I ran into a friend who is practicing brush calligraphy, and although her individual letters were turning out beautifully, connecting them seemed to be a very different challenge. I’ve taught a few brush calligraphy classes and this is definitely a transition point for learners as we add the pieces together to create words – so today, I’m sharing two huge tips on how I learned to practice connecting my calligraphy letters.
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First, we know that a standard calligraphy structure includes a cap height at the top, the baseline at the bottom, and the mid-line in the middle (where the lower-case letters hit).
Second, we know we have entrance and exit strokes into and out of each letter. They are also one and the same when you are connecting the letters – so the exit stroke of the letter is then your entrance into the next letter.
What helps me to connect letters is to make the exit stroke hit the same spot on the mid-line every time before I start the next. Resist the temptation to do everything in one stroke like it’s cursive – continue building the letters stroke at a time. Lifting up your pen a ton really helps!
What helps you connect letters? What are the tricky combos? What’s the next step you need to work on? Let me know down below!!
Jessica
6 Comments
Thank you for sharing this post. I’m teaching my self calligraphy (Did pen and Brush) and with both mediums I struggle to connect W’s and V’s with any letter. Do you have any top tips? Thank you
[…] I ran into a friend who is practicing brush calligraphy, and although her individual letters were turning out beautifully, connecting them seemed to be a very different challenge. I’ve taught a few brush calligraphy classes and this is definitely a transition point for learners as we add the pieces together to create words – so today, I’m sharing two huge tips on how I learned to practice connecting my calligraphy letters. … More Brush Calligraphy 101: Connecting Letters […]
Thanks Jess! It was a great reminder to lift up my pen and take my time.
Thanks so much for the tips. I learned the more traditional style of Calligraphy using nibs & ink (quite a few years ago now), & am enjoying getting back into it & trying to adapt & relax that style.🌸
Thank you for the post!
[…] more? Check out my calligraphy introduction, connecting letters, or my […]
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