The right way to improve your calligraphy skills

The only way to improve your calligraphy is to practice, practice, and more practice. But how you practice is more important. Having a structured plan and practising the right way is what makes the difference. When you practice calligraphy, it’s like training your muscles to remember certain movements. It’s just like learning a dance form. It takes time, and can’t master it all in one go. You need to gradually build up your skills, step by step, by practising consistently.

Following these practice tips can build a routine that boosts your progress in a shorter time.

So, let’s get started!

Have a dedicated space.

Having a dedicated, comfortable space to focus on calligraphy can help you get into the right mindset and minimize distractions. I do this by keeping the space clean and organized and ensuring it’s well-lit. To avoid interruptions during the practice sessions, I ensure the pens, nibs, and other tools are clean and in good condition. The better your environment, the more you’ll enjoy practising. 

Have a structured plan.

Having a structured practice routine for calligraphy has been a game-changer for me. It’s my favourite approach and has greatly impacted my progress. I do this by setting aside a dedicated time of 40 to 60 minutes into my practice. Here’s my practice approach-

First, I spend 5 minutes on hand movements as a warm-up. Then, I do 10 minutes of drills and focus on letter forms for 25 minutes. I save 10 minutes to work on something specific that I need to improve for that day; it can be flourishing, more drills, or sometimes even taking a break. Breaks are important, too, because our hands are not machines! 

And so, it is important to break the practice into smaller sessions to ensure each area gets attention without feeling scattered.

I dedicate another 5 minutes to hand movements to wrap up my practice. I cannot stress how important it is to work on the hand movements. At first, I used to be a heavy hand, but I now have a lighter touch by doing this. 

I studied and critiqued my calligraphy to pinpoint the areas where I could improve and then came up with a practice strategy. You can do the same for yourself by assessing your calligraphy.

While practising, keep in mind that progress takes time. Do not rush or push yourself too hard. Instead, focus on consistency, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your skills will improve.

Practice using traceable templates

Starting with traceable templates is awesome—I’ve done it too! Some skilled calligraphers provide these fantastic traceable sheets. They’re super helpful for beginners to write the letter forms correctly. Once you get better, you can move on without using them. If you learn the wrong way, it gets hard to unlearn and re-learn, so these guides are super efficient for beginners to get it right from the start.

Before we wrap up, It’s okay if you don’t have the perfect letterforms from day one; they’re all part of the learning journey. Use them as lessons and keep pushing forward.

If you have any questions or thoughts about practice, feel free to share them in the comments. I’m happy to help clarify things or hear your tips!

Happy learning!