Brush Calligraphy for Beginners (Basic Strokes)
In this article, you will learn about the foundation of brush calligraphy - basic strokes. This is the first tutorial in the Brush Calligraphy Tutorial series. Let's begin!
Materials:
1. Brush Pen2. Paper
3. Practice Sheets/ Worksheets
Optional: Tracing Paper
You can download the FREE worksheet that I made for the LAB squad in this blog. You will see the link down below. Just scroll down and you'll find the link at the end of this blog.⬇⬇⬇
If you want to know more about the materials I recommend for beginner calligraphers, I uploaded a video about the best and most affordable brush calligraphy tools for beginners. Please, watch this video.
The most recent video I posted is about the Basic Strokes you need to learn to start you Brush Calligraphy journey.
Important Reminders:
1. Holding the pen
When holding your brush pen, try to keep your hands in the middle of the pen. This will allow you to have more control over the pressure you will put in your pen. If you hold it really close to the nib, the pressure you will put on the pen will be greater and it will be difficult for you to make those smooth hairline stroke*. If you hold your pen too far from the tip, it can make the pen wobbly and make your lines uneven. I recommend holding it close to the pen cap mark. I usually put my pointer or index finger right on the top of that shallow rim.
Also, make sure that your fingers, hand, and elbow are relaxed. Don't grip the pen too tightly because it will restrict your hand and the pen's movement.
*hairline stroke - really thin upstroke the resembles a strand of hair.
2. Angle of the pen
Never hold your brush pens straight or at a 90 degree angle. Doing this will destroy the tip of your pen and will result to uneven strokes. Instead, keep the pen at a 45 degree angle. This will help make your downstrokes thicker which will provide more contrast between the downstrokes and upstrokes which make calligraphy pieces better and more interesting.
3. Posture
Posture is very important in calligraphy. If you're leaning too far forward, your elbows will be locked and that is not ideal because when writing strokes, your elbows must also move. The movement is not restricted to your fingers and wrist, it must flow to your elbow, especially when you are writing bigger letters.
4. Mindset
In the years I have been practicing calligraphy, I realized that the most important thing you have to have when you're doing calligraphy is confidence. If you're nervous, you can't breathe properly, your heart races, and your body shakes. Every small jitter your body makes can affect your strokes, especially the thin upstrokes. So, try to calm down. Just enjoy the process and allow yourself to make mistakes. You can do it!
2 most important rules:
Now, let's go to the basics of brush calligraphy. The foundation of calligraphy are the contrast between the thick downstrokes and the thin upstrokes. This is why the letters are broken down into smaller strokes. The stark contrast between the two strokes makes calligraphy pieces more interesting.
- More pressure on downstrokes
- Little to no pressure on upstrokes
7 Basic Strokes:
In calligraphy, every letter is made up of different strokes. Therefore, it is crucial to learn and master the basic strokes even before attempting to write letter or words. In this video, I discussed the basic strokes all beginner calligraphers must know. Please watch it and read the blog for more information.
1. Underturn
Underturns are necessary in writing lowercase letters like a and u. You can make an underturn by creating a thick downstroke first and then curve right to a thin upstroke. The most challenging part of making underturns is the curve. It may be difficult to transition from thick to thin stroke without lifting the pen up but that can be cured by practice because practice helps you gain more confidence and if you feel more confident, you will reduce the shake of your hands.
2. Overturn
Overturns are used in lowercase letter h, m, and others. To create an overturn, you have to do the opposite of an underturn. You will have to start with a thin upstroke and curve to a thick downstroke. Make sure that you make a smooth curve. Don't hold your pen too tightly to prevent your curve to be too angular.
3. Compound Curve
Compound curve are the sum of an overturn and an underturn. You will first make an overturn and then smoothly transition to a thin upstroke to form the underturn. This is used in the letter m, n, and to name some.
4. Double Compound Curve (Challenge)
CHALLENGE TIME! If you already mastered the compound cure, I challenge you to try making two compound curves that are connected to each other. This might be too difficult at first, but this is a great way to work those hand muscles out. Like other physical art forms, calligraphy also uses muscle memory. Therefore, drills like this help develop muscle memory.
If you're going to try this challenge, please upload a picture or a short video of your attempt in instagram and tag me @lapisatbrotsa, so I can see your progress. Your photos or videos will be featured in the calligraphy video I will upload next week.
5. Ascender Stem Loop
Ascender stem loops are used to write letters with stems such as b and d. Instead of starting from left two right, this stroke requires you to write from right to left. You have to make a thin curved upstroke towards the ascender line and then curve to a thick downstroke after touching the ascender line.
6a. Descender Stem Loop
The basic descender stem loop also starts from the right to the left. You will start with a thick downstroke towards the descender line and the curve right to a thin upstroke. Make sure that you end your upstroke in the downstroke to create a complete loop.
6b. Descender Stem Loop (Variation)
This stroke is usually not included in the list of basic strokes. However, this descender stem loop variation is important because it is used in letters such as f and q. Therefore, it is better to know it and practice it with the other strokes.
To write it, like the original descender stem loop, you have to start with a thick downstroke. Once you reach the descender line you will curve to a thin upstroke. The only difference is this time, you will curve to the right.
7. Oval
Oval is the most challenging of all the basic strokes. You will have to start an upstroke towards the ascender line and curve left to a thick downstroke and curve right to a thin upstroke. Your endpoint must meet your starting point.
It will be really shaky and uneven at first, but don't be discouraged because ovals are really difficult at first. Just keep trying and don't rush it. Write slowly at first, focus on making smooth curves and the transition between the upstrokes and downstrokes.
To help you learn the brush calligraphy, I prepared a worksheet for you, LAB squad! This worksheet is the first worksheet in our brush calligraphy tutorial. Individual worksheets will be released on the day the tutorial video is released. So, expect a new video and a blog post with a link to the PDF copy of the worksheet every THURSDAY. Please feel free to download it and print it. If it is not too much to ask, kindly subscribe to my Youtube channel (Lapis at Brotsa: click this link to subscribe) and share it with your friends who also want to learn brush calligraphy. You can also follow me on Instagram (@lapisatbrotsa) so we can continue inspiring each other.
Let's continue living an artful life.
⇨⇨⇨ Click here to download PDF here⇦⇦⇦
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