Want to know what calligraphy style is? Or maybe you want to understand the different calligraphy styles? This post will break down both.
What is calligraphy style?
Calligraphy style may refer to different branches of style under the modern calligraphy umbrella. Calligraphy styles include bounce calligraphy, flourished calligraphy, faux calligraphy and more.
Calligraphy style may also refer to the look of your own calligraphy. Your own calligraphy style is made up of a bunch of elements.
What are some different calligraphy styles?
I briefly referenced calligraphy styles, so I will give a synopsis of each of them.
Bounce calligraphy
Bounce calligraphy is a fun and more fluid style of calligraphy. It is known for it's bouncy look, hence it's name, but there's much more to this calligraphy style.
Flourished calligraphy
Flourished calligraphy is a style that uses decorative swirls aka flourishes frequently. Just like learning the calligraphy basics, you need to practice flourishes regularly to build them into your muscle memory.
Faux calligraphy
Faux calligraphy is imitation calligraphy. It is often used when creating calligraphy on different mediums such as chalkboards which brush pens and pointed pens will not work on. You essentially create the outline of what calligraphy letters look like and fill them in to create the look of calligraphy created with brush pens and pointed pens.
Block lettering
Block lettering isn't a calligraphy style per se, but it is often used alongside calligraphy. This style refers to only capital letters being used, and it is often a rigid style. I've created my own variation of this though, which I call the "Relaxed block lettering" style.
You can get calligraphy workbooks for practice over on my website.
What elements make up calligraphy style?
There are several elements that create your own custom calligraphy style. These include:
Flourishes
Bounciness
Colour preferences
Props and backgrounds in photos
Angle of your letters
Combination of lettering styles used
Pen used (brush pen, pointed pen, glass pen, etc)
Medium used against (paper, digital, chalkboard, etc)
Number of words written (long pieces, single words, etc)
How each individual letter is designed
How to find your own calligraphy style
First things first, refer to the list above and start thinking about how your calligraphy relates to each of the elements.
Another way to find your own calligraphy style is to create your own custom calligraphy alphabet and hone in on letter design. You can learn how to do this in the Calligraphy Confidence Course.
Bounce calligraphy guide
Get your free bounce calligraphy guide by popping your name and email down below.