In the US, teaching cursive to students is a hot topic. Do we dedicate our tax dollars to teaching an arguably impractical skill, or do we honor tradition and keep cursive writing alive? The different sides taken in this debate are starting to show in my inbox as teenage calligraphy learners — who were never taught how to write in cursive — ask whether not knowing cursive will affect their ability to learn dip pen calligraphy.
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2017 was a fun and artistic year for this website (and, in effect, for me)! Creative calligraphy drills came on the scene, we explored calligraphy medallions, and children’s broad-tipped markers found a new use. Don’t remember some of those posts? No worries! A vast amount of articles live here on the TPK blog, and it’s inevitable that you may have missed a few. If that’s the case, I’ve got a summary of the top 10 blog posts of 2017 for you. Let’s start at 10 and work our way down!
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Just after Halloween, I started working on coming up with content for this year’s edition of the Holiday Calligraphy Worksheet. I wanted it to be different from last year’s worksheet; something that would offer you all-new writing styles and a grand pièce de résistance at the end. I am quite happy with the result, which I’ll tell you about in this blog post!
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There is hardly a better time to let your calligraphy shine than just before the holidays! From beautiful greeting cards to embellished envelopes and place cards, the best time of year to use your skills is approaching. Here’s what I propose: spend the month of November honing your dip pen technique, then start churning out gorgeous work at the beginning of December! These six free printables will help you to get thoroughly acquainted — or reaquainted — with your pen:
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There are many reasons to dive into the world of pencil calligraphy. First of all, pencil calligraphy offers a new way to explore lettering! It’s also something you can easily practice anywhere, and, if you have kids, there’s no ink to keep track of (that may or may not end up spilled on a carpet). Pencil calligraphy is cost-effective, challenging, and creative — and I hope that after reading this post, you’ll try it for yourself!
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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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Most calligraphers have multiple calligraphy styles that they use to write. The styles are generally original, and each style follows its own set of rules set forth by its inventor. To date, I have come up with five styles for The Postman’s Knock. Every one of my styles is available to learn with a detailed printable worksheet, and this post will explain what makes each one special!
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The only way you will keep going with calligraphy is if you enjoy your practice. The secret to enjoyment is to keep things interesting, and Not Your Average Calligraphy Drills certainly do that! So far, there are two editions of the NYACD: the Under the Sea Edition and the newly-created Garden Edition. In this blog post, I’d like to introduce you to the Garden Edition, which I’ve been working on for the past few weeks!
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One of the secrets to success in any endeavor is to keep things interesting! Calligraphy is no exception, which is why I put together this Creative Calligraphy Challenge worksheet. The worksheet is intended to challenge you, stimulate your creativity, and encourage you to keep going with your calligraphy practice!
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In late 2014, I released the Janet Style Calligraphy Worksheet Set. While I love the set and the style, these past three years have taught me a lot about how people learn most effectively. Furthermore, as I have used Janet Style calligraphy over the years, I’ve tweaked letters here and there. I wanted to develop a worksheet update that reflected those tweaks!
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