5 Calligraphy Variation Techniques + A Surprise Worksheet

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,