Variation 1: Thicken Downstrokes
This is the simplest calligraphy variation. To create it, start with any word written in Kaitlin style calligraphy {or any style of calligraphy, for that matter}. I chose to write my name.
Next, thicken the downstrokes by adding another stroke to the right of the original downstroke. {If you’re not sure what a downstroke is, visit the Faux Calligraphy Tutorial.} Make sure the stroke you are adding blends seamlessly into your original downstroke.
Once you’ve filled in your downstrokes, you’re finished!
It can be beneficial to beef up your downstrokes if you really need a word or a sentence to stand out. To this end, words with thick downstrokes are wonderful on everything from posters to gift tags!
Variation 2: Minimize Letter Size and Lengthen Connection Strokes
Another way to switch up Kaitlin style calligraphy is to connect small letters with long, flowing strokes. While regular Kaitlin calligraphy utilizes relatively long connection strokes, it’s hard to notice said strokes because the size of the letters balances them out.
However, if you make a conscientious effort to write small letters and maintain a connection stroke length of around 1.5 cm, you’ll be rewarded with a unique, pleasing effect. This is an easy-to-follow concept that I delve into a bit more in the Style Variation Add-On Worksheet, which I’ll talk more about later in this post.
Variation 3: Switch Up Your Angle
The angle of original Kaitlin style calligraphy as taught in the Learn for a Latté set is relatively relaxed. Don’t get me wrong: it’s got a slant, but the slant isn’t severe.
You can switch up your Kaitlin style calligraphy {or any style of calligraphy} by adjusting the slant to be more pronounced. In my experience, a different slant is easiest to achieve if you rotate your paper to an angle that you don’t normally use. For example, when I create “original” Kaitlin style calligraphy, my paper is usually rotated about 20 degrees. When I write more slanted calligraphy, I rotate my paper anywhere from 45 degrees to 90 degrees!
I love the look of slanted calligraphy because it pays homage to its traditional predecessor styles. Even though the calligraphy is modern, it calls to mind the days when people wrote with a dip pen and ink because they had to … not because they wanted to! And, of course, back then, everyone seemed to have beautiful, perfectly-angled cursive calligraphy.
Variation 4: Make it Groovy
You can give most calligraphy a funky, bubbly vibe by skipping any slant and slightly exaggerating loops. It’s also a good idea to make sure none of your letters quite line up … which is great because that means there’s no need for drawing pencil guidelines!
One of the great things about a groovy calligraphy style is you can use a straight pen to create it {as opposed to an oblique}. Yes, I used an oblique … but, in retrospect, it would have been more logical to use a straight pen. Since you’re not going for letters that lean to the right, you can use pretty much any holder.
As a side note, this variation is great for anyone who has trouble with the right slant of the original Kaitlin. The “groovy” variation renders beautiful results to boot!
Variation 5: Declare War on Any Loops or Curves
I think this variation is the most interesting of the five. For some reason, it reminds me of Halloween … and, I don’t know why, but it also calls Harry Potter to mind. {Did someone’s handwriting look like this in the books??} Regardless, it’s a little tough to create at first because your instinct is to let your hand make those nice loops and curves that you’re used to.
Instead of forming anything that remotely resembles a circle, try to write using straight lines and corners. That means all letters will connect to each other with disjointed lines and have some awkward angles sticking out. I find that very visually interesting. I was thinking, too … someone asked me the other day about mail art ideas for boys. Well, this calligraphy style would be a great contribution to a more masculine envelope! It takes all the femininity out of the Kaitlin, and renders surprisingly good results in the process!
As I was creating this blog post last weekend, I began to worry that perhaps my instructions would be difficult to implement without specific examples and detailed instructions. After a couple of minutes of fretting and a few hours of planning, I decided to stick to my motto: “If in doubt, create a worksheet set.”
Thus, the Kaitlin Calligraphy Worksheet Add-On: Style Variations was born. It offers explanations and valuable practice for all of the calligraphy variations described above {oh, except for the “thicken downstrokes” variation, which I am 99.99% sure you can implement without any issues at this very moment}. A word to the wise, though: I wouldn’t get this worksheet set unless you already own the Premium Kaitlin set. All of the variations rely in some way on knowledge of making Kaitlin style calligraphy. If you haven’t learned the general principles of creating original Kaitlin style calligraphy, you may find yourself a bit lost!
So, this new worksheet set is my surprise to you on this lovely Wednesday! Trust me, I was surprised, too … I had no idea I would be making another worksheet set so soon. I hope that it helps you to create the variations outlined in this blog post, and to potentially come up with some of your own!
If you have any questions about any of these variations {or suggestions for other variations}, please feel free to comment! Thanks again for reading the TPK blog … I wish I could adequately express how glad I am that you’re here.
Warmest wishes,
I’m a boy….yet i find this cool, i love your work…. I’m a noob and I’m giving time practicing the art….. BTW you’re amazing Lindsey.. 😎😎
Dear Lindsey, I recently started practicing the Kaitlin style calligraphy using your worksheet, and I have to say I can never write in the perfect flowy style without tracing/looking at the worksheet! If I attempt to write in the Kaitlin style, it always ends up looking like my own handwriting (My friends say I write in a professional cursive, lol) or somewhat like Copperplate! I also read your “How to practice calligraphy” blogpost, but I can’t seem to overcome my own handwriting. It drives me crazy! It is probably because I am the least creative person ever, but how can I overcome the instinct to write in my personal handwriting?
Much thanks and keep up the good work!
Kylie
Hi Kylie!
It sounds like you are actually creating a really cool hybrid, which is awesome! I would say either:
A) Keep on doing what you are doing; I’m sure it’s beautiful! — or — B) Keep using the worksheet to practice; you should get the hang of it after a couple of weeks. Especially pay attention to your slant, as well as making sure some letters dip low, and others start up high. It is perfectly okay to reference the worksheet as you are working on other projects! You’ll eventually get to a point where you no longer have to reference it. 🙂
How are you so awesome, Lindsey?!?! Thank you for always sharing your wealth of knowledge and beautiful talent with the world. MUCH MUCH appreciated, especially as a calligraphy newbie! 🙂 🙂
It’s actually you that is awesome … because you’re willing to read my rantings and ravings about calligraphy and art stuff. 🙂 It’s awesome to get to be able to sit on a soapbox going, “Blah blah blah” about calligraphy {which is something I love!} and attract such a kind, thoughtful audience. I really don’t know how I got so lucky. Thanks very, very much for your sweet words; I really appreciate you taking the time to write them!
If I am just starting, which kit should I begin with.
Thanks for the help and your beautiful help.
Hi Patrice!
If you are right-handed, I’d start with the Kaitlin. If you’re left-handed, I’d start with the Flourish Formal. 🙂 Honestly, though, there’s no best or worst worksheet to start off with as a beginner, so if a certain style appeals to you, go for that!
I absolutely love your blog, it’s full of wonderful tips, and I think it’s amazing how sweet and generous you are to share all this wisdom with us. Thank you! A fan from Pakistan. 🙂
It looks like generosity, but really it’s just me going “blah, blah, blah” about the stuff I love in life {art and calligraphy, of course!}. 🙂 I’m still amazed and incredibly happy at the fact that some people take pleasure in reading, and I’m very happy you visited and took the time to comment! Thank you!!
Well, I know what my students are going to be playing around with tomorrow! And thank you for thickening my ever-growing TPK worksheet binder. 😉 Love the variations!
Hopefully your binder will be full by the end of the year {if I stay on the ball with making more worksheets}! 🙂 Thanks so much, Christine!
love all these variations!! my favorite would be the groovy! i purchased your kaitlyn worksheets some time ago and just love it. i’ve even found that i sometimes was actually doing it without the slant! almost like the groovy variation! how cool!! thanks for your generosity, as always!
I think it’s safe to say that you invented the Groovy before the Groovy was ever officially around! 😉 I’m really happy that you are loving the Kaitlin worksheet set, and happy that this post inspired you {and showed you that you’re a couple of steps ahead of me!}. Thank you very much for the nice comment!
Hi, Lindsey ~ Groovy is my favorite variation. I also like the ease of the “Thicken It” style because I am 99.99% confident I can thicken letters. My bigger challenge is: mastering the Kaitlin style. Now I have to ask … Did you do the artwork on the female silhouette? At first I thought the silhouette was overlaying patterned paper; then I realized it was more likely to be YOUR perfect lines, design, and colorization. Thanks for another great post. I so look forward to checking my inbox on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 🙂
Hi Jo!
I am 101% confident that you can thicken letters, and 102% confident that you an master the Kaitlin. And yes! I did do the artwork on the female silhouette; there’s actually a tutorial here over how to create something like it. Based on what I saw on your thank-you note, I’m also confident that you could create your own groovy silhouette!
Your blog really is the best blog ever for me! Thank you so much for writing it.
Trust me, it’s just as cool for me to have you reading the blog! By some fluke and dumb luck on my part, this blog attracts the best kind of people … yourself included. Thank you!
got mine!! Can’t wait to practice!
Thank you Lindsey for sharing your talents with all of us and for helping us to hone our own creativity!! Blessings in all you do!
It is, to be honest, pretty much the most fun thing ever to be able to come up with creative ideas and share them with people who appreciate them. It is so awesome for me to see the ideas that are sparked by TPK posts on Instagram and Facebook! Thank you for your purchase of the surprise worksheet as well as your very kind comment. I’m lucky to count you as a creative kindred spirit!
Thank you! I love the Kaitlin but have such a hard time NOT writing on the straight line.
Haha! I think a lot of people have that issue, actually! Try to make yourself alternate, maybe, between having one letter be on the line, and one letter dip below the line. Do that, and you’ll be impressed at how rebellious yet beautiful your script looks. 😉
wow! what a difference it makes. thanks again for a great blog!
It’s amazing how small technique changes can make such a big difference, huh? Thanks again for a great comment! 😉
You did it again! I can’t wait to try these style variations. I especially love the groovy style and all it’s loopy-ness. And “Declare War On Loops and Curves” made me chuckle a bit. Beautifully done!
Hi Sally – Sally Script is definitely a beautiful ‘groovy style’!!!
Another fantastic post, Lindsey!! It is amazing to me how you can do these week after week (and twice a week at that!!).
Aw! Thanks, Rodger! I made cupcakes this week and thought of you. 😉
Trust me, the admiration is mutual. If I could woodwork like you can {and be proficient at aikido, and be a smart engineer}, then wow! Look out world! 😉
Thank you, Sally! And I agree with Rodger … I love your style. 🙂
Awesome tips! Thanks so much. I just happened to be wandering by this morning so I got to read this before it hit my email. You have been super helpful for my learning and I really appreciated all the time and effort you put into keeping us informed. Thanks and keep it up!
I love that you caught it before it hit your email — kind of a neat little surprise. 🙂 Thank you, Chelsea! Good luck, by the way, in the next Tombow giveaway. 😉