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...

“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...

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

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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...