I’m sure that you know the feeling of creating something that you’re proud of. Then, time passes, and you realize: “Wow, I really could have done that better.” That’s exactly how I felt with the Amy Style Calligraphy Worksheet Set. When I first released the set in 2015, I thought it was just great! I’d done it to the best of my ability, and that’s all that a person can ask for, really.
Continue reading…
I recently received an email from a reader asking me about the practical uses for calligraphy. This reader works in the corporate world, and she was having trouble justifying taking the time to learn the art. I get it! We constantly have to make choices about how to manage our days, and oftentimes you can’t justify indulging in an enjoyable creative pursuit. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that calligraphy can be incorporated into your day-to-day with good reason! Here’s what I came up with:
Continue reading…
A decade ago, I never would have thought to offer printables on a blog. I was in college at the time, and I was just noticing printables popping up on websites that I followed. I always wondered who on earth actually used printable stationery, invitation, and artwork downloads! To me, things that were printed off at home looked cheap (I suspect that a large part of the problem was my hand-me-down printer and generic ink).
Continue reading…
Every year, Hernán and I go on a trip to explore somewhere new. This year’s trip was to Naples, Barcelona, and Paris — and we wanted to pack extra light. We only took “under the seat” bags so there wouldn’t be any luggage to check (and no extra fees on budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet). Of course, taking a small-ish bag meant traveling with only the bare necessities; the only “creative supply” I took was a Pilot G2 pen! When I found myself wanting to make some art and calligraphy while in Paris, the idea for this blog post was born. In it, you’ll learn seven tips for making calligraphy and art on the go with minimal supplies!
Continue reading…
When I’m working on any sort of calligraphy project, I always keep a calligraphy exemplar at hand. Exemplars are good to have around just in case you forget how to make a particular letter in the calligraphy style that you’re using! In today’s tutorial, I’ll teach you how to make a calligraphy exemplar with the help of a printable shortcut.
Continue reading…
Earlier this month, I picked up a book called The Happiness Project to read on a long trip. The Happiness Project is basically about author Gretchen Rubin’s quest to increase her happiness through changes that she makes in the course of a year. It was a fun and inspirational self-improvement book, and one that resonated with me because it inadvertently provided insight into why people enjoy learning calligraphy! It also gave me enlightenment as to why some learners end up being more successful than others.
Continue reading…
This printable Father’s Day card fills a void that I noticed when I was browsing Father’s Day card designs in search of inspiration. What I found was that almost all Father’s Day cards fall into one of two categories: hyper-masculine or goofy. Tasteful, artistic cards are few and far between — which is why I created today’s printable.
Continue reading…
I recently stumbled across Days of the Year, which is a website that tells you about little-known holidays and observations. Through Days of the Year, I discovered that May is “Get Caught Reading” month. That was the excuse I needed to provide you with a list of my eight favorite artistic books and magazines! Each of these written works will inspire you to get creative and try something new.
Continue reading…
If you’re new to calligraphy, you may have noticed some diagonal lines on practice sheets. Those are called “slant lines”, and today we’re going to talk about what they are, why they’re useful, and when to use them.
Continue reading…
The TPK blog is peppered with free printable calligraphy practice sheets to help you improve your penmanship! However, with 400+ blog posts on this site, some of the best freebies may have eluded you. For that reason, I decided to create a compilation of the free dip pen and brush pen calligraphy practice sheets and present them to you in this article. Some may look familiar, while others may be new to you! My hope is that these will help you to set aside some “me time” to improve your penmanship, relax, and indulge your creativity.
Continue reading…