Last month, I posted a tutorial over how to make a calligraphy medallion. I love the medallion in that tutorial, but I freely admit that it takes a bit of time and energy to make! Effectively, I wanted to post a simpler tutorial … one that requires less steps. You’ll really enjoy this medallion as a way to add embellishments to envelopes, gift tags, sketchbooks, or anywhere else you might use a dip pen!
1. Draw Guideline Circles
First, find a round object that you can trace around. The object should be 2″-3″ (50-76 mm) in diameter. If you’re at a loss for what to use, look no further than your refrigerator! My circular object is the lid off of a jam jar.
Once you have drawn the first circle, locate a smaller circular object, like a roll of tape. Use your first circle guideline to center this new object, and trace around it.
You can end your guideline drawing by making a small dot in the center of the circles.
2. Draw “Almonds”
Once you have drawn all your guidelines, use your favorite dip pen to draw an almond shape. The shape should start and end at the dot in the middle of the circles. Try to make sure that the blunt end of the almond touches the inside circle guideline.
Now, draw a second almond to the right of the first almond. The left side of the second almond should pass through the center of the first almond. The start and end point of the second almond will also be that center dot.
Use the technique described above to draw almond after almond. As you draw, rotate the envelope to make it easier to add almonds without smudging the ink!
Continue to draw almonds until your envelope looks like this:
3. Draw Curved Lines
For this step, you can use the same ink or opt for a different ink. First, pick one almond shape. Place your pen at the dot in the middle of the circle. Then, applying minimal pressure, pull the pen down to draw a line through the almond shape. Curve the line that you are drawing such that it runs parallel to the right side of the almond. As you get closer to the edge of the outer circle, apply pressure on your nib so the stroke gets thicker.
Work your way around the circle in a clockwise motion.
When you’re finished with this step, your calligraphy medallion will look something like this:
4. Add Dot Embellishments
This step is optional because the calligraphy medallion is nice as-is! However, for a bit of extra oomph, you can add dot embellishments to one side of each curved line.
Keep creating embellishments until every line is punctuated with dots.
5. Erase Guidelines and Enjoy
Give your ink a few minutes to dry, then carefully erase your guidelines. You should be left with a gorgeous calligraphy medallion that only took 15-20 minutes to create!
There are many ways to modify this calligraphy medallion concept. For example, you can use one color throughout the entire process, which results in a more subdued elegant look.
Instead of dots, you can experiment with adding stars. Of course, extra flourishes are never a bad idea! I encourage you to take creative license and customize this calligraphy medallion to fit your personal style. If you’re not there yet with a dip pen, it would also look wonderful created with faux calligraphy! Give it a try … you won’t be disappointed. If you’re interested in learning more complicated calligraphy medallion techniques, you can sign up for the 8/26 Intermediate Calligraphy Workshop (2 spots left), where I’ll be teaching you in person how to create this gorgeous piece:
I hope that you enjoyed today’s tutorial! Of course, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments. Thanks so much for reading TPK, and have a great weekend!
Warmly,
Hello, Lindsey,
What type of tools did you use for these medallions? They are beautiful. If they look the way yours look, I might sign up for classes.
Isa
Hi Isa! It’s definitely achievable for beginners, so I would recommend it! I use my oblique pen fitted for an EF66 nib! You can use whatever feels the most comfortable, though!
Your medallion is very elegant. I like the way you keep it simple, by using objects such as the tape roll and jar lid to make the guide line circles. This drawing method is very clever and helpful for students who don’t have a compass. Thank you, Lindsay, for your clear directions, as always.
If I read from some sources, you have to dilute the ink first, before you use it. So it’s not ready to use out of the bottle. I hope it helps 🙂
I do not see how you can find errors in his. I was, at first, disappointed. I thought you had used a “stamp”, or even a Spirograph” to make the medallion! It’s too exact. But I read the lession, so, know better now, Very pretty.
Thank you Lindsey, for all this fantastic information and very clear tutorials. The watercolor envelopes, the medallions, the botanical envelopes, so much fun. I have more to try of your wonderful ideas. Thank U, thank U,
Sharen
Lindsey, I recently purchased the bleed proof white ink and another but they are not showing on the paper I purchased. Is there a specific black paper you recommend?
Hi Nicole! That’s strange — what paper are you using? I generally just write on generic black card stock. 🙂
If I read from some sources, you have to dilute the ink first, before you use it. So it’s not ready to use out of the bottle. I hope it helps