Modern Calligraphy

 Nothing is better then receiving a pretty letter in the mail. But nothing is better then pretty letters too go with it. The art of drawing these letters is called calligraphy. Calligraphy dates way back, in Chinese, Islamic ,Japanese ,Mayan and way more different cultures. Here ,we are working on modern calligraphy. The word comes from Greek ''callos'' (beauty) 
and ''graphé'' (words). Then ,Monks used it for righting (Gothic calligraphy). This technique is special for having started every chapter or any important  part of a book by a big letter decorated beautifully .
Modern calligraphists make a simple version of that idea ,like in these pictures below. They mainly use crayons ,black pens and other utensils. I will teach you calligraphy .(thank you klutz).

Step 1: Stencil

 Stencil is probably the most important non-necessary tool. You don't need it ,but it's practical. Modern calligraphists  are the first letter artistes to use stencil. There easy to use ,and can right pretty letters.
It's not that practical for speed ,so it's better for titles or beginning of letters. To use your stencil fallow these steps : -Trace your letter with a pencil
                        -Draw  your letter
                        -Retrace the pencil with a pen that fits the color you colored with (optional)
                        -There you go !

You can get stencils at arts and crafts stores or you can make your on by taking an old bottle ,cutting a peace of plastic out of it ,drawing a letter in it ,and cutting it out with a cutter .

Step 2: Free Hand

 Freehand is the most used technique by modern calligraphist. It just means drawing letters with out stencil. The designs on  freehand is unlimited. The basic style is the on you can see right now and the two ones right next to it ,but you can do theme letters like the pictures next to the three I just mentioned. I showed some examples but you can do anything you like. To do this ,you will need  to :
-With a pencil, draw a letter 
-Then ,still with your pencil ,curl your letter in a fun way
-Retrace it with a black pen
-If you have a letter that's closed up (example: A) ,draw that hole

The example below is nice for letters because you can right these letters fast .

Step 3: Shading

 Shading is import technique to be able to use. It gives your letters a pretty play on light. The shading technique is a bit complex, but you easily manage it after some practice. To do it ,you need to ,when drawing your letter :
                                     -Lightly draw the interior of the letter as you draw the exterior darker 
                                     -If that doesn't give the effect ,erase it lightly in a circular motion 
                                     -You can criss-cross lines before erasing for a shade more dense

This is good if you want to make a capital letter or title letters .
                                    

Step 4: Lights and Horizons

 Lights and horizons  are two easy tricks that modern calligraphists like to use. LIghts are often used for small important letters. Horizons aren't used often but can make a cool illusion.
For shades:    -Right after you made your letter with your pencil ,draw a the same letter a bit to the                                    bottom right
                          -Then ,draw every part of your second letter that's not covered by the first one
                          -Draw your letter with a basic color
For horizons:  -Draw basic letters  
                          -Make a dot for your horizon
                          -Trace lines to that dot
                          -Color those lines and every thing inside it
                          -You can make some shading on your letters

Step 5: Perspective and Curls

 Perspective is great for small important letters. So is curls. Perspective is very similar to the light technique. To do this perspective ,you will need to :    -Make a simple letter (you can use shading)
                                                         -Repeat step 1 of lights ,but draw all of letter 2 and color of letter 1                                                                    that's not covered by letter 2  
For curls :   -Draw a simple letter with a pencil
                     -On each end ,draw a little curl
                     -Retrace the lines with a pen of your choice