Calligraphy Specialization: Cross-Cultural Techniques and Styles

In this lesson, I will tell you about the influences that inspire my calligraphy style, including my favourite artist and two Chinese masters that I admire.

Influences / Thomas Lam

Influences / Allison Barklay

All my influences are coincidental. Although, there is no such thing as a coincidence! In art school, I encountered a very gentle teacher who was a master of colour. Later, in a seminary, I encountered the idea that the entire universe was whispered into existence by the manipulation of the Hebrew alphabet. These building blocks of the world have names, shapes, numbers, personalities, and stories behind them which we unlock when we write. The spirit of the letters is a beautiful force of nature for you to discover.

Module 2

With Mathilda Lundin as your guide, you'll dive into the delicate and inspiring world of modern calligraphy. Learn how to shape elegant letterforms and infuse them with your unique style using traditional tools in fresh, creative ways. This module is the first step into transforming calligraphy into a personal and meditative artistic journey!

15 lessons (2h 54m)

What Is Modern Calligraphy?

In this lesson, I will introduce you to the concept of modern calligraphy.

Materials and Tools

Next, you will discover the tools you need for calligraphy and how to set them up for a successful practice.

Warming up Your Hand with Basic Strokes

Now that you have your equipment ready, you will start to warm up your hand by creating your first brushstrokes with your nib and ink.

20m

Lowercase Letterforms

It’s time to move on to letters! In this lesson, you will learn how to create lowercase letterforms. I will demonstrate each letter, showing how to construct the letters in a series of brushstrokes.

Uppercase Letterforms

Now, I will introduce you to uppercase letterforms.

In this lesson, you will learn how to do numbers and a couple of symbols with your nib. In some compositions, these can be as important as the letters. So let's make sure you can do them beautifully.

Numbers and Symbols

Joining It up to Create Beautiful Words

To end this unit, we will start putting it all together to create beautiful words. I will show you how to connect your letters paying close attention to proportions and harmony in the spacing. I will also discuss some tricks for adding a more modern feeling and expression to your words.

Choosing a Quote to Inspire Your Design

The best calligraphers start by finding words that will inspire and move us. This art is about expressing a feeling or message through beautiful letters. In this lesson, I will share my thoughts on creating a little collection of phrases you love and how the wording can help inspire the final layout and colour choices of your artwork.

Exploring Inks and Beautiful Papers 1

When it comes to calligraphy, there’s so much room to experiment with different inks and papers. Here, I will guide you through the different types of inks and nibs I like to work with. I will also teach you how to use gouache and metallics from a palette with your nib.

16m

Exploring Inks and Beautiful Papers 2

In this lesson, I will finish explaining my preferred nibs and their properties. Then, I will move on to paper.

Sketching Your Composition

Next, I will guide you through how I sketch the composition for my final artwork.

17m

Creating and Refining Your Artwork with Ink

Now it’s time for the most exciting part: creating your final artwork with your nib and ink! At this stage, you're welcome to use the ink you've been practising with. But, I personally love the possibilities for experimentation that open up when you know how to use gouache and metallics. So in this lesson, I will demonstrate how to use these in the creation of my artwork.

19m

Exploring Your Style

In this lesson, I will demonstrate some techniques to mix up the style of your calligraphy. You will learn exercises to begin exploring your own style.

15m

Introduction to Modern Flourishing Techniques

Flourishes can add a lot of elegance and fun to your work, but they can also be tricky to get the hang of. To support you in this process, I will explain some modern flourishing exercises to help you build up your control and confidence to create beautiful flourishes.

16m

Caring For Your Tools and Your Practice

In this final lesson, I will discuss how to take care of your tools and apply good calligraphy practice.

Module 3

Carol Fountain Nix invites you to play with letters, colors, and textures in a whole new way. Here, you'll discover how to mix calligraphy with painting techniques to create bold, layered pieces full of meaning. It's all about exploring your creativity, having fun with the process, and turning your words into eye-catching visual stories.

10 lessons (1h 21m)

Overview of Materials and Processes

For this lesson, I will show you all the materials I will be using in this course. I'll also share my favorite tools and talk about how I'm going to use them.

Letter Personalities and Calligraphic Styles

Did you know that letters have personalities? In this lesson, I will discuss and show examples of different lettering styles and personalities. What makes for an appropriate style choice? How are letterforms used to express a sentiment and set a tone?

Content Hierarchy

Now, I will show you how to create visual messaging and add meaning to your work. I will start with a single word and methodically add additional words and lines to create basic word compositions.

Selecting and Deconstructing Your Text

Time to work with content of your own choosing! In this lesson, you will explore the meaning of the text you have selected and use it to build a series of layouts.

Sketching to Create Mindful Compositions

In this lesson, you will begin to envision your final piece or pieces by sketching and exploring various aspects of the work, from composition to color, tone, size, and treatment.

Putting It All Together: Words, Texts, and Media 1

Now, you will work intimately with your own selected texts and words to create dynamic, layered, "textual" artworks that speak to the viewer through your own visual poetry. Let's start with the background!

15m

Putting It All Together: Words, Texts, and Media 2

Next, I will show you how to plan your lettering once the background is dry. For this step, I will use a piece of tracing paper and look at my sketches for reference.

Putting It All Together: Words, Texts, and Media 3

Finally, I will add the word "light" to my piece. Once everything is dry, I will work on the final lettering. Then, you will see the complete series of pieces that I have created using the same technique.

Creating Art Envelopes

Remember me telling you to save your worksheets and sketches? There are many things you can do with them: bind them into a book, create a fold-out piece, layer over them with other work or media, and create 3D-type works with them. You will see that I've provided an envelope template for you to download. While you might not always mail an envelope, you can use it for holding items, birthday or special occasion cards, and so on. Art envelopes are always a hit and they're completely unique!

Creating a Personal Brand

As an artist, it is important to have a strong, unique, and recognizable brand or identifying mark. In this lesson, I will take you through the basics of creating a representational mark and show you how I use my own in a variety of applications.

Module 4

Discover the peaceful beauty of Japanese calligraphy with Rie Takeda. In this lesson, you’ll explore how Shodo is more than just writing—it’s a mindful practice that connects your body, mind, and spirit. Rie will gently guide you through each stroke, helping you find balance, flow, and a deeper sense of calm through every character you create.

13 lessons (2h 2m)

Shodo and Mushin Clear Mind

In this lesson, I’m going to talk through the aesthetics and the mindfulness aspects of Shodo. Why is the body and mind connection so important? Why could this art form lead you to peace?

Styles and Techniques

There are more than twelve calligraphy styles and various techniques. In this lesson, I'm going to present the essential three styles and the characteristics as well as style development.

In this lesson, I'm going to show you the essential utensils and materials. There are widely varied qualities. So I’d give you some tips and advice on the theme. I’d also share some alternative ways for those who would like to start from the minimum utensil basics.

Utensils and Materials

Warming up Body and Mind

I’d demonstrate to you how to release the tension from your body and mind and then unite them together. You will also learn to activate and become aware of your inner Qi energy by simple body movements and conscious breathing. Qi energy is our living resource, the nucleus of our well-being.

Basic Brush Movements

In this lesson, you will learn how to hold and move the brush with your own flow of energy. I will demonstrate the detailed movement using specially designed exercises. You will practice three types of circle practice with me. Relax and be in the moment.

After obtaining the sensation of lightness with its basic movement, I'm going to present two basic brushing techniques: side brushing and direct brushing in various combinations. Focusing on the brush's detailed contacts and the differences between the two also combine conscious inhalation and exhalation.

Foundational Strokes

Demonstrations and Presentation of Kanjis

In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to "calligraphy" the whole character and present the energy flow as well as a pictographic background and development of the Kanjis. You'll be shown each technical part and balance line. Extra references about spacing and compositions in Shodo.

Technical Exercises to Create the YUGETSU

Now I'm going to show you some technical exercises to learn in more detail how to calligraphy our YUGETSU. These techniques are slide-out, pull-out, point corner technique, and jumping technique. We would be exercising each technical part step by step. Also underlining the energy movement in lines and conscious breathing. I’d show a few combinations of each technique as well.

In this lesson, we move on to combining and fine-tuning all techniques we have done in the last lesson, the whole composition, spacing, and dynamics of two Kanjis as one word. You will also be focusing on the flow of the movement.

Fine-Tuning Balancing Up

Seisho Clear Calligraphy

This is the final stage of practice. You would calligraphy through two Kanjis in one flow with clearer concentration. Combining the individual inner input of the characters together. You'd calligraphy your name and stamp on the best Seisho piece.

Mounting

In this lesson, I’m going to show you how to mount the calligraphy paper and prepare for the final calligraphy work. There are various ways and techniques for diverse papers. I’d like to share my practical insider tips with you.

Calligraphy on the Mounted Paper

After lots of practice and rehearsals, you will be calligraphy-ing the last calligraphy work on the mounted paper in this lesson. And we will be completing the piece with your name and stamp on it. You are going to finalize your calligraphy on the mounted paper!

Calligraphy Your Name and Creating the Stamp

In this lesson, we'll finalize your beautiful work by calligraphy-ing your first name in Japanese Katakana and complete the whole composition with your own stamp. I’ll show you how to create a simple handmade stamp at home.

History of Arabic Calligraphy

Module 5

Join Maaida Noor on a calming journey into the world of Arabic calligraphy. In this module, you’ll get to know the graceful Maghrebi script and learn how to form beautiful letters using a traditional reed pen. With Maaida’s gentle guidance, you’ll explore the deep cultural roots of this art form while enjoying the soothing rhythm of each handwritten word. Let's start!

16 lessons (2h 59m)

In this lesson, I am going to share the magnificent journey of the transformation from Arabic writing into an art form, in particular the history of Maghrebi script.

Course Materials and Tools

Let’s talk about all the traditional tools and materials that are used in Arabic calligraphy.

Preparing the Tools

The most important part of Arabic calligraphy is to learn how to prepare and look after your calligraphy tool kit and in this lesson, I am going to show you how it's done.

The beauty of a reed pen lies in the hand of a calligrapher. To properly use the reed pen is important to achieve the best results. Here you will learn how to understand and start writing with an angled reed pen.

How to Use a Reed Pen

The Dot System

The letters in Arabic calligraphy are based on a nukta (dot) system. Let’s talk about how this system is used to achieve balance and aesthetical values in calligraphy.

The Letters: Alif, Baa, Jeem, Daal 1

In this lesson, I'm going to start by showing how to write the first Arabic letter, Alif, followed by the letters Baa, Jeem, and Daal.

The Letters: Alif, Baa, Jeem, Daal 2

Now I will continue the lesson with Baa, Jeem, and Daal.

The Letters: Raa, Seen, Saad, Twa 1

In this lesson, I am going to show how to write the letters Raa, Seen, Saad and Twa.

The Letters: Raa, Seen, Saad, Twa 2

In the second part of this lesson, I will focus on the letters Saad and Twa.

The Letters: Ayn, Faa, Qaaf, Kaaf

Moving forward with the letters in a sequence, it’s time to learn how to write the following: Ayn, Faa, Qaaf, Kaaf.

17m

The Letters: Laam, Laam Alif, Meem, Noon, Waw 1

Here I am going to show you how to write the letters Laam, Laam Alif, Meem, Noon, and Waw.

The Letters: Laam, Laam Alif, Meem, Noon, Waw 2

Next, I'm going to write the letters Meem, Noon, and Waw.

11m

The Letters: Haa, Yaa, Hamza

Here I will be showing how to write the letter Haa, three variations of the letter Yaa, and two variations of Hamza.

16m

Diacritics in Maghrebi Style

Let’s explore the diacritics. Here I am going to show you the names of the diacritical marks and how they are placed around an alphabet to indicate a certain sound or movement. I will then show you how to write them with a reed pen using the same technique.

Joining the Letters 1

I have chosen to write one of my favorite quotes by Euclid in Arabic to show how the letters dance in harmony when joined together to form the words and sentences followed by the placement of the diacritics.

Now, I am going to finish Euclid's quote by writing the last word, Azeemah, which means perseverance.

Joining the Letters 2

Module 6

It's time to explore the timeless beauty of Chinese calligraphy with Thomas Lam as your guide. You’ll learn to write Chinese characters using traditional tools like ink, brush, and rice paper—no language knowledge needed! Thomas invites you to slow down, reflect, and enjoy the meditative rhythm of turning words into elegant visual art.

17 lessons (2h 57m)

Brief Introduction of Chinese Calligraphy

Before we begin, I want to introduce the scripts that are common in Chinese calligraphy and whose style greatly influences the development of Kaishu in Chinese history.

Materials

I will begin by showing you the brushes, paper and the ink I prefer and how to use them.

Dot, Horizontal and Vertical Strokes 1

In this lesson, I will show you how to write the 3 basic strokes of Chinese characters. They are dot, horizontal stroke and vertical stroke and their variants.

Dot, Horizontal and Vertical Strokes 2

Once you are familiarized with the basic strokes, you will start building some Chinese characters with fewer strokes.

Left Falling and Press Down Strokes

Now, I will show you two other important strokes: left falling, press down strokes and their variants.

Hooks

I will show you a very frequent component in Chinese calligraphy: the hook. Note that it doesn't appear alone you'll find it combined with the other strokes that you have learnt previously.

Turning Strokes

Finally, I will show you some strokes with turnings and you will combine them with the strokes you have learnt from lesson 2 and 3.

First, I will go into the principles of the stroke order. I will show you how all characters are built up from the strokes we learnt.

Stroke Order

Simple Structure Characters

After understanding the principles of the stroke order, I will start introducing the common structures and their proportions. In this lesson, I will start with the simplest structure.

Top-Bottom Structure Characters

In this lesson, I will show you how to write top-bottom structures.

Left-Right Structure Characters

Now that you have the top-bottom structure covered, I will continue by showing you how to write on a left-right structure.

Enclosed Structures with Two Sides

There are three common enclosed structures, first of all, I will show you how to write the enclosed structure with two sides.

11m

Enclosed Structures with Three Sides

In this lesson, I will show you how to write enclosed structures on three sides.

Completely Enclosed Structures

Now, you will learn how to write completely enclosed structures.

It is time to work on more complicated structures. In this lesson, I will teach you how to handle this kind of combined structure.

Combined Structure

How to Create a Chinese Calligraphy Artwork

Now that you have worked on all the structures I showed you, I will teach you how to write on Chinese rice paper without any grid.

How to Take a Photo for Your Artwork

In this lesson, I will show you how to take a photo of your artwork. As most of the Chinese calligraphy artwork is larger than A4 or even A3 size, home scanners might be too small for them. The easiest way is to take photos with a camera and phone.

Module 7

Step into the world of Hebrew calligraphy with Allison Barclay, a trailblazing soferet with a deep love for this timeless art. In this module, you’ll learn how to shape each letter using the elegant Hebrew Square Script, adding golden vowels for a special touch. Allison shares the magic behind this ancient language and helps you create your own meaningful piece.

12 lessons (2h 32m)

Materials

In this lesson, I will give an overview of the traditional pens and ink used in this art form, and I will also suggest modern alternatives. You will learn how to hold the pen while keeping your body relaxed. I will also review the other tools you'll need, which you probably already own because they are very basic.

The Hebrew Alphabet

Next, I will explain a little about Hebrew and how it belongs to a world family of languages and alphabets all originating from the same source in the ancient Middle East. You will also learn that Hebrew is an abjad, as all the letters are consonants and all the vowels are written as dots and lines around those consonants.

Feeling the Bones of the Hebrew Alef-Bet

This lesson is about “feeling the bones” of the alef-bet: becoming familiar with the letters through the use of a mechanical pencil or monoline pen. I will begin by demonstrating how to write the skeleton of the letters so you can get a feel for this art. You will discover that these letters are based on a square. To complete this activity, all you need is a pencil and graph paper.

20m

Spacing and Pacing: The Key to Beautiful Writing

With the skeletons in place, it's time to analyze the key ingredients that make up the recipe for good letter and word spacing. We will look at the appropriate line spacing later. I will show you examples of good spacing and bad spacing and explain the reasoning behind them. Then, I will talk about the open and closed letterforms and how that affects spacing.

The Layout Draft

In this lesson, we'll get hands-on with the project! I will guide you in creating the layout draft using paper and pencil. As I show you how to do this, you will learn about the appropriate spacing, as well as the relationship between letter layout and word rhythm. I will walk you through my drafts, explaining the steps that I took to translate the sentence to a satisfactory layout and the Jewish tradition behind it. I will also point out any issues that can arise and how to solve them. There are no hard and fast rules, but there are design choices to ensure that the finished work can serve the meaning of the verses, while simultaneously filling the space in an aesthetically pleasing way. When working with a historical text in a traditional layout, your creative decisions are limited. However, this will help to avoid becoming overwhelmed while you are still new to the script. You can explore the unlimited possibilities later!

15m

The Black Ink Layout 1

In this lesson, I will show you the different effects you can achieve by holding your calligraphy pen at different angles, starting with the broad-edged felt-tip or marker pen and progressing to the dip pen. You will learn how to find the right angle according to the brushstroke you want to create, and how to adapt your materials—the nib and the ink—according to your personal writing style.

20m

The Black Ink Layout 2

Here, I will continue to demonstrate how to apply the blank ink to the bones of your text, holding the bronze-tipped nib at a 60-degree angle. You will learn tips and tricks to ensure the ink flows smoothly.

Now, I will progress to line six and model different spacing proportions. As you replicate this process, don't forget to keep checking the angle of your pen! The more you master the skills I present in this lesson, the more consistent your pen strokes will be.

The Black Ink Layout 3

In this lesson, I will show you how to ink the vowels with golden ink. These are the small dots and lines that surround the letter.

Working on the Vowels 1

Now that the pencil markings have been set, it's time to apply the golden ink! I will show you how to do this using a narrow nib.

Working on the Vowels 2

How to Use a Feather for Calligraphy

All scribal traditions originating from the Middle East used reeds or wood cut into a pen with a knife. The Jewish people who lived under Islam and remained in the Middle East, North Africa, Yemen, and the Iberian peninsula still use reeds to this day. Contrastingly, the Jewish community in Europe changed their scribal tradition to fit Christian book arts and began using feathers cut into quill pens. In this lesson, I will dive further into the many traditions.