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.  

Members only: Access the Class Here

Enroll Now

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 (or Kalli Camp Academy calligraphy guidelines)--Visit Lanquach.com/guidesheet to create custom guidelines
• Homework handout

Instructor: Regenia Paige

...

Have you ever wished you could center your practice pieces without all the fuss of creating a layout? In this class I’m going to show you how to use an optical illusion to give your calligraphed passages the appearance of being centered, when in fact, very little actual centering is taking place.

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

Any supplies you have on hand will be perfect. I am including links to the supplies I prefer for your convenience. Many of these are available at John Neal, and I link to my supply page there for reference. Others are available at local arts and crafts supply stores, and I'm including affiliate links to some products on Amazon.

Pen and nib--See my supply list at John Neal for specific pen and nib recommendations...

Copperplate calligraphy is a beautiful script, but for a beginner it can be quite challenging. In this class we will do a full micro-critique together, reviewing all of the foundational strokes of copperplate. Stroke-by-stroke and word by word we will review ways that you can use to improve your copperplate script.

Topics Covered

• A full micro-critique of copperplate foundational strokes
• Self-awareness tips

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 in Tier 2 Now

 Materials Needed

• Your choice of nib and nib holder
• Ink of your choice
• Pen to critique with (different color than your calligraphy ink) 
• Your preferred set of guidelines (or Kalli Camp Academy calligraphy guidelines)--Visit Lanquach.com/guidesheet to create custom guidelines
• Homework...

Copperplate calligraphy is a beautiful script, but for a beginner it can be quite challenging. In this class you will learn how to micro-critique two foundational strokes and begin improving your skills and calligrapher's eye. 

Topics Covered

• Micro-critiquing two copperplate foundational strokes
• Self-awareness tips

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 in Tier 2 Now

 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 (or Kalli Camp Academy calligraphy guidelines)--Visit Lanquach.com/guidesheet to create custom guidelines
• Homework handout

Homework Challenge

Want to see our students' homework? Search the hashtag...

Copperplate calligraphy is a beautiful script but for a beginner it can be quite challenging. In this class you will learn how to critique the key stroke that is the foundation to the entire alphabet. 

Topics Covered

• Micro-critiquing one copperplate basic stroke
• Self-awareness tips

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 in Tier 2 Now

 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 (or Kalli Camp Academy calligraphy guidelines)--Visit Lanquach.com/guidesheet to create custom guidelines
• Homework handout

Homework Challenge

Want to see our students' homework? Search the hashtag #kcaoforms on Instagram to see samples...

Copperplate calligraphy is a beautiful script but for a beginner it can be quite challenging. In this class you will learn how to micro-critique two basic strokes and begin improving your skills and calligrapher's eye. 

Topics Covered

• Micro-critiquing copperplate basic strokes
• Self-awareness tips

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 in Tier 2 Now

 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 (or Kalli Camp Academy calligraphy guidelines)--Visit Lanquach.com/guidesheet to create custom guidelines
• Homework handout

Homework Challenge

Want to see our students' homework? Search the hashtag #kcacritique on...

There is nothing like taking your copperplate majuscules to the next level. In this class you will learn how to take a few of the foundational copperplate majuscule strokes, twist them just a little, and begin creating your own modern script.

Topics Covered

• Copperplate majuscule review
• Modern variations 
• Instruction on self-critique

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 in Tier 2 Now

 Materials Needed

• Pointed Pen Nib holder
• Nib
• Pen or pencil
• Ink
• Paper
• The guidelines in our KCA handout for students

Homework Challenge

Want to see our students' homework? Search the hashtag #kcaabcrelays on Instagram to see samples from this week's homework. Our students who participate in this challenge get entered into a drawing to win prizes.

...

Copperplate is all about uniformity and symmetry but by making a few simple changes to it, you can create a beautiful and whimsical modern script.

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 in Tier 2 Now

Materials Needed:

• pointed nib
• oblique or straight nib holder
• ink of your choice
• pen or pencil
• printed guidelines
• a leather blotter or a few sheets of paper for cushion

Homework Challenge

Want to see our students' homework? Search the hashtag #kcamoderntwist on Instagram to see samples from this week's homework. Our students who participate in this challenge get entered into a drawing to win prizes.

Instructor: Regenia Paige

Instagram: @regeniapaigecalligraphy

Website: www.nibcritique.com