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If you’re in the mood for a seasonal, elegant calligraphy project, today’s post introduces a brand-new worksheet: a graceful ballerina motif you can trace, practice, and use in your artwork.
I’ve never revealed this, but before I started TPK, and — indeed — before I even began school, I was a ballerina. Not only that, but during my ballet career, I portrayed the Jacques, the mouse who spearheads the most ambitious of crafting sessions to ensure that Cinderella can go to the ball. Now, it may surprise you to hear that the rural Kansas ballet scene doesn’t funnel young talent straight into the Royal Ballet, but c’est la vie. (As a result, I stopped ballet a year or two later in favor of soccer.)
Though I haven’t practiced ballet for several decades, I continue to channel Jacques’ creative, can-do spirit daily. And I certainly used that spirit, combined with my memories of ballet, as inspiration for the latest TPK worksheet.
This is unique among TPK calligraphy drills in that it’s really not that complicated. After a few simple loops, a flourished tutu, and long strokes to make the legs, you have a ballerina. The most difficult part is getting the outline right; but even that isn’t too bad because you’ve got a traceable outline included in your worksheet set.
The beauty of this ballerina is she makes anything look elegant: cards, envelopes, gift tags, whatever. My recommendation? Feature her on your next envelope. She’ll add a “wow” factor and allow you to left-justify the address, which is always a relief (no need to bother with centering)!
Begin by downloading the worksheet here, then print it on a pointed-pen friendly paper such as 32# HP Premium Laserjet (affiliate link). Next, take a look through the creation instructions. You don’t have to memorize them; just make sure you understand the movements and the logic behind them. Then, grab the pointed pen of your choice, and do the practice drills at the bottom of page 3.
Once you’ve done the practice drills, go ahead and trace over the three practice ballerinas on page 4. Keep the creation instructions on pages 1-3 close at hand so you understand the order in which to draw each stroke!
After tracing the three ballerinas at the top of page 4, your next move is up to you! If you need more practice, try filling in a ballerina outline — or all three of them — at the bottom of page 4. Once you’re feeling comfortable with the motif, use it on a project. (I initially made a ballerina on a plain piece of drawing paper. I gave her to Jess Greenleaf, who has been taking ballet classes. Next, I drew her on an envelope. I’ll try incorporating her into a birthday card here in a few days.)
What I love about this motif is that though it’s pretty simple, it’s satisfying. Even as I’m writing this paragraph, my eyes keep drifting to the photo above it. Seeing the ballerina’s pose and her confident, happy face also makes me feel happy. I can promise a feeling of accomplishment after you draw her: it’s so lovely to be able to stitch a few strokes together and suddenly, you’ve got a whole person dancing there on the page.
I hope this worksheet helps you channel the creative spirit of Jacques and his fellow crew of mice. They’d tell you: you can do it, you can do it! Enjoy making ballerinas, share what you create (if you feel like it), and — most importantly — remember to take this project lightly. It’s meant to be fun, so if certain strokes aren’t quite right or placements are a bit off, just let it be part of the charm. The magic is in the making.
Warmly,
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