Neat, I just started getting into calligraphy. I left Reddit for good when they banned the third party apps and this is the first time I've stumbled across a random instance relevant to a new interest, thanks for the post!
this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2025
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I haven't explored calligraphy persay but ever since I got this pen, I have been trying to developed a cursive style that is tailored to my preferences. Though googling examples of letter variations is like pulling teeth.
Hahaha I get that. So many tiktok videos and tutorials from people who have very mediocre writing.
My wife took up painting watercolor paints and decided she wanted to paint holiday cards for our friends and family but her handwriting is rough. She encouraged me to get into calligraphy so I could write the messages for her. I kept looking up individual letters and just practicing those but it made it hard to find a consistent style.
I found a YouTube channel called Loveleigh Loops who has beautiful handwriting and has videos about how to write all the holiday and common messages like happy birthday in multiple styles. She has a few tutorial videos as well which has helped me understand the basics, such writing wider gaps for loops like e and l and making thicker lines in downstrokes.
That said, I swapped to a brush pen because it's easier to get the hang of in the beginning while I practice with calligraphy pens. I'm still struggling with controlling the line thickness: angling the pen is much harder than just pressing down lol. I also have a hard time making full contact with the nib and putting even pressure along it.
My favorite western calligraphy channel on youtube is "Perfect Biscuits". Really good channel if you really want to drill those core arm movement skills and letter forms. You can also check out old writing books like Mills modern business penmanship. Definitely don't forget your drills and warmups before you actually practice letters and words! Also I hope you are using a felt tip brush pen and not an actual brush pen because those things are anything but easy (any calligraphy nib will be easier).
Thanks for the recommendations! I need to practice my basics and I've been looking for more drills to get my technique down, I'll check it out!
The pen I'm using is the Fudenosuke brush pen, it's been pretty forgiving compared to my Lamy Joy
Ignore the shitty handwriting.