Pachelbel’s Canon: Calligraphy Edition

It’s February in the mountains, which means a lot of snow here in Boulder! Hernán recently gave in to the Echo Dot craze (you know, that little “Alexa” device), and, while I was dubious about Alexa at first, I have to admit that she can play a mean winter soundtrack. We’ve been listening to a lot of classical music while big, soft flakes swirl around outside. Pachelbel’s Canon came on the other day, which put it on my radar. It has always been one of my favorites — and I’m sure you love it, too! If you don’t know it by name, I promise that you’ll recognize the melody in today’s YouTube video.

Last month, I posted a video of me writing out “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” as Mozart’s famous piece played in the background. Viewers seemed to like it because the calligraphy went at a realistic pace. Usually, I speed my videos up to show you the end result as quickly as possible, but that perpetuates the expectation that calligraphy creation should go quickly! In truth, calligraphy is a slow, deliberate activity that takes time to make.

Pachelbel’s Canon: Calligraphy Edition

Today’s video features Janet Style calligraphy, iron gall ink, and a Rhodia pad. I used my favorite Rodger’s Pen Box oblique pen fitted with a Brause EF66 nib to write!

If you like this calligraphy style, I want to put out a reminder that there’s a video course that you can add to the worksheet set! I just released the video course a couple of weeks ago, which was a relief because it’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a couple of years now! If you like the style and want to develop a thorough understanding of it, the video course is a great option.

A Word on Pace

As you probably noticed in the video, I write calligraphy slowly! You probably do, too, and that’s normal. More than normal, really: it’s ideal! The slow pace of calligraphy is part of its appeal. In a world where we are used to instant gratification (for example, I’m stream-of-consciousness typing right now), calligraphy forces us to slow down and focus on letter formations and technique. If your speed is especially turtle-like, be proud! Calligraphy is one activity where slow, steady, and deliberate always wins the race.

Thanks so much for watching today’s YouTube video! If you have any questions — or requests for future video topics — please let me know. 🙂 In the meantime, have a great weekend, and we’ll reconvene on Monday with a newsletter (if you’re a subscriber)!

Warmly,