Calligraphy For Dummies

by Jim Bennett

Overview

You’ve always admired beautiful calligraphy, but you probably figured it was way too hard to master, right ?   Calligraphy is actually much easier than you ever dreamed. All you need is the right guide and you’ll be up to speed in no time!

Calligraphy For Dummies lets anyone discover the art and fun of lettering. With this hands-on guide, you’ll be able to develop your craft and test it out in no time. Starting with the italic alphabet, you’ll discover different types of strokes, how to angle your pen, and how to join letters. This easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide shows you:

• All the tools you need to practice the craft
• Where to get the proper ink and paper
• How to master several alphabets
• Different variations to change the look of letters
• How to mix and match your alphabets
• How to create a poster, sign, or certificate
• Ways to design and letter a quotation
• Common mistakes that can easily be avoided

Calligraphy For Dummies also provides tips on how to put your calligraphy skills to good use, with ideas for making money, adding flair to wedding invitations, and more! It also includes ten fun alphabets and practice pages to hone in on your talent, as well as examples of poorly formed letters to keep you on track. With a little practice, you’ll be creating stunning letters and experiencing the joys of writing calligraphy!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118051290
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	02/25/2011
Series:	For Dummies Books
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	778,636
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jim Bennett has been teaching calligraphy for about 30 years. He has taught at every level from kindergarten through college and has introduced thousands of people to calligraphy. Although he lost count some time ago, he suspects that he must hold a record for the number of students he has taught in the classroom, by correspondence, and through the Internet.
Jim has a B.F.A. degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and an M.F.A. degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Among the awards he has earned are the Virginia Artists Certificate of Distinction and the Ohio Art Education Association’s Distinguished Educator Award in 2003.
In 1982, Jim self-published a popular instruction manual titled “You Can Do Calligraphy.” He also developed a complete Italic handwriting curriculum for grades K through 5 for Wakefield School in Virginia, created a calligraphy correspondence course for Lord Fairfax Community College, and pioneered calligraphy lessons on the Internet. His calligraphy website (studioarts.net/calligraphy) has had almost one million visitors. He is the founder and manager of the original Calligraphy Webring which is comprised of about a hundred of the finest calligraphy websites internationally.
In addition to calligraphy, Jim worked for several years as a portrait artist under the name Bennecelli. He has also painted murals. Recently, he has been developing art-related projects based on adventure themes that math teachers can use to enhance math instruction.

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Table of Contents

Introduction.

Part I: Yes, You Can Do Calligraphy!

Chapter 1: Doing Calligraphy Can Be as Easy as ABC.

Chapter 2: Peeking Inside the Calligrapher’s Toolbox.

Chapter 3: Putting Your Pen to Paper.

Part II: The Amazing, Incredible Italic Alphabet.

Chapter 4: Taking a Few Baby Steps with Italic.

Chapter 5: Doing Italic with a Calligraphy Pen.

Chapter 6: Perfecting the Italic Alphabet.

Chapter 7: Turning Up the "Wow! Factor" with Variations and Embellishments.

Part III: Expanding Your Repertoire.

Chapter 8: The Blackletter Alphabet.

Chapter 9: Classical Roman Letters.

Chapter 10: Formal Manuscript, Foundational Hand, or Bookhand.

Chapter 11: Formal Uncial and Funky Variations.

Chapter 12: Elegantly Outlined and Decorated Letters.

Chapter 13: A Fancy Document Script.

Part IV: Popular Projects.

Chapter 14: Designing and Lettering a Quotation.

Chapter 15: Creating a Poster or Sign.

Chapter 16: Certificates.

Chapter 17: More Things to Do with Your Calligraphy.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Use Your Calligraphy for Weddings.

Chapter 19: Ten Fun Alphabets.

Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Making Money Using Your Calligraphy.

Appendix: Practice Pages.

Index.