Whether you’re a complete beginner wondering what’s actually in your ink bottle or an experienced calligrapher experimenting with new mediums, you’ll find practical solutions and insights that make your creative process smoother and more enjoyable.
Choosing the right medium for your calligraphy can make the difference between frustrating practice sessions and beautiful, flowing letterforms. Whether you’re a complete beginner picking up your first nib or an experienced calligrapher exploring new techniques, this guide will help you find the best ink, paint, or pigment for your specific needs. Unlike basic ink guides that focus only on traditional options, we'll cover everything from classic calligraphy inks to modern paints and metallic pigments—organised by what works best for different nibs, skill levels, and project types.
The secret calligraphy pens professionals don't want you to know! Find the perfect tools for stunning lettering, from beginner-friendly options to expert favourites.
Let's talk about calligraphy paper a little more in-depth! And let's start with its definition: Any substrate composed of plant fibres formed into sheets for writing, printing, or other purposes.
My first decade as an independent designer is not just about my creative outcomes, but about what I’ve learned and who I’ve become after a decade of dancing with calligraphy, creativity and letterforms.
Recently, Online Course Host published a featured interview about my calligraphy journey from in-person courses in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) to my current online international education. I though of sharing my insights with you in case is helpful to anyone thinking of crafting their own independent creative career.
Mindful practice refers to engaging in an activity with full awareness and presence, paying close attention to the present moment without judgment. It involves being fully immersed in the task at hand, acknowledging thoughts and feelings as they arise, but letting them pass without becoming attached to them. Mindful practice can be applied to various activities such as meditation, yoga, art, calligraphy, music, sports, and even daily routines like eating or walking. The goal is to cultivate a state of mindfulness, which has been associated with numerous benefits including reduced stress, improved focus, enhanced emotional regulation, and greater overall well-being.
This is an ongoing resource of fonts designed by women, as well as supporting material to learn more about female and non-binary graphic and type designers.
Living in Australia is awesome but one of the toughest moments during the year is when the “type conference season” starts. If you —like me— suffer of major FOMO and don’t even want to open social media for weeks, maybe now is a good time to schedule a trip overseas and make it coincide with your favourite type conference! Some of them are listed below.
I am writing this article with the intention of clarifying a few things about calligraphy, and to hopefully shed some light on misunderstandings about this beautiful art form. In my opinion, calligraphy suffers from an image problem. I find that people associate it with older people writing religious texts and with wedding invitations! But calligraphy is much more than that. In recent years, calligraphy is undergoing a revival, which makes me really happy.
Melbourne-based designer Maria Montes, combines her digital and analog skills to create incredibly beautiful typographic pieces. In this interview, Maria tells us how she learned the art of lettering and shares her list of inspiring creatives and resources every type lover should know about. Read this interview with the lovely Enza Lacherdis from Typerie.
Last September 2016, I was lucky enough to visit my teachers Amanda and Keith Adams at their house in Catalonia for five days of private instruction and conviviality. During those days, Amanda showed me an article called “The Great Copperplate Myth” by Peter Gilderdale. I was fascinated by the points that Peter discusses and I thought it would be great to share it with more people as Copperplate calligraphy has gained a lot of interest in the recent years, so we can re-visit these points again from a new perspective. A few years back, Peter taught a workshop on broad-edged Roundhand at Summer School in Winter in Melbourne. Since then, Peter has been mastering the technique and he is getting closer to being able to demonstrate it fluently. I haven’t tried this technique on my own but I am personally interested in questioning things and reviewing the origin of the word copperplate.