Table of contents for Christmas 2020 in Modern Calligraphy & Lettering

KIRSTEN BURKE @themoderncalligraphyco Kirsten Burke is one of the UK’s leading modern calligraphers and a co-founder of The Modern Calligraphy Company. She shares her expertise throughout the magazine with a range of in-depth tutorials for both nib and brush, as well as ideas for simple projects to show off your new skills. Check out her next level project on page 50 where she shares her technique for writing with an automatic pen. EDITOR’S LETTER While 2020 hasn’t turned out the way we would have hoped for back in January, calligraphy and lettering have emerged as the stars of lockdown. They’ve allowed us to be creative within the confines of our own home and been a source of comfort and inspiration for so many during these hard times. We look at…

CHRISTMAS CALLIGRAPHY The Creative Nib 22 November, 2-5pm, £47.50 Yorkshire Ales, Snaith, Yorkshire www.instagram.com/thecreativenib CHRISTMAS GIFTING The Modern Calligraphy Co 24 November (nib), 1 December (brush), £55 The Old Poorhouse, Birdham, PO20 7QN www.themoderncalligraphyco.com CHRISTMAS CALLIGRAPHY Era Calligraphy 25 November, 6-8.30pm, £55 Mad Lilies at Home, Banstead, Surrey www.eracalligraphy.com CHRISTMAS MODERN CALLIGRAPHY Mellor and Rose 29 November, 10.30am-4.30pm, £85 Brantwood, Coniston, Cumbria www.mellorandrose.co.uk MODERN CALLIGRAPHY STARS Calligraphy Arts 6 December, 10am-1pm and 2-3pm, £35 Squirrel Café, Wellsborough, Warwickshire www.calligraphyarts.co.uk MODERN CALLIGRAPHY! BEGINNERS" London Calligraphy 8 December, 6.30-8.30pm, £65, The Art Worker’s Guild, London www.londoncalligraphy.com MODERN CALLIGRAPHY! BEGINNERS" Calligraphy with Lou 9 December, 10am-12.30pm, £50 Honesty, Newbury, Berkshire www.honesty-group.myshopify.com Details correct at the time of print, check websites for updates and information about online courses.…

Use your calligraphy skills for good by signing up for Kindness-by-Post. This is a "great big secret Santa for random acts of kindness” where you send a letter to a stranger to spread some goodwill. Recipients then share their post with the hashtag #KindnessByPost, so the letters can have an even wider audience. This thoughtful project is run by the Mental Health Collective, a non-profit that helps people come together to improve mental wellbeing. Sign up at www.mentalhealthcollective.org.uk…

POORVA @magicalettering Philadelphia-based Poorva has kept busy over lockdown by practising different calligraphy styles and sharing her art. BEVERLEY @candocalligraphy Newbie Beverley picked up her new Ecoline brush pens and shared her colourful lettering practice to inspire others. GEMMA @lettersflowersandtea Gemma followed the watercolour brush tutorial in our last issue using her own affirmation – it looks stunning, Gemma! NEXT ISSUE SPRING 2021 Free 2-pen set and more lettering love!*…

Nothing beats a handmade card and one this elegant will stay on the mantelpiece well into the New Year! Accuracy is key when planning out the lettering, so practise the forms and doodles on rough paper before you make your mark on the card base. Instead of ink, Lucia has worked with white gouache for a striking finish on a dark background, then added fun doodles to complete the tree. You’ll find a beautiful envelope tutorial over the page to send your greeting in style! YOU WILL NEED • Pointed nib (Lucia used a Nikko G)• A4 dark coloured card folded to make an A5 card• Practice sheets• C5 envelope• Ruler, pencil and eraser• White, red and orange gouache• Small paintbrush• Mixing palette• Water pot• White, gold and silver gel…

RICHARD WILKINS @just_lettering Richard has gone from amateur letterer to running his own pointed pen calligraphy business. We chat to him about his influences, favourite tools and more over on page 32. ILLYAHNA JOHNSON @illyboodesigns Illy has a background in fashion and found her love of lettering when creating her own wedding stationery. She now offers bespoke calligraphy and workshops. See her brush advent calendar on page 38. LUCIA LEYFIELD @wildinksketch Lucia is an artist, letterer and creative educator and is the calligrapher behind the stunning Christmas tree card on our cover. Turn to page 28 to find out how you can make your own version with a nib and gouache paint.…

After having to close its doors during lockdown, Birmingham’s Pen Museum is planning to open again for visitors in November 2020. Housed in the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter, this tiny gem tells the story of the steel pen industry that formed an important part of Birmingham’s industry in the 19th century. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, pen lovers can enjoy exploring the museum’s unique collection of pens, nibs, machinery and artefacts. You can get more details about the reopening at www.penmuseum.org.uk…

THE GIFT OF LETTERING If you want to make your cards, gifts and décor super stylish and personal, check out Karla Lim’s Creative Calligraphy Made Easy. You’ll learn the basics of cursive and then develop three distinctive modern styles of calligraphy using traceable alphabets. Karla then shows you how to use your newfound skills on a range of projects, from menus and cars to a monogrammed luggage tag. There’s also a section about digitising calligraphy and how to connect with the lettering community on social media. Buy for £11.78 from www.amazon.co.uk BRUSH WITH SUCCESS Artist and MC&L contributor Becki Clark (check out her projects on pages 44 and 79) has just written her first book, and it’s a must-buy for anyone wanting to improve their brush lettering. Modern Brush Lettering…

While the impact of 2020’s events are still ongoing, it’s clear that modern calligraphy and lettering rose up the home crafting leaderboard this year. At a time when people were looking for alternatives to screens as well as mindful ways to pass the time, the simple attractiveness of a pen and paper was hard to beat. In the UK, Hobbycraft reported a huge increase in calligraphy sets (following an already impressive 100% increase in 2019) and online searches for calligraphy guides and courses rose extremely quickly. A change of focus However, on first facing the lockdown, the outlook wasn’t encouraging for calligraphy businesses. At The Modern Calligraphy Co (www.themoderncalligraphyco.com), whose network of calligraphers covers the UK, it was sobering times. “We had to cancel more than 100 workshops and events,”…

Richard Wilkins is the owner of Just Lettering, where he specialises in pointed pen commissions for weddings and other special occasions. Richard is also a special needs teacher who loves running, cycling and taking black and white photographs in his home town of Brighton. I first tried my hand at calligraphy when my wife and I were organising our wedding. I designed our save the dates and invitations. They looked good, but I cringe when I look at the lettering now. It sparked an interest though, and I spent a lot of time on social media following lettering accounts and learning by watching others’ videos. I started to do some lettering projects for friends, and friends-of-friends. That developed into what is now Just Lettering and I’m really proud to have…

The gift of a brush lettering book was the springboard for Ella Baird starting to practise calligraphy. Less than a year later she’s launched a sold-out handmade watercolour paint collection, co-hosts an Instagram lettering challenge and sells her popular range of handlettered cards online. As children, my sisters and I were always told ‘a meaningful card is worth more than any present’ and our Christmas stockings were filled with colourful paper and felt tip pens. This tradition has continued as we’ve grown older. This time last year I was given the book Secrets of Brush Calligraphy by Kirsten Burke and a watercolour set, which encouraged me to start creating my own lettering designs to share on Instagram as Doodles of Love. "Kind words from artists you aspire to are always…

Once you’ve mastered the basics of modern calligraphy, you can then start having fun experimenting with different tools. As well as the straight dip (nib) pen and brush pen, there’s a whole world of wonderful and exciting tools out there that are just waiting for you to explore and see where they take your lettering! We’ve chatted to six calligraphers from The Modern Calligraphy Co – founder Kirsten Burke plus five of the company’s regional ambassadors – who have shared some of their favourite tools for lettering. From simple felt tips to the intriguing glass feather pen and beautifully made artisanal holders, the objects over the page are sure to inspire you and give you lots of ideas to develop your calligraphy and lettering, helping you to create your own…

There’s nothing like the thrill of an unused journal or notebook, and with 2021 rapidly approaching, we’ve been coveting this Pocket Folio from Cambridge Imprint (www.cambridgeimprint.co.uk) to get the new year off to a fine start. Made from vegetable-tanned leather that will just improve with age and available in cherry red, petrol blue and olive green, this stylish cover is refillable with any inserts up to 10x14cm, meaning you’ll be able to use it for years to come. It’s the perfect size for keeping on you for when calligraphy inspiration strikes, or for journalling your plans and activities. Get yours for £39.…

Interested to know more about the history of modern calligraphy? At the Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft in East Sussex you can see the work of Edward Johnston, who’s often called the father of modern calligraphy. This craftsman is credited with reviving the art of modern penmanship, with his 1906 book Writing & Illuminating, & Lettering being one of the first ‘how tos’ for calligraphy. The museum has a permanent exhibition of Johnston’s work, as well as items by his contemporaries. Pre-book tickets at www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk…

To be able to bounce your lettering it really helps to first understand the guidelines and how modern calligraphy uses them. They help you to know how tall to make your letters and ensure your letters stay in a nice straight line. Draw them in pencil then rub them out once the letters are finished, or trace over pre-printed guidelines. In traditional calligraphy the letters follow the lines carefully, but in modern they dance in a graceful way, giving your words a playful style – in nib or brush lettering. The key to getting bounce to work is to stretch, shrink or exaggerate your letters, but aiming for the calligraphy to be balanced while it bounces. Have fun!…

Many budding calligraphers will have found The Postman’s Knock in the search for tutorials and inspiration, and in this short how-to, creator Lindsey Bugbee shares her basics for using a nib (or dip) pen. “You have to enjoy the practice,” says Lindsey, nailing the bit that leads many new hobbyists to tail off. “Yes, use structured resources like an online course, but also let yourself have fun. As long as your practice is enjoyable, you’ll continue to hone your skills!” YOU WILL NEED • Medium-flex nib (Lindsey recommends a Nikko G)• Straight pen with universal insert• Laserjet paper (Lindsey recommends HP 120GSM ColorChoice)• Sumi or India ink• Water, non-fibrous cloth TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS FROM LINDSEY •The nib catches on paper Try holding your pen at a tighter angle to the paper.…

While the name implies it’s a futuristic invention, the automatic pen was actually created in the 1800s. Prior to this, pointed pens were the norm and thicker strokes were only achieved by applying pressure to the point, or building up multiple lines. The arrival of the automatic pen – a stick with two metal blades at the end – meant that these instruments could ‘automatically’ create a thick downstroke on paper. The two blades of the automatic pen are spaced and angled diagonally so that they meet together at the tip, and it’s this space between them that holds the ink. As you press down the blades are forced to separate slightly, allowing the ink to flow out. The pen produces both extremely thin lines and very thick lines. Popular…

After a successful career in event planning and styling, Mansi Shah-Kothari was looking for a new challenge and so her lettering company Ko.lligraphy was born. Hong Kong-based Mansi balances creating commissions and running calligraphy workshops with raising her two children. Calligraphy was always something I’ve admired from a distance, but thought I would never be good at. I did try a few pointed pen workshops over the years, but I didn’t dedicate the time to practise. When I left my job in 2019, I had more time for myself, and was searching for something that I could call ‘mine’ – it initially started as a personal hand lettering project of personalising water squirters for my kids’ birthday party, which is when I realised that hey, maybe I can be good…