Pretty handwriting runs in my family, and I’ve always been blessed with nice handwriting. I always used to practice my cursive writing, and last year I just decided to go for it. I bought a couple archival pens and doodled. This is what I came up with.
First things first, you need to find a good pen to use. Any pen that has a thick ink will really work, but it’s all personal preference. I like to use the Micron 05 pen, found at Michaels stores.
You really don’t need the nicest handwriting in the world in order to do this. If you don’t like your handwriting though, practice! It really does make a difference. Look up styles you like online, and practice, practice, practice. Research different techniques, find the right pen for you, and waste a lot of paper. That’s how I did it.
Photo by Lavender and Twine, calligraphy by myself, originally posted to Wedding Chicks.
Make sure you use lots of loops and swirls, to make it look all pretty-like.
Real calligraphy pens give different strokes with varying thicknesses. So, the goal is to create this variation in thickness on your own. I draw a line next to the longest stroke of the letter, and just fill that in.
It can take some time to do a lot of letters in this way, but the outcome sure does look nice! And again, just keep practicing and you’ll get it down perfectly.
Have you ever tried fake calligraphy?
UPDATE 8/2/2012 :: If you like this post, you'll probably like my post on how to improve your handwriting! Check it out!
UPDATED 9/9/2014 :: I have a YouTube channel now! Come see some of my calligraphy and handlettering in live action!