When I first set out to learn calligraphy in 2012, I grabbed a cheapie Speedball calligraphy starter kit at Michael’s (an art supply store). When I got home, I was so eager to enjoy my new hobby! Instead of loving calligraphy, however, I ran into problems galore: ink that bled, unwieldy nibs, and instructions that didn’t make sense. I concluded that calligraphy and I simply weren’t meant to be. A few months later, though, I found the right materials through experimentation and recommendations, and I fell in love! I’m writing today’s post because I want to make sure you have the proper materials for calligraphy success, too.
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Straight Pen Holders
Calligraphy Pen Comparisons
When you’re new to calligraphy, it’s not exactly obvious which calligraphy pen you should use! In today’s article, I hope to give you some clarity with calligraphy pen comparisons. That way, you can start off with the pen that’s best for you and take it from there! After all, if you begin with the proper writing utensil, your chances of sticking with calligraphy are much higher.
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A Word on Left-Handed Calligraphy

If you’re a lefty, you are already aware that you’re in the minority. That has, unfortunately, probably led to frustration in your left-handed calligraphy learning endeavors. Hopeless as it may seem, I promise you that anyone — right- or left-handed — can create calligraphy! For this blog post, I decided to go to the source, and I asked south paw newsletter subscribers about their experiences with writing left-handed calligraphy. I received quite a few responses discussing issues and struggles when writing, tips and tricks for improving lettering, plus some examples of work. This blog post is a compilation of the most important takeaways.
How to Use a Dip Pen to Create Modern Calligraphy
I first picked up a dip pen in 2005. At that time, it seemed to be best suited to making squiggles because it was tough to write letters with! Fast forward a few years, though, and I saw other people using these mysterious instruments to create modern calligraphy. Flowy alphabets with a beautiful contrast abounded, and I wanted to know how to do that myself!
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The TPK Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course
After months of work, I am so proud — and a little nervous and excited — to announce that the TPK Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course is live! You can find it by clicking here. In this post, I want to take you through what the course is, what prompted me to create it, and what to expect next.
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Announcing the Last TPK Calligraphy Workshops of 2017 – Tampa, FL
If you’ve been reading TPK for at least the past few months, then you know that I occasionally teach calligraphy workshops. The workshops are, without question, the highlights of my year! The feeling of helping learners to “click” with key calligraphy concepts and build a strong foundation is incredibly rewarding.
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