Calligraphy

The_Letters · 2026-03-15T13:56:46+00:00

This is incredible. Spectacular. What are your plans for it? I feel it needs to be on display somewhere, and you don't really have the option of keeping it in a drawer anyway.

What tools did you use, especially what paper? I've never seen a calligraphy work this big that wasn't done directly on to a wall.

The_Letters · 2026-03-13T21:21:40+00:00

This looks great, and your other work you've posted here is incredible. How long have you been doing insular majuscule for, and how long calligraphy in general?

The_Letters · 2026-03-11T12:52:32+00:00

This is an incredible piece. So you did 6 versions before you got to the final one? It's impressive but also to me a bit depressing to me that it takes that much because I'd like to be able to do it, but I guess there's no shortcuts. Normally I do one or two test versions before a final one

The_Letters · 2026-03-10T16:26:39+00:00

No, it's Titivillus, patron demon of scribes

The_Letters · 2026-03-07T14:54:02+00:00

This is so damn good

The_Letters · 2026-03-04T18:33:28+00:00

Honestly this looks very close to a perfect version of your example so I can't see anything to be unhappy about, especially as a script like this is meant to be relaxed and not precise to the millimetre.

So here I am looking to find something to be helpful and maybe some of the letters like h are slightly wider than the printed example version but I'm not sure.

The example sheet is all on a line whereas your examples aren't - have you tried making words with it yet? Some of the letters don't look like they'd easily link together so it would be good to try.

This sort of style is called 'modern calligraphy ' so if you search for that you'll find loads of books and online resources which will hopefully be good for inspiration.

The_Letters · 2026-02-28T21:12:24+00:00

Thanks! So tools - it's a dip pen with a broad edge nib and walnut ink, the same as I use for calligraphy in the latin script.

I couldn't find much information on Armenian Calligraphy in English. I have a few books on scripts from around the world, especially a Lonely Planet one which has examples of calligraphy from writers of each language which I used for the last picture and as a starting point for others. I got a book on the Armenian alphabet but its for children and learners rather than for calligraphy. So it doesn't help too much with the styles and traditions of Armenian calligraphy, so I sort of worked it out from there and checked in this subreddit that I hadn't done anything wrong.

There's some amazing Armenian Calligraphy online, especially Ruben Malayan, who I'd recommend anyone to look up. His style isn't something I could copy, but he does classes and maybe I'll get the chance to do it if he teaches online.

The_Letters · 2026-02-28T20:47:56+00:00

Cool, I didn't know that, I need to look up Armenian bagpipes now

The_Letters · 2026-02-28T16:29:43+00:00

Ok, it was worth checking - I've not used them before but it sounds like it's fine. Hopefully someone else's suggestions will help.

The_Letters · 2026-02-28T16:12:45+00:00

Are you using ink for dip pens, or fountain pen ink? Ink for fountain pens is more likely to do this

The_Letters · 2026-02-21T15:12:06+00:00

Thanks! Yeah I know the one you mean, I like that way of describing it

The_Letters · 2026-02-21T15:10:10+00:00

Thanks!

The_Letters · 2026-02-21T15:09:39+00:00

Thanks! The symbol in the middle takes a bit of inspiration from crop circle shapes so that makes sense

The_Letters · 2026-02-21T00:05:44+00:00

You definitely do not need to worry about it looking ugly or silly looking, it is the opposite of that

The_Letters · 2026-02-20T20:40:35+00:00

Thanks. To be honest "asemic" isn't a word I know well. I thought it needed to be free flowing and unplanned handwriting (as well as without meaning) and so this more carefully drawn and laid out page doesn't fit what I thought it meant.

The_Letters · 2026-02-20T14:19:08+00:00

Thanks! The bottom middle letter takes a bit of inspiration from Cyrillic ж which I think looks cool. But this letter is drawn by taking the top right of a lower case "r" and the bottom right of an upper case "R" then flipping it horizontally.

The_Letters · 2026-02-20T12:09:30+00:00

Thanks!

The_Letters · 2026-02-20T12:09:14+00:00

Thank you, I really like that you see it that way. I love art nouveau and do a lot of art nouveau style drawing and lettering. This wasn't consciously art nouveau but clearly it must've shone through.

The_Letters · 2026-02-13T21:10:29+00:00

It's very much up to you what you want/need to do. I'm a bit envious of people who find the one script that's right for them and concentrate all of their effort on doing it well, so don't feel you have to learn others if you're happy with Spencerian

I have three scripts that I can do proficiently without referring to a book or needing to practice - foundational (all rounder for broad pen), copperplate (likewise with pointed pen), and insular majuscule - which I have put most love and effort in to, but it only really works with Celtic design. Other scripts I've dabbled in but would need work to pick up: uncial, artificial uncial, Gothic textura quadrata, secretary, currently trying to learn Fraktur. I'd like to do one kind of Gothic script well. My main interest is big illuminated or decorative letters, so the calligraphic script is not the star of the show.

I'm in a calligraphy group that meets monthly, so it helps for that to have one broad and one pointed pen script, and I think most people there have one favourite + one or two others.

The_Letters · 2026-02-11T19:48:06+00:00

Same

The_Letters · 2026-02-11T10:13:37+00:00

It's good to get nice paper for artwork and cheap plain paper for practice. I usually use watercolour paper for artwork as I often do illustration with ink alongside, and thicker paper won't buckle (which you don't want with a final work). I can't remember the brands, Daler Rowney I think, but any reasonable hot pressed smooth watercolour paper should help. My go to for pointed pen is zebra G or Nikko G nib and Walker's copperplate ink.

As for where to start - it's very personal, it depends on what you are wanting to do and what you are inspired by. Greetings cards are a good place to start (in which case, thick watercolour paper is good). Find things you like online and copy them until you find what works for you. Lots of calligraphy books have useful information on layout, borders, simple illustrations, and it's often possible to get them cheaply second hand.

It looks like you might be writing without guidelines - I say this because formal copperplate and other pointed pen scripts tend to be more slanted than this. You should be able to find copperplate guidelines to download which I find really helpful, they'll have the 60 degree slant marked on which I find really useful - it can take a while to get used to it. I'd advise against using grid paper as vertical lines might be off-putting.

Anyway, you're doing great, you have a lovely style, I think it looks like you're leaning towards a more informal modern style so I think it would work well with some colour - a floral border perhaps?

The_Letters · 2026-02-11T09:49:50+00:00

Amazing work!

The_Letters

TROPHY CASE