Brush Calligraphy 101: Connecting Letters

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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CONNECTING BRUSH CALLIGRAPHY LETTERS

Featuring:

• HP 32# Premium Choice Paper
• Artline Stix Brush Pens

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