*muffled 99 luftballons in distance*

Calligraphy is a fun, historical art form. If you’ve wanted to get your art muscles buff but can’t get over the hump, or you can’t afford materials for painting, calligraphy is a great outlet for all those pent-up creative pressures.
At the most basic level, you’ll need printer paper, a drawing surface, an eraser, a straightedge, and two pencils. (And some tape or a rubber band.) Most calligraphy hands make use of a wide, flat nib held at an angle. If you don’t have a wedge-shaped Sharpie (use in a well ventilated area, away from pet birds!) or a flat paint brush on hand, you can approximate the effect by sharpening two pencils and taping them together or using a rubber band to hold them together.
If you wanted, you could also try using Photoshop or Manga Studio with an angled brush to try your hand out at calligraphy. But the experience isn’t the same. I’m not a Traditional Art Purist by any means, but I’ve tried out both ways, and only paper, ink and brush is the way for me.

Try it out! It’s fun! It looks good! It’s wholesome! Your ancestors will smile on you! They probably didn’t even get to learn how to read, much less write!

Take these with you:

http://www.calligraphy-skills.com/  – This is where I got my start. The author uses everyday language, has a fun teaching style, and great exemplars.

http://calligraphypen.wordpress.com/ My second go-to reference. Borders, layouts, pen troubleshooting, ink reviews– all here.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=04497f1f60fa483e5874af9edc67a2f3&f=340   A dragon’s hoard of calligraphy knowledge and tutorials. Post here to gain experience. Roll for initiative.

https://picasaweb.google.com/tipstricks1  The Arkenstone in the dragon’s hoard. A digital library of out-of-print, hard to find calligraphy exemplars and texts. Especially worthwhile are The Calligrapher’s Bible and The Art of Calligraphy . Keep it secret. Keep it safe.

That’s all! Go! Have fun storming the castle!

ink-pens

In an age of myriad computer fonts and instant communication, your handwriting style is increasingly a very personal creation. In this book, Margaret Shepherd, America’s premier calligrapher, shows you that calligraphy is not simply a craft you can learn, but an elegant art form that you can make your own.

Calligraphy remains perennially popular, often adorning wedding invitations, diplomas, and commercial signs. Whether it is Roman, Gothic, Celtic, Bookhand, or Italic style, calligraphy conveys class and elegance. Margaret Shepherd makes this ancient art form accessible in a completely hand-lettered technical guide



More details: The Complete Book of Lettering and Design by Margaret Shepherd

mothmaam

This is gonna be a long list.

• ab intra - from within
• ab origine - from the source
  
• absit iniuria - “let insult be absent”
  
• absit invidia - “let envy be absent”
  
• absit omen - “let omens be absent”
  
• ab uno disce omnes - from one, learn all.
  
• abyssus abyssum invocat - deep calleth unto deep
  
• a capite ad calcem - from head to heel
  
• acta non verba - actions not words
  
• ad altiora tendo - “I strive to higher things”
  
• ad astra - to the stars
  
• ad fontes - to the sources
  
• ad meliora - towards better things
  
• ad oculos - to the eyes
  
• ad undas - to the waves
  
• ad victoriam - to victory
  
• adsum - I am here
  
• a fortiori - from the stronger/from strength
  
• a mari usque ad mare - from sea to sea
  
• audeamus - let us dare
• audentes fortuna iuvat - fortune favors the bold
  
• audi, vide, tace - hear, see, be silent
  
• beatae memoriae - of blessed memory
  
• bona fide - in good faith
  
• bono malum superate - overcome evil with good
  
• capax infiniti - holding the infinite
  
• carpe diem - seize the day
  
• carpe noctem - seize the night
  
• cave - beware
  
• ceteris paribus - all other things being equal
  
• circa - around
• citius, altius, fortius - faster, higher, stronger
  
• clavis aurea - golden key
  
• cogito ergo sum - I think, therefor I am
  
• compos mentis - in control of the mind
  
• concilio et labore - by wisdom and effort
  
• concordia cum veritate - in harmony with truth
  
• concordia salus - well-being through harmony
  
• coniunctis viribus - with connected strength
  
• consummatum est - it is complete
  
• corruptus in extremis - corrupt to the extreme
  
• crescit eundo - it grows as it goes
  
• de novo - from the new
• de profundis - from the depths
  
• dies irae - day of wrath
  
• dona nobis pacem - give us peace
  
• ego te provoco - I challenge you
  
• esse est percipi - to be is to be perceived  
  
• esse quam videri - to be, rather than to seem
  
• esto quod es - be what you are
  
• ex animo - from the soul
  
• ex luna scientia - from the moon, knowledge
  
• ex scientia tridens - from knowledge, sea power
  
• ex silentio - from silence
  
• ex undis - from the waves of the sea
  
• experientia docet - experience teaches
  
• fac et spera - do and hope
  
• fac fortia et patere - do brave deed and endure
  
• faciam quodlibet quod necesse est - I’ll do whatever it takes
  
• faciam ut mei memineris - I’ll make you remember me
  
• facta, non verba - deeds, not words
  
• fortis et liber - strong and free
  
• fortis in arduis - strong in difficulties
  
• gloriosus et liber - glorious and free
• hic abundant leones - here lions abound
  
• hic et nunc - here and now
• hic sunt dracones - here there are dragons
  
• hinc illae lacrimae - hence those tears
  
• hinc itur ad astra - from here the way leads to the stars
  
• igni ferroque - with fire and iron
  
• in memoriam - into the memory
  
• in nocte consilium - advice comes over night
  
• libra - balance
• littera scripta manet - the written words endure
  
• locus standi - a right to stand
  
• luceo non uro - I shine, not burn
  
• luctor et emergo - I struggle and emerge
  
• mare liberum - free sea
  
• memento vivere - remember to live
  
• more ferarum - like beasts
  
• natura non contristatur - nature is not saddened
  
• nec spe, nec metu - without hope, without fear
  
• noli me tangere - do not touch me
  
• ophidia in herba - a snake in the grass
  
• pro se - for oneself
  
• propria manu - by one’s own hand
  
• quaere - to seek
  
• quod abundat non obstat - what is abundant does not hinder
  
• resurgam - I shall arise
  
• semper ad meliora - always towards better things
  
• semper anticus - always forward
  
• semper apertus - always open
  
• semper fortis - always brave
  
• semper liber - always free
  
• stet - let it stand
• tuebor - I will protect
  
• vera causa - true cause