All about Calligraphy letter strokes

Calligraphy letter strokes

Basic calligraphy strokes are a great way to learn calligraphy as a beginner.

In fact, the first struggle I usually see for beginners is not learning and practicing basic calligraphy strokes.

This tutorial will teach you everything you need to know about basic calligraphy strokes.

I’ve included some free basic calligraphy stroke worksheets, so be sure to stick around until the end of this tutorial.

Here is a brief overview of the article –

• Tools needed to practice basic calligraphy strokes
• What are the basic strokes in calligraphy? How many basic strokes are there in calligraphy?
• Basic calligraphy stroke disorder
• Demonstrates basic calligraphy alphabet strokes.
• Basic Calligraphy Strokes Worksheet
• Quick recap + final words
• Without further ado, let’s jump straight into this tutorial.

Tools needed to practice basic calligraphy strokes.

To practice basic calligraphy strokes, you will need a very basic calligraphy tool setup (Amazon links) –

• Pens (writing tools)
• Paper
• Ruler
• Pencil
• An overview of basic calligraphy tools

Pen

You can practice basic calligraphy strokes using a brush pen, pointed nib, or even a regular pencil.

If you are just starting out, I recommend (Amazon links) –

Small brush pen – Tombo Fudinosuk or Pentel Touch brush pen

2B pencil

Small brush pens and 2B pencils for calligraphy

You may also be interested in reading my review on the best brush pens for calligraphy beginners.

Paper

In addition to your writing instrument, you’ll need some paper.

If you use a brush pen or dip pen + pointed nib, you will need special papers. Otherwise, you risk ruining your brush pen or ink bleed tips.

I recommend the following papers (Amazon links) –

• HP Premium 32 (cheapest and best quality)
• Kenson marker paper
• Rhodia paper
• Any other blade-proof marker paper.

If you choose a pencil, you can use any type of paper you want/have.

Paper recommended for calligraphy

Ruler

You’ll need a ruler to create calligraphy guidelines to keep your basic strokes accurate and consistent.

I have a whole separate tutorial on how to create calligraphy guidelines that you can read here.

I highly recommend that you do.

1. For guidelines, I always use and recommend a rolling roller.
2. A rolling ruler for calligraphy guidelines

Pencil

• We need a pencil to draw our guidelines.
• I work with an HB mechanical pencil, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
• What are the basic strokes in calligraphy?
• Basic calligraphy strokes are the building blocks of calligraphy letters. These are individual strokes that when put together form different letters of the lowercase alphabet.
• An overview of basic calligraphy strokes
• We use basic strokes in both modern and traditional calligraphy.
• In fact, I talk about basic calligraphy strokes for beginners in my advanced calligraphy tutorial.
• Any style created with a pointed nib or brush pen.
• Let me give you a little context on why these basic strokes are so important.

To the untrained eye, a calligraphy word looks like it was created in a single take without ever picking up a pen.

Like cursive writing.

However, calligraphy and cursive writing are two completely different things.

Calligraphy is done slowly, the pen is picked up often, and each stroke is made with care and precision. Strokes also vary in thickness.

Cursive writing, on the other hand, is more fluid, quicker, and the pen is picked up less often.

Difference between calligraphy  strokes and calligraphy

Understanding this difference is important because basic calligraphy strokes allow you to greatly improve the accuracy and consistency of your calligraphy.

Basic calligraphy strokes also help us learn how to write the entire alphabet and identify when to pick up the pen after each stroke.

That way, you don’t have to memorize letters individually and guess when to pick up the pen.

How many basic strokes are there in calligraphy?

There are 8 basic strokes of calligraphy, and they are –

1. Entry stroke
2. Under turn
3. Reversal
4. Compound curve
5. oval
6. Inverted oval
7. Climbing loop
8. Descending loop

Some letters of the alphabet are exceptions to these basic strokes.

Here are some quick examples of how we use these basic strokes to combine different characters.

• The letter a is formed with an entry stroke, an ellipsis, and an under turn.
• The letter n is made with an under turn and a compound curve.
• The letter b combines an entry stroke, an ascending loop, and a reverse ellipse.

By combining different basic calligraphy strokes to create letters.

Now let’s take a closer look at basic calligraphy strokes.

Basic calligraphy stroke disorder

If you are completely new to calligraphy, there are two basic movements to understand.

• As you move upward with your pen, your strokes should be thinner (less pressure).
• And as you move down, your strokes should be thicker (more pressure).

Two basic movements of calligraphy.

Okay, now I’m going to go over each stroke to give you a better overview of how to write them.

Again, it is absolutely essential to do these using calligraphy guidelines.

1. Entry stroke

The entry stroke is a thin upstroke that starts at the baseline and follows the waistline in a slight curve.

In most cases, you won’t need to take it to the waistline but to the middle or slightly above.

2. Underturn

Starts from the upper back as a thick stroke.

Then, it curves to the baseline and returns as a subtle upstroke to the waistline.

Two important points must be mentioned here.

1. Downstrokes and upstrokes are parallel to each other and follow the diagonal lines of our guidelines.
2. To achieve a smooth, gradual transition, you begin to release pressure slightly above the baseline.

3. Reversal

It is exactly the same as underturn, just in reverse.

You start from the baseline with a thin upstroke, curve to the waistline, and return to the baseline with a thick downstroke.

Again, both strokes are parallel and follow diagonal lines.

Begin applying pressure gradually following the curve.

4. Compound curve

Combination of two previous strokes.

A bit more challenging.

Start with a thin upstroke, curve to the waistline, come down with a thick downstroke, curve to the baseline, and back up with a thin upstroke.

All three lines are parallel, followed by diagonal lines.

5. Oval

Perhaps the most difficult basic calligraphy strokes.

Start slightly to the right (2-3 o’clock) with a thin upstroke. Sweep upwards (clockwise) in thick downward strokes that are also curved. Gradually transition to a thin upstroke on the baseline to join the oval.

I often see people confused about how to properly angle an oval.

The best way to orient an ellipse is to use an axis line.

The axis line is basically a line that passes through the center of an ellipse and divides it into two equal parts.

Using the axis line to determine the direction of the oval.

Of course, you can’t always stop mid-exercise to draw an axis line for your testicles.

However, what you can do is visualize one and use it as a guide for your oval shape.

6. Reverse oval

Pretty much the same thing as an oval, just in reverse.

Here you can also modify it a bit, and instead of connecting the two strokes, reverse oval can and inside half loop like this.

Inverted oval.

7. Climbing loop

The ascending loop begins at the waist line and extends to a curved thin upward line.

On the ascending line, it turns back down after an oblique angle.

As it rotates, you gradually apply pressure to create a thicker downstroke.

Alternatively, you can start with light pressure just above the waistline that gradually becomes a thick stroke to the baseline and add the loop as the second stroke.

Climbing loop

This second method is often used to flourish in the end.

Because with a closed loop, your options for flourishing are limited.

Both methods are good for closed loops, so use whichever works best for you.

8. Descending loop

In contrast to the heavily ascending loop.

Start at the waist line with thick strokes.

Then, move it down to the descending line, and before that, start releasing pressure for a smooth thick, thin transition.

Next, you spin it on the downline and take it to the baseline in a curved, thin upstroke to the right.

If you don’t know what counters are, it’s basically the white space inside letters.

We have two different types of counters – open and closed.

Make words one letter at a time, one stroke at a time.

Combining basic strokes to create letters

The secret is that calligraphy is an art that requires you to create single strokes, which you combine to form letters and words. It cannot be done quickly, and it cannot be done carelessly.

Build your brush calligraphy foundation the right way. You can start today by learning the basics and understanding best practices. Once you’ve mastered the basics and understand how letter shapes are formed, you can develop your own style and process for creating brush calligraphy with confidence.

` In calligraphy, you need to start with the very, very basics. These are called ‘strokes’. All your letters are made up of strokes. So, practice the strokes – over, and over – until they’re consistent. The more consistent your strokes, the more consistent your letters will be!

Basic strokes are the foundation of your entire calligraphy alphabet. Today I’m going to break down the 8 basic strokes that will build your calligraphy alphabet and get you on the right path to putting those words together, so let’s see how the basic strokes are done. .

basic-calligraphy-strokes-happy-ever-crafter

The links below may be affiliate links where appropriate. This means that your purchase through these links may result in me being paid a few cents, to help create more resources like this! That being said, I would never recommend a product that I don’t personally use and fully recommend.

UPSTROKE: Light pressure

With the upstroke you want to start at the bottom and work your way up with a slight twist to the waist. You’ll want to go slow and try your best to stay at a steady pace. Pro tip: Don’t “flick.”

Downstroke: Heavy pressure

With the downstroke you will be doing the opposite of the upstroke. You’ll want to start at the top and work your way down, starting with medium pressure and gradually increasing more when you get to the bottom. Make sure you release the pressure when you reach the bottom. Again you’ll want to slow down and stay at a steady pace.

Overturn: A combination of up and down strokes

With this stroke you’ll want to start at the bottom with light pressure for your upstroke and then turn into a thicker downstroke. You want to make sure that your two lines stay parallel and that all strokes stay on the same plane. Pro tip: No shocks or tails at the bottom that you want to finish straight.

UNDERTURN: The opposite of overturning

Moving from the upstroke to the downstroke you want to apply a heavier pressure moving to a lighter upstroke – again you want to make sure your two lines stay parallel and make sure to release the pressure early. .

Compound Spherical: Combination of over and under turns

With this stroke you are combining both the inversion and the underturn – the hard part with this stroke is keeping all 3 lines parallel this time. Some things to watch for are not making points at the top and bottom of the curve, not keeping the middle part parallel and making sure not to add any shocks or bumps at the end that are visible.

Oval: This one is tricky and takes some practice!

One of the most important things to remember with this stroke is that you want to start on the side. Most tend to start at the top and create a gap where the lines meet. This one upstroke starts with light pressure and as you transition from the top to the heavy pressure downstroke, another transition from the bottom back to the light pressure upstroke

Climbing Loop: This is a fun one!

With this stroke you start with a gentle upstroke in the middle and apply pressure as you come down. You’ll transition to the top and turn downward in a heavy downstroke. Make sure everything is at the same angle and that you don’t end up with a tail where the loop extends.

Descending Loop: Opposite of Ascending Loop!

For this last stroke you will start with a heavier down stroke until you come back with a lighter up stroke. As with the ascending loop you want to make sure you maintain a steady pace and don’t end up with an ascending loop by creating a tail..

When learning calligraphy, the first step is to learn the basic strokes. These 8 strokes are the basic building blocks of letterforms, and together they form lowercase letters (with a different set of basic strokes for uppercase letters).

So it makes sense to start with these strokes. Once you’ve mastered shapes and angles, you move on to putting them together and writing letter shapes.

Basic strokes of lower case

Basic strokes of copperplate calligraphy

Note: You may notice that there are actually 9 strokes. Stroke #2, the long and short version of the pressure and release stroke, counts as one stroke

The 8 basic strokes in the image above are the components of the entire set of lowercase letters (approximate – lowercase ‘k’ has a unique stroke that is not used in any other letter so it is not included here).

Large basic strokes

Copper plate calligraphy basic strokes – capital letters

Like lowercase letters, uppercase letters have their own set of basic strokes. These provide great practice for downstrokes, as well as common lead-in (or ‘entry’) strokes used in capital letter forms.

You can see in the image below that both the ‘basic downstroke with finishing stroke’ and ‘the looped stroke’ are used in upper case ‘B’ and ‘F’.

Improve your handwriting through deliberate practice

You may already be familiar with the term ‘mindful practice’, but if you haven’t heard of it before, author James Clare has a good definition on his website – ‘mindful practice refers to a There is a special type of exercise that is purposeful and systematic. While regular practice may involve mindless repetition, deliberate practice requires focus and is done with the specific goal of improving performance.

This applies to many skills, but especially calligraphy!

Not all repetition leads to improvement. If you keep doing the wrong thing over and over again, it will become bad habits that are hard to break! That’s why it’s important to critique your work and be able to spot any inconsistencies to focus on improvement.

For example

, something I see a lot of newbies get stuck on is the oval shape. In this situation I recommend spending more time on that particular shape by repeating the first row of tracing strokes a few more rounds.

The iPad Calligraphy Practice Workbooks are designed with a first row dedicated to form tracing, familiarization, and building muscle memory. Then there are two blank rows below for you to practice on your own (referring to the tracing rows). To spend more time on the tracing stage of difficult strokes – simply turn off your original practice layer, create a new layer on top of it and repeat the tracing practice until you get a good feel for it.

Once you have more muscle memory of the stroke, you can move on to the bottom rows to practice on your own, referring to the traced versions.

So hopefully that helps explain that spending time on your basic strokes is an important part of the learning process. It is only by mastering this first level, that you will be able to put it together to write beautiful calligraphy!

Demonstrates basic calligraphy alphabet strokes.

In the video below, I demonstrate how I use basic calligraphy strokes to write the entire lowercase alphabet.

I also made a tutorial on how to write the brush calligraphy alphabet from a to z.

Exception letters

As I mentioned earlier, some characters are exceptions to these basic strokes.

They just look different and unique, and that’s why you memorize them.

Some of these letters are – s, f, x,

Exceptional correspondence.

However, some letters have a certain element of these basic strokes, with slight variations or additions.

Here are some examples-

• The letter t is an extended underturn (variation) with a horizontal/wavy crossbar (extra).
• The letter k is an ascending loop with a small R shape underneath.
• The letters c, e, and o are varied ellipses with a small addition.
• The letter q consists of an oval and an inverted loop.

Hand lettering to basic strokes

Remember, the most basic aspect of hand lettering is that top strokes are thin and bottom strokes are thick. Every hand-letterer should practice getting fine upstrokes and thick downstrokes by applying different amounts of pressure to the nib of the pen. Let’s go ahead and break down the basic strokes for brush lettering.

Breaking down the basic stroke – the upstroke

I’ll break down the basic strokes for you here. The first basic stroke I practice is the upstroke. The idea is that you are using the pen tip with very little pressure. You’ll want to practice bringing your pen up because that’s how you’d do it in words.

Breaking down the basic stroke – the downstroke

With the downstroke, you want to practice putting heavy pressure on your pen. Every brush pen is a little different so it’s important to practice with different amounts of pressure to see how much variety you have as well as how much bounce your brush pen nib has.

Breaking the basic stroke – overturn

When you write a letter on the vellum, you want to start applying some pressure when you’re just above the curve and gradually ease up to full pressure on your pen so that you get a nice smooth curve.

Breaking down the basic stroke – the underturn

When writing basic strokes, the underturn is one of the most difficult strokes. This is because you have to start releasing the pressure before you reach the curve. If it was on the clock, you’d want to release it around 7:00. If you release it when you’re at the bottom of the curve, you’ll get what we call a sag bottom. No one wants a saggy bottom in your letters!

Breaking down the basic stroke – the compound curve

A compound curve is essentially an underturn and an inversion, with no breaks. So you’ll want to think about applying pressure to your pen gradually at the top of the curve and then lifting before the bottom of the curve at around 7:00 o’clock. It definitely takes some practice.

Breaking down the basic stroke – oval

The oval is a basic stroke that many people struggle with. Although I hear lefties have an easier time with it. You want to start at about 1:00 and then this time your pen is going to the left side of the page and you’re going to push it to the left because you’re applying more pressure. Again, you’ll pick up the pressure before you get to the bottom of the curve so you don’t get a bottom layer.

Breaking down the basic stroke – the climbing loop

An ascending loop is the basic stroke that goes up from your midline like “l”, “h”, “k”, “d”, etc. It’s really fun to play with when you’re doing different styles. You start in the middle to start with the loop, and at the top of the curve, you’ll push it to the left like an ellipse. Then it will condense downwards.

Breaking down the basic stroke – the descending loop

This is the last in our breaking down the basic stroke series. The descending loop is basically the opposite of the ascending loop for letters like “g”, “y”, “j” etc. Again you want to look at the soggy bottom. You’re pushing your pen along the left side of the page like an ellipse, but from the bottom up instead of the top down.

Practicing basic strokes

Now that I’ve broken them down, it’s time to practice the basic strokes! We can’t practice enough! I also add some variety to my basic strokes because it’s good to start working your creative muscles creating new styles, even with just the basic strokes. I invite you to join InsiderScope to access this free lettering practice sheet of basic stroke charts.

To be clear, these are not standard basic brush calligraphy strokes you’ll find anywhere. But, I have introduced these strokes in my online course and my students have found them helpful. So I thought I’d share with you too.

So, now let’s understand what these pressure variation strokes are (that’s what I like to call them).

As you know, thick and thin strokes work together when doing brush calligraphy. Therefore, they need to look harmonious.

In other words, thick and thick strokes should gradually change into each other. This, in turn, enhances the visual appeal of your brush calligraphy.

Thick and thin basic brush calligraphy strokes gradually change into each other as the pressure changes

For this reason, we use these pressure variation strokes.

If you notice, the thinner ends of the pressure variation strokes indicate the thinner strokes to be easily combined. If we had used a thicker downstroke—without any pressure variation—this would not have been possible.

Now, let’s understand how to draw the stroke of pressure variations.

How to Draw Pressure Variation Strokes in Brush Calligraphy

• First, hold the pen as you would in a downstroke.
• Secondly, start with very low pressure and gradually move towards the center.
• Finally, slowly release the pressure and lift the pen from the paper.

If you are right-handed, it will be difficult for you to turn the pen to the left. This is because it is not a natural hand movement for right-handed people.

Similarly, left-handed people will have difficulty turning the pen to the right.

Pressure variation strokes for right and left handed people

However, if you practice regularly, you will develop the muscle memory for both hand movements. So the problem will be solved.

Other Basic Brush Calligraphy Strokes

Now that you have an idea of ​​the keystrokes—up and down—let’s combine them to create six other basic brush calligraphy strokes.

Overturn

To draw this basic brush calligraphy stroke, start with a subtle upstroke. When you reach the top, slowly increase the pressure and start coming down.

Overturn – basic brush calligraphy stroke

If you want, you can pick up your pen between strokes to adjust your grip for the downstroke.

Also, you’ll see this basic brush calligraphy stroke often used in letters like m and n.

To check if you’ve got the base stroke right, see if the two strokes are parallel to each other. To start, you can always draw the exact shape with a pencil and use that as a guide to draw with your brush pen.

All reversal strokes should be parallel to each other

Finally, make sure you pick up your pen at the end of the downstroke, rather than jerking it at the end. This is a very common mistake because we treat it like handwriting and add random flux without realizing it.

The Underturn

This is in stark contrast to basic brush calligraphy strokes. To draw it in, start with a thick down stroke. When you are about to reach the bottom, slowly start to reduce the pressure. Then pick up the cue and make a subtle upstroke from bottom to top.

Underturn – basic brush calligraphy letter  stroke

Of course, you can lift your hand between strokes. In fact, I strongly recommend that you do—especially as a beginner. This is because it buys you time to see and understand these basic strokes of brush calligraphy.

Also, you’ll see this basic brush calligraphy stroke often used in letters like u and w.

Underturn – Make strokes parallel to each other

Again, make sure the two strokes are parallel to each other.

Compound curve

It is a combination of inversion and underturn.

So, to stretch it, you start with a thin stroke and gradually increase the pressure as you come down. As you are about to reach the bottom, you gradually reduce the pressure and glide in a thin upstroke.

Compound Curve – Basic brush calligraphy strokes

It is important to remember that all three strokes should be parallel to each other.

Also, make sure the space between the underturn and the overturn is equal. For this, you can always draw the shape in pencil first as a beginner. Additionally, make multiple compound strokes. By doing this, you will train your hand to have perfect intervals between strokes.

The equal distance between the holes of the compound curve

You’ll see this basic brush calligraphy stroke often used in letters like letters.

Pro tip: You can lift your hand between strokes instead of pulling all at once.

Oval

This is a closed form. Therefore, this stroke has no clear starting point, unlike other basic brush calligraphy strokes we’ve seen.

Oval – Basic brush calligraphy  letter

stroke

So, to draw this shape, you can start anywhere. For example, you can start at the top and come down making a thick down stroke. And, complete the look with a thin upstroke.

Or you can do the complete opposite.

 strokes of handwriting calligraphy letters

Introducing young children who are just beginning to print letters to the basic strokes used to make letters and showing them how they can be joined to form letters has several benefits:

First, it ensures that the child learns to print letters using the correct sequence of strokes from the beginning.

Another benefit is that the child begins to recognize the strokes that make up the new letters they encounter. This is the beginning of making the connection between the printed letters and the motor plan of the letter.

Once a child learns to write and recognize the strokes of a letter, he will quickly recognize them in any new letter and will often be able to print the letter with minimal specific writing training. goes.

Each letter stroke has a specific direction, length and curvature relative to other strokes in the letter.

The most common strokes are sticks, humps and donuts.

Why the “donut” letters?

The term donut is used for closed circular strokes used to form letters such as a or d. Because this is an unusual name it separates the stroke from the circle.

It also starts with the letter d. This allows the child to remember that a d starts with a donut unlike a b which starts with a bat (stick) followed by a ball (closed hump).

Letter strokes are the basic units of printing letters.

Each letter is written by combining two or more strokes in succession. Well-learned, fluent letters are produced by a rapid advance planning that does not require visual supervision. After the printing of the letter is complete, visual feedback is used to check the quality of the letter.

Letters are formed by writing letter strokes consecutively.

Donut letters are made up of a donut followed by a stick or tail. A donut is always written in a counter-clockwise direction.

Stick letters begin with a stick followed by open or closed humps.

Lathi is always written from top to bottom. A hump is always written counterclockwise.

A k is the rod exception followed by the hump rule.

Italics are made up of diagonal lines.

v,ww.x,z

Exceptions are included.

E, F, J, S, T. and U

Characters occupy the space of one letter.

It is useful to introduce young children to the concept of letter placement. Each letter occupies a space – called a letter space.

The first stroke of a letter begins in a particular position in the letter space. Writing a letter includes:

• Recalling the motor plan (stroke sequence),
• Selecting the starting position for the letter within the letter space
• Writing the strokes in the correct order.
• Sticky characters start at the top or halfway to the left of the letter space.

Long and short sticks.jpg

All donut letters start on the right side of the letter space, just below the halfway mark.

Don’t let the letter start.jpg

Teaching letters as strokes avoids letter reversals.

Teaching letters by emphasizing the initial position of the letter within the letter space avoids the problem of letter reversals, especially writing a b and a d.

A b is a stick letter – a stick followed by a closed hump. Memory is B = Bat and Ball.

A d is a donut letter. Memory is d=doughnut.

These strokes are basically movements you make with your brush pen or dip pen that combine to form the letters of the alphabet.

But why are they so important to learn and why would you learn them instead of pretty letters? If you want to create clean calligraphy, your letters should have distinct and consistent thick and thin lines. It’s much easier to visualize how and when to adjust your pen to make those thick and thin lines when it’s a handful of strokes than it is to think about making 26 characters.

Let’s dive further into consistency. Let’s take the oval stroke. It’s an oval but one side should be thicker, the other thinner and you need to adjust your pressure throughout the stroke. This stroke forms the basis of the letters a, b, c, d, e, g, o, p, q and s. So, if you take the oval stroke down, you’ll have a big head start with creating those letters. Whereas if you jumped into learning letters first and each letter had a different roundness, even slightly, you’d get a bunch of inconsistent letters.

Another reason you should learn this stroke is because it encourages you to take the pen off the page. This is another tip you’ll hear regularly as you begin to look more into modern calligraphy, and there’s a reason for that. If you’ve read my Calligraphy vs. Cursive post, you’ll know that one difference is the intention and speed of writing. collection of basic strokes is a great way to slowdown because they’re created individually and when you take your pen off the page. is forced.

Why don’t you learn basic strokes now? impatience. I have a confession to make… I was one of those impatient people who learned about basic strokes and thought “Boring! I want to start doing interesting things”. Now I totally understand why you might see basic strokes and want to jump into letters, because I’ve been there and made the same mistake. Even though I got there eventually, I truly believe that not following these moves first slowed my progress.