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...

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.  

Members Only: Access the Class Here

Enroll Now

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 design you have already scanned or have created in Procreate
• Adobe Photoshop

Other Classes that will Help to Build Your Invitation Suite

• ...

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...

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.  

Members Only: Access the Class

Enroll Now

Materials Needed:

• B nib (half size is closer in size to the A-1 we've used before)
• straight pen holder
• ink of your choice
• printed warm-up sheets
• printed grid sheets

Homework Challenge:

Want to see our student's homework? Search the hashtag #kcaspeedball on...

Have you ever been tempted to try modern calligraphy? Not sure where to begin? Well, this class is for you! Modern calligraphy boasts a very wide range of styles and is perfect for creating your trademark look! That being said, modern calligraphy can easily get out of hand without a set of rules to work within. In this class, you will learn a basic majuscule alphabet that is very similar to copperplate with a few exceptions. We will also discuss small changes that can be made to each letterform that can drastically change the look of your script while still staying within a set of basic rules. This will help your script to appear whimsical and beautiful while maintaining the integrity of the letterforms! At the end of the class, you'll create your own alphabet using the techniques we discuss in the lesson. So let's get started!

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...

Have you ever been tempted to try modern calligraphy? Not sure where to begin? Well, this class is for you! Modern calligraphy boasts a very wide range of styles and is perfect for creating your trademark look! That being said, modern calligraphy can easily get out of hand without a set of rules to work within. In this class, you will learn a basic alphabet that is very similar to copperplate with a few exceptions. We will also discuss small changes that can be made to each letterform that can drastically change the look of your script while still staying within a set of basic rules. This will help your script to appear whimsical and beautiful while maintaining the integrity of the letterforms! At the end of the class, you'll create your own alphabet using the techniques we discuss in the lesson. So let's get started!

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....

Inspired by both organic and geometric forms, Art Nouveau first appeared in Brussels in the late 1800's and quickly spread through Belgium and France and all throughout Europe. During this time, the Art Nouveau Style can be seen most prominently in furniture, textiles, architecture, interior design, glass art,  ceramics, jewelry and graphic design. Art Nouveau lettering styles took on the overall look and design of the trend of very high or very low waistlines, diagonal and triangular shapes, curved organic shapes, and long lines. In this class, we will explore the Hill House Typeface using the Speedball A-1 nib. This typeface is said to be based on the "distinctive handwriting" of Glasgow architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  Come join me in getting to know the Speedball "square bent nib" through a series of warm-up exercises and let's have some fun learning this stylish asymmetrical typeface!

Topics Covered: 

• Bent nibs
• Charles Rennie Mackintosh
• Hill...

Homework hashtag: #kcaengraving

This class will show you the basics of getting started with engraving your calligraphy on various surfaces and objects for gifts or clients. If you’ve been wanting a way to add luxury calligraphy to your portfolio, elevate your calligraphy or add a new skill set to your hobby, this is the class for you.

Students will learn:

•what tools to use for engraving

•safety while engraving

•items to engrave on and what to use for drafting your calligraphy

•correcting your mistakes

•how to refine your calligraphy on 3D objects such as tile, glassware and metal

•ideas for additional surfaces that can be engraved

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.  

Members Only: Access the Class

Enroll Now

Materials Needed: 

•An engraver, brushless...

Let's kick off the new year getting organized! How many of you have more than a dozen nibs? How many of you like to share the nibs that you have? Perhaps you can use a nib organizer or a pretty way to gift nibs to your favorite calligraphy friend. I have designed this nifty nib organizer and will take you step by step in showing you how to make one (or more) for yourself or for gifting!

Topics Covered: 

•  How to create a nib organizer
• How to use the organizer 

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.  

Members Only: Access the Class

Enroll Now

Materials Needed:

• Printed Supplies List
• Printed cutting and scoring templates
• Cardstock and Designer / Scrapbooking paper / Marbled paper
• Corrugated cardboard 
• Utility knife
• Scoring tool
• Adhesive 
• Printed sheets of the Kalli Camp...

Advance your script repertoire with this whimsical unicase script. Weaver Writing contains only 26 letterforms! Rather than having minuscule and majuscule letters, it has one style of letter with a variable mix of classic "upper" and "lower" case.

This class builds on concepts taught in the Intro to Pointed Pen Uncial class, so we recommend taking that class first. It is found in our Class Archive, and Tier 2 members can access the class here.

Topics Covered:

How to Write in Weaver Writing Style

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.  

Members Only: Access the Class

Enroll Now

Supplies:

• Weaver Writing Guide Sheet from the handout printed on paper such as Gilbert Bond Practice Paper
• Pointed Pen Nib Holder of your choice
• Pointed Pen Nib (Nikko G or your favorite)
• Ink, Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black...