Category: Beginner Tips
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Basic brush calligraphy strokes: The overturn stroke
Welcome to Part 3 of my Basic Brush Calligraphy Strokes series! If you are new to this series, I highly encourage you to get yourself a brush pen and begin practicing with me. If you are on Instagram, share your work by posting it with the hashtag, #pieces_basicstrokes. Before you get started, be sure to familiarize yourself with…
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Basic brush calligraphy strokes: The underturn stroke
Welcome to Part 2 of my Basic Brush Calligraphy Strokes series! If you are new to this series, I highly encourage you to get yourself a brush pen and begin practicing with me. If you are on Instagram, share your work by posting it with the hashtag, #pieces_basicstrokes. Before you get started, be sure to familiarize yourself with…
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Basic brush calligraphy strokes: The entrance/exit stroke
Basic strokes are the building blocks of your brush calligraphy foundation. Not flourishes, not design, not even letters. It’s all about the basic strokes. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be devoting one blog post (and video!) for each of the basic strokes you need to master as a brush calligrapher. Let’s start…
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Transitioning from thick to thin strokes
Mastering when and how to transitioning your brush calligraphy stroke from thick to thin can be extremely frustrating. Trust me, I know. I know because I was there just over a year ago. And honestly, I still struggle with this skill even now. But the good news is, you get to hear my best tips I…
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Why you should focus on the direction your brush pen faces
In previous posts, I gave overviews of how to hold the brush pen and the angle at which you should hold it. I explained that the key to writing with the brush pen is to focus on the angle of pen to the page, and that you shouldn’t hold the pen upright. But I didn’t tell you the full story.…
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The reason you should focus on the thin stroke, but not the hairline
Over the past few weeks, you have seen the importance of holding the pen at an angle and practicing how to exert pressure to achieve those thin strokes in brush calligraphy. But you might still struggle with the fact that your thin strokes do not exactly resemble a hairline. In fact, you may be complaining that…
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Can lefties do calligraphy? (Plus 7 things you should know as a left-handed calligrapher)
Part 1: Meet the lefties | Part 2: Best grips for lefties | Part 3: Best tools for lefties | Part 4: 7 Tips for Lefties ~ ~ ~ You have met my lefty calligrapher friends. You heard their recommendations on how to grip your pen and the best calligraphy tools for left-handers. But can lefties really do calligraphy? The short answer, YES!!!…
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Best grips for left-handed calligraphers
Part 1: Meet the lefties | Part 2: Best grips for lefties | Part 3: Best tools for lefties | Part 4: 7 tips for left-handed calligraphers ~ ~ ~ We certainly live in a right-handed world. In general, only 10% of the world population is left-handed! While I am right-handed myself, many of you have requested tips for lefties.…
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Tips for lefties: Advice from five left-handed calligraphers
Part 1: Meet the lefties | Part 2: Best grips for lefties | Part 3: Best tools for lefties | Part 4: 7 tips for left-handed calligraphers ~ ~ ~ Hello, my left-handed calligraphers! Your voices have been heard. I have tapped into the creative brains of five fellow left-handed calligraphers to bring you their best tips, advice, and recommendations…
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How to apply pressure when creating brush calligraphy
When it comes to brush calligraphy, it’s important to really understand what is meant by “pressure.” Many tutorials and tips (mine included) emphasize the use of varying amounts of pressure, but what exactly is pressure? How do you create it? How do you control it? Can you apply the wrong pressure?
Pieces Calligraphy 