• The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update

    After months of work, the new Kaitlin Style calligraphy worksheet and video course are ready! In this blog post, you’ll find information about the updates plus access instructions for Kaitlin Style “grandfathers”.

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock

    I think that every soon-to-be parent has at least one goal that he or she wants to achieve before the baby arrives. For me, that goal was to re-do the Kaitlin Style calligraphy worksheet and its accompanying video course. When I first released the set in 2014, I thought it was pretty amazing! At the time, I’d designed the materials to the best of my ability. However, I’ve learned a lot about teaching since 2014, and it was time for an overhaul.

    A Brief Introduction to Kaitlin Style Calligraphy

    Kaitlin Style calligraphy is the whimsical, boho darling of the TPK Learn Calligraphy collection. Its appeal lies in its uneven baseline, soaring horizontal strokes, and general fluid nature.

    How to Create an Illustrated Watercolor Map | The Postman's Knock
    This is Kaitlin Style calligraphy in action on one of my very favorite projects: an illustrated watercolor map!

    On a utilitarian note, Kaitlin Style calligraphy is convenient to use if you’re pressed for time because it doesn’t require pencil guidelines. The style embraces disorder, so you don’t have to put energy or effort into making sure all the letters are just-so!

    The New Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Printable Worksheet Set

    First things first: if you haven’t taken the Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course, I would tackle that before filling out this worksheet set. A lot of learners have filled out the worksheet without taking the course (especially considering I just released the beginner’s course this year); but knowing the basics of calligraphy will make your life easier!

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock
    The new Kaitlin Style worksheet includes a cursory explanation of how to use a dip pen. However, you’ll form a better foundational understanding of calligraphy if you take the Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course before tackling this worksheet (or any other worksheet).

    Here’s what the new Kaitlin Style calligraphy worksheet consists of:

    Core Worksheet

    The Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Core Worksheet is 34 pages long, and it begins with the faux calligraphy technique. Next, you’ll use your dip pen (either straight or oblique, your choice!) to practice writing letters. There’s a lot to fill out, so give yourself some time and breaks! After you master letters, you’ll move on to the real challenge: connecting them in order to make words.

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock
    The worksheet includes plenty of practice opportunities! You can see more photos of it in the product description.

    One of the things that this worksheet delivers as opposed to the first worksheet version is a better explanation of “bounce lettering”! Blissfully erratic strokes are one of the hallmarks of Kaitlin Style calligraphy, and, in the previous worksheet, I’d tried to make a rule about creating those strokes. For this version, I realized it’s best to abandon rules and give you some general guidelines to follow instead. I hope that this leads to more successful learning and fewer frustrations!

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock
    Like all TPK Learn Calligraphy worksheets, the Kaitlin includes a detailed Stroke Reference Sheet.

    Intensive Alphabet Practice + Intensive Word Practice

    People have different styles of learning, and many people (myself included) benefit from repetition. With that in mind, I designed the Intensive Alphabet Practice and the Intensive Word Practice pages to help you master your particular problem letters and words. For example, if you’re experiencing frustration writing the letter “B”, you can print off the “B” Intensive Alphabet Practice page (4). Then, you can practice writing the “B” until you feel comfortable with it.

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock
    The Intensive Alphabet Practice PDF has 67 pages, while the Intensive Word Practice has 28 pages. You don’t need to print off all of them, by any means! Just print pages with the letters and the words that you feel like you need some extra time with.

    The Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Video Course

    When I initially created the Kaitlin Style Video Course in 2015, I focused a lot on calligraphy basics. Those basics are now covered in the Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course, which means that I was able to hone in exclusively on the nuances of Kaitlin Style calligraphy in this new version of the Kaitlin course.

    Now … I can’t say that I was exactly excited to make a video course at 8 months pregnant, but I’m very pleased with how it turned out — and now I’m glad I made it! Kaitlin Style calligraphy, in particular, benefits from visual demonstrations because the concept of bounce lettering can be tough to understand. I know that learners struggle with double letters (“Mississippi”, “coffee”), so I included a lesson over how to deal with those, too.

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock
    In the updated Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Video Course, I explain how to use centered Kaitlin Style calligraphy to make a simple artistic envelope.

    Many people like to use their calligraphy skills to address envelopes. This calligraphy style is fantastic for envelopes because there’s no guideline drawing or math involved! That means that you can make an artistic envelope without spending a ton of time on it — which is especially nice if you’re addressing a lot of envelopes for an event!

    Free Kaitlin Style Exemplar

    I provide a free exemplar counterpart for every calligraphy worksheet set that I release. My hope is that the expemplar will help those on a limited budget to learn through emulation! You can find the free Kaitlin Style Exemplar by clicking here.

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock
    This 2-page alphabet exemplar is free and provides some practice opportunity.

    Access Instructions for Current Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Owners

    If you own the previous version of the Kaitlin Style Printable Calligraphy Worksheet (or the worksheet and the video course), you have been “grandfathered” in to the new version(s). “Grandfathers” will receive an email with updated download links this weekend. If you don’t receive an email by Monday, August 13th, please email me at [email protected]. You will also be able to access the new set from your account by Monday if you were signed in at the time of purchasing the Kaitlin Style worksheet or video course.

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock

    Buying a worksheet from the TPK site does not automatically create you an account. You must click on the checkbox at checkout for the account to be created. Please note that the newsletter and the TPK website use two different systems, so receiving this blog post in your email does not mean that you have an account on TPK. The best way to test whether or not you created an account on TPK is to try to login here. If you can’t log in, try to change your password. After trying that, if the system says you don’t have an account, you don’t have an account.

    If you purchased the worksheet but don’t see it in your account and/or you just created an account, shoot me an email and I can move the order to your account. Providing me with the order number saves me a ton of time!

    The 2018 Kaitlin Style Calligraphy Worksheet Update | The Postman's Knock

    Note that you should have the latest version of your PDF reader to properly open the calligraphy worksheet set. Many people use Adobe Reader, which you can download for free by clicking here. If you have an outdated PDF reader, you will have issues viewing or printing the worksheet files.


    If you have any questions about this new calligraphy worksheet setvideo course, or Kaitlin Style calligraphy in general, please feel free to comment! Otherwise, I sincerely hope that you enjoy these new learning tools.

    Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks very much for reading TPK!

    Warmly,

    Lindsey's Signature | The Postman's Knock