From the course: Learning Calligraphy

Creating the basic building blocks: a, n, o

From the course: Learning Calligraphy

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Creating the basic building blocks: a, n, o

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- I have two blank sheets of paper under my ruled-up sheet to give a little extra cushion or bite for my nib. And I always keep a sheet of paper under my hand so no oils get on my writing surface. We're going to look at each letter one more time before you begin to write. Remember that the surface of your nib needs to be wet to get a good flow, so if for some reason it doesn't start right away, give it a little wiggle. Notice that you start the N with a tiny little arch. You end with a tiny little arch, and there's a larger arch in the middle. Next, the A. We start just under the baseline. That should be your first mark. And then the O. Notice that each one of these vertical strokes parallels the other. The A should not have a big round bottom. It has a very disciplined little arch here. This little arch matches the arches in the N. And notice how inside the O, there's an ellipse, and this O is also a narrow O. It should not be a big fat O. Forget the O that you think of as a round O. This is an O that is the same width as the N and the A. And so now, is the time to stop and practice these three important letters. I want you to practice them in sequence just like this, N, A, O, N, A, O, N, A, O. For this practice session, write in every other line space. Try to create a consistent repetition of shapes, arches, vertical strokes, entry and exit strokes. This is what makes beautiful calligraphy. Keep your letter chart right in front of you, and look at it each time you write a letter. This will help imprint the forms in your memory. Your goal is to match these letter forms exactly on your own practice sheet. I recommend that you look closely at your chart before you close your eyes at night, and as you open your eyes in the morning. Remember to move your paper as you're working, so that you're always working within a comfortable area right in front of your body, so that you can keep your pen-edge angle consistent. You don't want to be stretching out like this to write, it will distort your letters. You need to be right on top of them. Do at least three full practice sheets of N, A, O, N, A, O, N, A, O. The more you practice, the better you will get. It's just that simple. Don't repeat one letter over and over. You want to get into the rhythm of writing alternate letters right away. If you can make As, Ns, and Os that consistently match your chart, you're ready to move on to the related letters in the alphabet.

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