Calligraphy Student Spotlight: Nida Asad

Nida Asad, 45 years, works in Education Support, Melbourne (Australia).

Well, I have enjoyed writing by hand forever. As for calligraphy, that I have just started practicing  this year!

I have always been fond of handwriting rather than typing. A hobby that would let me enjoy writing even more has to be calligraphy.

I have been told by teachers, friends and at workplace that my long handwritten texts appear beautiful. That encouraged me to look into proper calligraphy.

Definitely a beginner.

I picked up a course on Brush Lettering with Udemy in 2020. Just this year, I attended Learning to See Calligraphy Course with Maria Montes.

I think in person courses are preferable when you are keen to understand the basics.

My first calligraphy teacher Maria Montes. She has amazed, encouraged and motivated me altogether.

If you really want to learn calligraphy, look for some professional teacher who can guide you with the basics. Don't spend too much on fancy stuff and don't get overwhelmed with what you see on the internet.

An in-person course, basic stationery and  regular practice of what you learn can take you miles. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the journey!

I really admire Copperplate calligraphy due to its delicate and elegant nature. Although I am still at the beginning of my journey, I dream of getting proficient and comfortable with this style over time.

Another style I am drawn to is Blackletter. In contrast to Copperplate, I like its dark, bold and structured appearance. Interestingly, I have found Blackletter calligraphy a little easier to handle because of its more rigid, mechanical and structured strokes.

At present my practice is entirely analogue, however once I feel confident and comfortable with my lettering, I would love to explore Procreate and see how I can incorporate digital tools into my practice.

For me calligraphy is a beloved hobby. However, I dream of becoming confident and proficient enough in this art that, one day I can turn my passion into a small source of income.I  know its wonderful being able to earn a little doing something that you genuinely love.

At this point, I feel I still have a lot of work to do before I can take client work. However, its definitely something that I would love to explore in the future. With regular practice, patience and growing confidence in my skills, I hope to reach a stage where I am able to take on commissions and create something meaningful for others.

I feel quite confident in understanding letterforms, from Foundational to the more complex styles like  Blackletter.

One area I still need to work on is maintaining a consistent slant in Copperplate. I need to consciously remind myself of this during my practice and I hope to develop better consistency over time.

One habit I am working to unlearn is my relaxed, sometime slouched posture. I have to remind myself to sit upright, yet have a comfortable position without causing strain or fatigue.

Studying Foundational Hand has given me a better understanding of the letterforms and their underlying structure. I can identify and relate to the basic letterforms and its evolution through different hands.

Focused, determined and consistent practice can dramatically improve ones progress over a short period of time.

I try writing  every day, even if it is just for 10 minutes. I realise that consistency matters more then the amount of time spend practicing, and that even a little practice every day can go a long way in improving my skills.

These days when I sit down to practise I try to focus on maintaining consistent spacing within letters and keeping similar strokes uniform throughout the practice.

Regular practice. Working on individual strokes and letters before getting onto writing words and sentences have been helpful at understanding the fundamentals better.

My ability to analyse letterforms has surely improved over time. Now I am able to recognise the incorrectly constructed letterforms, as well as inconsistencies in counter spaces, letter and wors spacing.

Initially my work looked beautiful to me, but now as I learn more about calligraphy I have started noticing imperfections that I would have easily overlooked before.

I can now identify inconsistencies in counter spaces, letterforms and spacing between letters and words. In short, I am more critical of my own work in a positive way!

Exemplars and model alphabets have been a great help to understand the basic construction of letters, and the variations have helped me to choose what may work best for me, as well as the overall composition.

These are a great visual references and inspiration as I continue to develop my skills.

Repetition works wonders for my practice. Each time I write and analyse, I am provided a chance to identify and improve my mistakes, making my work more refined and appealing with each attempt.

I am most confident when I have been practicing regularly and have become familiar with my writing tool. Going without practice for extended periods of time bring doubts back and shakiness.

I am drawn to the elegance and flow of Copperplate, yet I find structured styles such as Blackletter easier to follow. With continued practice and time, I hope to develop my skills in both styles and eventually incorporate elements of each in my own writing.

At the moment, my primary focus is on following the established rules and techniques of calligraphy. Later, when I am confident and competent in the fundamentals, I look forward to exploring my own creativity and developing a more personal approach to my writing.

Copperplate flourishes!

Positive feedbacks have encouraged me to keep going and practice more. Constructive feedback has helped me identify my mistakes and helped me improve with repeated attempts.

All feedback that is specific, practical and encouraging is welcome!

This is yet to happen, hopefully in the near future :)

My aim is to practise regularly and become proficient in Copperplate. Also I would like to try Arabic calligraphy and incorporate elements of both styles in my work.

Currently, I have plenty of hard work and practice ahead of me. Most importantly, I have to enjoy the learning process, stay motivated and love what I do.

I haven't got an online presence for calligraphy work just yet, but hopefully this is something I can work towards in near future!