Have you ever seen something written in calligraphy and became instantly smitten with the beauty and elegance of it all? Perhaps you were at a wedding or baby shower and beautiful place cards or signage caught your eye, to the point where you said to yourself "I wish I could do that".

Here's where we come in. Enter the world of Kalli Camp Academy, a community to learn, flourish, and grow in the art of calligraphy. We aim to make it possible for artists at every skill level and culture to grow in their craft and connect with others on a deeper level through true friendships centered around shared passions. We also aim to support each other and help grow our small businesses as a result of this collaborative endeavor.

If you're just starting out or planning to start, here are helpful tips we recommend for beginners. 

Choose the right pen holder

Jane Matsumoto, who teaches our Introduction to Copperplate Calligraphy course, recommends a pen holder that can...

Hello and welcome to the Kalli Camp Academy blog, where we share educational and inspirational tips on being a calligraphy artist. It is our hope that this blog will become a resource for you as you navigate your creative journey. 

We aim to make it possible for artists at every skill level and culture to grow in their craft and connect with others on a deeper level through true friendships centered around shared passions. We also aim to support each other and help grow our small businesses as a result of this collaborative endeavor.

In our live interview on April 29th with KCA student, Tico Kanzaki, she shared her Copperplate frustrations and how she overcame them, her recommendations for focused practicing, and what to do if you're heavy handed.

Who is Tico Kanzaki?

Tico is a graphic designer by day and calligrapher by night from Japan, now living in the U.S. Her calligraphy journey began in 2019 using the Tombow Fudenosoke brush pen. When the pandemic hit, she found...

Copperplate calligraphy is a beautiful script, but for a beginner, it can be quite challenging. In this final class of our Copperplate critiquing series, you will learn how to micro-critique the invisible triangular space that occurs within the script. You'll begin improving your skills and calligrapher's eye.

Want to join us for class? It's offered on-demand and available now for all Tier 2 students.  Some classes are also available to Tier 1 students. Click here to see the Tier 1 Class Listing.  

How to Access Your Members-Only Class:

• Go to www.kallicampacademy.com
• Log in to your account
• Click on Classroom
• Click on Tier 2 -- Class Archive
• Click on Calligraphy Critique and Layout
  

Enroll

Topics Covered

• Micro-critiquing Copperplate script
• Self-awareness tips

 Materials Needed

• Your choice of nib and nib holder
• Ink of your choice
• Pen to critique (different color than your calligraphy ink) 
• Your preferred set of guidelines...

Class Intro

Now that you have designed your wedding invitations, it’s time to get them ready to submit for the printer. Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. This class by Allison McClanahan @wildwoodcalligraphyandpost takes you through setting up your artwork for the printer using Adobe Photoshop.

Want to join us for class? It's offered on-demand and available now for all Tier 2 students.  Some classes are also available to Tier 1 students. Click here to see the Tier 1 Class Listing.  

How to Access Your Members-Only Class:

• Go to www.kallicampacademy.com
• Log in to your account
• Click on Classroom
• Click on Tier 2
• Scroll to Current Classes

Enroll

Topics Covered

• Create and work within a Photoshop file
• Margins
• Safe Zones
• Changing the color of calligraphy
• Saving the file so it is printer ready

Plus:

• Shortcuts for those who don't do artwork or calligraphy, or both!

Supplies

• Calligraphy invitation...

No more turning down wedding invitation jobs because they seem over your head!

We are taking the mystery out of stationery design and giving you all the tools you need for quick and easy design and production. Join us for our 3-part Invitation Suite Design Series taught by Allison McClanahan, a bespoke stationery designer and calligrapher.

Our first class started with designing a watercolor crest, teaching you how to create stationery artwork and digitize it for printing. In Part 2 you will learn all the ins and outs of the wedding invitation suite.

We’re talking paper sizes, paper types and colors, printing methods, wording and etiquette, layouts and artwork ideas, and all the bells and whistles to add. Did someone say ribbons and wax seals? Allison takes you in to her tried-and-true design process and walks you step by step through how to work with wedding clients from start to finish.

You’ll learn about creating look books, what to use for design...

Designing wedding invitations has never been more fun! This class is kicking off a 3-month series on designing a wedding invitation suite. We are starting with learning to design a watercolor crest, and in this class we will be making artwork to use throughout the entire suite. Over the next three months, look forward to learning about the different parts of the wedding invitation suite, how to design them, and what to do to get them from your pen or brush to the printer.

Design a Watercolor Crest is chock-full of new techniques for you to learn, from design and painting techniques to working in Photoshop. You will be inspired to dream and amazed at your new abilities. This class will provide you with grins, whoa’s and “Aha!” moments. The watercolor crest you will create can be used not just for wedding invitations, but for personal stationery, wall-hangings in baby nurseries, and no shortage of creative custom artwork. Take a look at the topics that will be...

“Help! The printing company wants a vector file!? What do I do?” If you’ve ever designed a graphic and had a request to provide a vector file, chances are you felt a sense of panic. Working with vectors can seem intimidating on the surface, but with a few simple tools and understanding how to use them, you should be able to create and edit vector files of your artwork. Whether you need a logo, a cut file, or a batch of SVGs to plug into that font-making software, Adobe Illustrator will be your best friend.

Topics Covered

• How to import a graphic into Illustrator
• How to convert that graphic into a series of paths (the basis of the vector)
• How to use the selection, direct selection, and pen tools to edit those paths
• The “hot spots” I focus on for vectorizing calligraphy
• How to collect your graphic(s) for export.

This class is the perfect complement to our How to Design a Logo and Digitizing Your Calligraphy classes. Let’s get started!

Want to...

If you’ve been needing to design a logo but had no clue where to begin, this class takes you step-by-step to demonstrate how to brainstorm, sketch and refine your logo. Whether you’ve already established your business or are getting ready to embark on the entrepreneurship journey, this class will help you understand the thought process behind logo design and includes a questionnaire to help you identify your brand story. It can even be the door to begin offering logo design for clients!

Topics Covered

• Brainstorming your logo design
• Elements to consider when branding your company
• Where to find inspiration
• How to sketch logo compositions on paper
• How to sketch logo compositions on the iPad using Procreate
• How to create floral line drawings by tracing photos
• How to export your digital logo design into a jpg or png
• How to import a jpg or png into Adobe Illustrator
• How to convert the image into a vector
• How to export the vector in various file types

For an extended class on...

Homework Hashtag: #kcaspeedball

You've been introduced to the square Speedball A nib with Hill House Script, but now it's time to explore the Speedball B nib. Its tip has a round appearance as opposed to a square shape. In this class, you will learn how to make your own variations and make a unique A-Z pattern!

Topics Covered: 

• All about the speedball nibs
• Warm-up Exercises
• Variations to the letters
• Making an A-Z pattern

Want to join us for class? It's offered on-demand and available now for all Tier 2 students.  Some classes are also available to Tier 1 students. Click here to see the Tier 1 Class Listing.  

How to Access Your Members-Only Class:

• Go to www.kallicampacademy.com
• Log in to your account
• Click on Classroom
• Click on Tier 2 -- Class Archive
• Click on Different Calligraphy Scripts
  

Enroll

Materials Needed:

• B nib (half size is closer in size to the A-1 we've used before)
• straight pen holder
• ...

Homework Challenge: #kcajapanesestabbinding

Introduction:

Japanese Stab Binding is exactly what it sounds like. Books are bound together after the binder stabs holes along the left spine and sews thread through the holes to bind the book. It can be the standard 4-Hole Japanese Stab Binding called "Yotsume Toji" that I taught last year or it can be more intricate in design like the Hemp Leaf Binding or "Asa-No-Ha Toji". 

I will be showing you how to create a simple Inner Binding to hold the inside pages together as well as the Noble Binding or "Koki Toji" along with the Hemp Leaf Binding. 

Topics Covered:

• Create an Inner Binding
• Create templates
• Start with the Noble Binding stitch
• End with Hemp Leaf Binding stitch

Want to join us for class? It's offered on-demand and available now for all Tier 2 students.  Some classes are also available to Tier 1 students. Click here to see the Tier 1 Class Listing.  

How to Access Your Members-Only...