Calligraphy Bibliography: A Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide
Want to learn calligraphy and don’t know where to start?
Below you’ll find a list of essential books to get started in calligraphy. Written by contemporary practitioners, as well as other educators who are no longer with us. *The books with an asterisk are the ones I would begin with.
Calligraphy Books
The first three books on this list offer a fantastic introduction to calligraphy. The first one is written by a colleague of mine called Iván Castro. This book covers several calligraphy hands as well as lettering. The second one is by the great Sheila Waters, sadly no longer with us. And the third one is an introduction to Copperplate Calligraphy by Eleanor Winters. Enjoy the calligraphy bibliography below and happy lettering!
STUDENTs'
Testimonials
After doing a one off class in person I joined Maria's online live copperplate classes. One 2 hour class a week for 4 weeks. Half the classes related to lower case letters and the other to capital letters. The cameras she has setup gives you a close up on her work which is so easy to follow. The 2 hours in length is perfect time wise and you learn so much. She is so generous with her time and often went over time tending to questions and providing guidance. Good quality tools were provided and the ability to watch back the recorded session as many times as you like. Thanks Maria!
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Teresa T
I recently attended Maria's excellent Copperplate Calligraphy Retreat at Riverdale, just outside of Melbourne. Not only is Maria a master at her craft; she is also an excellent teacher and was able to cater for a wide range of student backgrounds and abilities. The retreat itself was wonderfully planned with amazing accomodation, delicious meals and endless supplies of tea, coffee and snacks to keep us going!
Alongside the expert Calligraphy tuition, Maria kept us entertained with many stories of her experiences in the field as well as historical facts which helped to explain various aspects of the letter forms and construction. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her workshops to anyone with the slightest interest in calligraphy or lettering (or even if you don't, you will by the end of the class!). Thanks again Maria :)
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Emma Rowland
The classes were the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning! It was a relaxing atmosphere and Maria made the whole experience fun and enjoyable. I had no experience at all but that didn't matter because Maria went through each step slowly and was happy to give one on one help. Would highly recommend for anyone wanting to try something different!