How to learn calligraphy?

I am in love for calligraphy from the very young age and being a calligrapher myself I was appreciated well when I joined the teaching profession. I still love to learn and teach about beautiful writing which is called 'calligraphy'. This post is for the people who want to learn it online or get some tips to start it as a hobby. There is a good variety of stuff online which can help you to learn or start it but the material or helping books can be purchased online or offline from your nearest crafts or stationary supply store.

* The best site without any ads is 'cmc gavren' which has been selected as one of the best educational resources on the Web by StudySphere, one of the Internet's fastest growing educational resources for students, teachers and parents. It provides step by step easy lessons to learn 'calligraphy'

* 'Calligraphy Centre' helps you learn how to start or begin this hobby. There are many helpful links, articles, and tips.

* 'Cynscribe' is a resource for calligraphers,lettering artists, typographers, graphic designers, paper decorators, scrapbookers, greeting card makers,book designers and artist bookmakers.

* 'Studio arts' is a very popular site which has been visitied over one million since 1997.

'Studio arts' says: 'Calligraphy means"beautiful writing." Calligraphy can be both a delight to the eye and an inspiration to the spirit. In our technological age, the appreciation for the art of calligraphy has grown incredibly. Calligraphy is a fun hobby, a great business, and a creative art.'

* 'The Calligraphy pen' is a blog where you can find calligraphy pen use, buying guide and maintenace tips.

* 'Scribblers blog'

* Calligraphy sites at 'The craft directory'

Online Calligraphy Learning resources

There are many online links from where you can learn calligraphy for free. You don't need to spend lot of money for this hobby as the material you need to learn or practive is easily available from a stationary or art/craft shops or you can buy it online as well.

You need to be patience if you want to learn this 'art of lettering' or writing. (Note that calligraphy is called 'art of lettering') If you are passionate about writing and have a little bit knowledge of drawing then you can easily adopt this hobby to improve your skills.

There are some places where you would be asked for some fee or donation, but if you don't want to take it as a career, then don't waste money and use the free links to learn it.

Calligraphy Learning resources:

* Learn Calligraphy.co.uk is a place where you can learn basic lessons of calligraphy like, How to use the calligraphy pen, which inks to use, how to build up the letters and how to plan and decorate your calligraphy project.

* Free calligraphy lessons from Chuck McGavren's site

* An online resource with easy to learn articles: Learn Calligraphy

* Read an online magazine for calligraphers 'Pen People" but it is not free.

* The Edward Johnson Foundation is a research centre for calligraphy and the lettering arts. It is dedicated to the promotion of public awareness of calligraphy, not only as an art form in its own right but also as the seed and reference point for many other lettering disciplines including modern typeface design. Based in Ditchling, Sussex the birthplace of the modern revival of calligraphy, the Foundation is working towards the establishment of a permanent centre for learning, research and education in the lettering arts.

Calligraphy - An art of beautiful writing

I have been concerned some way with the topics 'I have written at this blog' about various hobbies. One of may favourite hobby is calligraphy. I have learned Arabic calligraphy from a tv tutorial. As Urdu is my mother tonue, Arabic calligraphy was easier for me to learn. Later I bought a book and other calligraphy material to keep practicing for Urdu and English calligraphy. I am proud to say that due to my interest in calligraphy I am one of the teachers who's writing and art skills are appreciated well.

I am including all useful links and resources which would help you learn the basics of this hobby. You can use your calligraphic skills to make many things which would show your art/drawing skills, your innovation, and creativity as well.

Few Things You Can Create With Calligraphy:
Scriptures and inspirational quotations, Poems, Invitations, Greeting Cards, Business Cards, Announcements, Maps, Posters, Certificates, Awards, etc.

Calligraphy (from Greek kallos "beauty" + graphẽ "writing") is the art of writing and the meaning of this word shows the simple definition of this term "beautiful writing" - Another definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"

Before the invention of the printing press some 500 years ago, it was the way books were made, each copy being written out by hand by a scribe in a scriptorium on materials like vellum or parchment with a quill in one of the period bookhands like rustic, carolingian, blackletter, etc.

The principal tools for a calligrapher are the pen, which may be flat- or round-nibbed, and the brush. For some decorative purposes, multi-nibbed pens—steel brushes—can be used. However, works have also been made with felt-tip and ballpoint pens, although these works do not employ angled lines. Ink for writing is usually water-based and much less viscous than the oil based inks used in printing. High quality paper, which has good consistency of porosity, will enable cleaner lines.

Arabic calligraphy, is the art of beautiful or elegant handwriting as exhibited by the correct formation of characters, the ordering of the various parts, and harmony of proportions.

In the Islamic world, calligraphy has traditionally been held in high regard. The high esteem accorded to the copying of the Quran, and the aesthetic energy that was devoted to it, raised Arabic calligraphy to the status of an art.

Useful resources:
* 'Calligraphy' article at "Wikipedia"

* Society of Scribes is a non-profit educational organization which promotes the study, teaching and practice of calligraphy and related disciplines. It was founded in 1974 in New York city.

* An article from John Stevens of "Caligraphy Centre"

* "Calligraphic Islamic" A site dedicated to Arabic and Islamic calligraphy.

* Cynscribe Directory is a resource for calligraphers,lettering artists, papermakers, typographers, graphic designers, paper decorators, scrapbookers, rubberstampers,greeting card makers,book designers and artist bookmakers.