summer assignment calligraphy

Free Summer Calligraphy Practice and Fun Printable

This free summer calligraphy practice and printable set are just the quick craft to fit in between swims and ice cream. Included is a fully colored and lettered summer printable and a calligraphy practice sheet. Get yours now!

RELATED READING: Learn Brush Calligraphy – Best Tips and Free Practice Sheets

What You'll Find On This Page

Get This File to Use in Crafts (Commercial Use Approved)

Update: this design is now available for use in graphics design, cutting machines, and any other way you can think of! I’ve just added this Summer Vibes PNG to my shop (along with a few extras) and it’s at it’s lowest price right now.

There are affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our  full disclosure policy .

Free Hand-Lettering Practice Workbooks

We’re no stranger to hand lettering practice sheets here on Ruffles and Rain Boots. Each month, we share a full 11-page lettering workbook absolutely free to all of our subscribers.

If you’d like to get all of the free workbooks, sign up here and you’ll get a weekly email and the password to access all the workbooks!

Each monthly workbook contains:

• three lettering styles,
• practice sheets for each letter,
• links to get the fonts or type styles so you can make your own practice sheets, and
• a list of daily prompts for you to practice the styles.

So if you haven’t already, sign up for the newsletter and get access to all of 2018’s workbooks!

Tropical Summer Printable

You can print a fully colored and lettered tropical summer printable as a way to bring a little of the bright season into your home. This fun summer printable would also look great as a card (shown above).

If you’re attending a neighborhood party or a swim soirée, this would be a quick way to say thank you for the invite. Or if you’re bringing wine or sangria to a summer event, this would add color and a festive vibe to a bottle. #justsayin

Watercolor Brush Pens – These Are A STEAL!

Now, for those of you who want to letter and color your own summer printable, I recommend using watercolor brush pens on this. You can really blend, feather, and detail with them. Here’s my orange and peach set I’ve just started working on using the watercolor pens I bought for my daughter.

Color me impressed, friends. I’ve been using these watercolor brush pens more than she has…

Psst: can you tell I was distracted by the cutest little 6-year-old while working on “Vibes?” Yeah, that stuff happens. :)

Link to Files 

If you are already getting the Ruffles and Rain Boots newsletter, you have the password you need at the bottom of every email I send. Just go to the Lettering Library, type it in, and scroll to the “ Ways to Letter ” section. 

If you don’t have access yet, sign up! You’ll receive an email with the link and password to the hand lettering free practice sheet library.

RELATED READING: Swash and Flourish Christmas Lettering Practice Sheets

Please Save or Share This Hand Lettering Resource

Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Please save this to your favorite lettering pin board or onto social media.

Meet the Creator

Hi there, I’m Sarah Nenni-Daher. I’m a crafty gal and always have at least 14 projects going at once. I am a crafter, designer, DIYer, and pattern maker. I share my creations here and in the Ruffles and Rain Boots® Shop . Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots®, you’ll find DIY gnomes, crafts, gifts, cupcakes, laser crafts, and so much more. I love sharing video tutorials over on YouTube and chatting with other crafters in my Facebook groups. We’d love to have you!

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You can learn calligraphy

Join 8,537 beginning and intermediate calligraphers learning online since 2009

Free Bonus : A cheat sheet on the best supplies for beginning calligraphers

This is what you'll learn

Tools & Supplies

Poor tools will hold you back.

Learn the ink, nib and paper combinations that play well together.

Fundamentals

Build your technique with centuries-old fundamentals

Personal Alphabet

Make every stroke your own with unique flourishes and alphabets

Learn forever

Keep learning with unlimited feedback

Join over 8,537 students who have learned calligraphy with us since 2009

You will learn to letter beautiful envelopes, invitations, save-the-dates, love letters and scrapbook layouts. Our students have used calligraphy to supplement their design, photography and event planning businesses.

There is no easy way to learn calligraphy. It requires consistent practice like every other valuable skill. However, calligraphy is not nearly as difficult as it first appears. We've taught over 8,537 students how to letter since 2009, and our online teaching methodology has proven to be an efficient way for students to start lettering immediately.

Our beginner course starts with an overview of the supplies that you will need to get started. Then you'll use our custom practice guides to trace the letterforms with a pencil. From the pencil, you progress to pointed pen work, tracing letterforms and eventually forming words and positioning those words on the page.

Our platform's secret sauce is our unique feedback system. As you complete your assignments, you will upload snapshots of your work to your personal feedback gallery. You can use the gallery to ask your instructor any questions that you have. Your instructor will review your work, answer your questions and give you suggestions for improvement. This form of one-on-one coaching will accelerate your learning far faster than reading and practice guides alone.

• Free Printables / Homeschool / Language Arts / Subjects / Summer

Fun Summer Writing Activities for Kids (free printable)

by Elizabeth Dukart ·

Summer is a time for fun and relaxation, but it also offers the perfect opportunity to encourage kids to do some summer writing and develop a love of writing! While many families do homeschool year-round (like us!), assignments are often more casual in the summer allowing kids to really explore their creativity and express their thoughts freely through writing activities.

Encouraging kids to write doesn’t have to be a chore. It doesn’t have to be something approached as an “official” lesson. It can totally be crafted into a fun & exciting activity that the kids actually look forward to!

There are a number of ways to integrate writing into those hot summer days, allowing the kids to hone their writing skills while enjoying themselves. How can you do this? Well, that’s what you’re here for, isn’t it?

Let’s get to it!

Table of Contents

Importance of Summer Writing for Children

It’s no surprise that writing is an important skill. But, didja know that writing offers so many more benefits than “just” increasing fine motor skills? Yep! Encouraging the kids to write during the summer months not only keeps them engaged, but also offers a ton of benefits for their cognitive development, creativity, and imagination.

We’re all for that, right?!

Cognitive Development

When kids are actively engaging in summer writing activities, they’re not only improving their language skills, but they’re also honing their cognitive abilities. Through writing, kids learn to organize their thoughts, express themselves clearly, and even strengthen their problem-solving skills.

As much as the kids may (initially) dread writing, it’s worth the effort to get them to follow through with their writing exercises. After all, the cognitive benefits extend far beyond the act of writing.

“Who knows, kids? The problem-solving skills you’re learning now could help you to get to the next level in your video game!”

A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do, you know? If mentioning video games is going to get the kids to write, by gosh, I’m gonna say it!

Creativity & Imagination

Summer writing activities can provide a fabulous opportunity for the kids to really let their creativity & imaginations loose! Putting pen (or pencil…or marker…or crayon…we’re not strict around here) to paper allows kids to create worlds, characters, and stories of their own, letting their creativity soar.

Whether they’re crafting a short story, writing a poem, writing to a pen pal or family member, or keeping a summer journal of their adventures, writing encourages kids to think outside the box while exploring the possibilities only they can imagine.

The key to all this? As parents, we need to offer regular opportunities for our kids to work on their summer writing exercises. Even better, let’s offer those opportunities in exciting & approachable ways.

We’ll chat more about that now, m’kay?

Ways to Encourage Writing this Summer

The sun will be shining, the temps will be soaring, so let’s do what we can to create some cool writing activities for the kids!

See what I did there? Ha. I crack myself up.

Anyways, here are some awesome ways to get the kids writing this summer:

Engaging Writing Prompts

If your family likes to celebrate every day like we do, your kids might enjoy completing writing prompts about the National Days! I have printable prompts for every.single.day of the year, but the kids will likely enjoy:

• National Days to Celebrate in June (writing prompts)
• National Days to Celebrate in July (writing prompts)
• National Days to Celebrate in August (writing prompts)

In addition, I totally get that many kids, for one reason or another, may not feel comfortable writing. In that case, you may consider incorporating summer writing prompts in the form of conversation cards . Meant to encourage creative thinking & memory making, our conversation cards are a great option for an alternative form of creative writing. Like the writing prompts listed above, I also have them as conversation cards:

• National Days to Celebrate in June (conversation cards)
• National Days to Celebrate in July (conversation cards)
• National Days to Celebrate in August (conversation cards)

The best part? You can download ALL of them (and then some) for free in our Printable Playground !

To get the ball rolling, you could also have the kids complete some fun, summer-themed writing prompts. These 5 summer writing prompts have been created with early learners in mind:

• Descripting Writing: Draw a picture of your favorite summer activity and then describe it. What do you see, hear, and feel when you are doing this activity?
• Persuasive Writing: Write a sentence or two to convince your parents to take you to the ice cream shop this summer. Why should they say yes?
• Narrative Writing: Write a short story about a day at the park with your best friend. What fun things do you do together?
• Informational Writing: Draw and label a picture of the things you need to bring to the beach. Write a sentence about why each item is important.
• Reflective Writing: Think about the best thing you did last summer. Draw a picture and write a sentence about why it was so much fun.

These 5 summer writing prompts have been created with upper-elementary age kids in mind:

• Descriptive Writing: Imagine you are at the perfect summer beach. Describe what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Include as many details as you can to paint a vivid picture for your reader.
• Persuasive Writing: Write a letter to your parent persuading them to extend summer vacation by two weeks. Explain your reasons and how it would benefit the entire family.
• Narrative Writing: Write a story about an adventurous summer day where you discover a hidden treasure in your backyard. What do you find, and what happens next?
• Informational Writing: Research and write an article about the importance of staying hydrated during summer. Include tips on how to stay cool and safe in the hot weather.
• Reflective Writing: Think about your favorite summer memory. Reflect on why it is so special to you, what you learned from the experience, and how it has influenced your feelings about summer.

Creating a Writing Space

The kids gotta be set up for success, you know? While you could totally set up a space for the kids, I’m totally going to recommend letting them help out! Allowing them to help design their summer writing space will help to give the kids a sense of ownership over their education and can help to get them excited to write.

There are a number of ways you all could go about creating a productive writing space. Here are a few ideas:

• set up a creative writing space in a quiet area with good lighting and minimal distractions
• provide colorful stationary, notebooks, and pens to make writing more engaging (stay tuned for the freebie!)
• depending on the size of the space, encourage your kids to personalize their writing space with posters, stickers, or their favorite inspirational quotes or affirmations .

Because we’re focusing on summer writing activities in this article, I must also mention…have the kids write outside! If it’s too warm, you could always set up a fan, but how inspiring would it be to write while listening to the birds singing?!

Heck, I may even set up a writing space for myself now! Ohh! Maybe I can get one of those macramé chairs swing from the ceiling?

Incorporating Technology

Here’s where the former special education teacher makes an appearance in this article. All of our kids are different, so some may not do well with physically writing. No worries!

Instead of having the kids physically write down their answers to summer writing prompts or such, consider incorporating a text-to-speech app into your activity! Did you know that Google has a “ type with your voice ” option within their docs? It’s so cool!

You could also incorporate technology into your summer writing activities by:

• using writing apps or online platforms that offer interactive prompts and storytelling tools
• encourage the kids to create digital stories with illustrations and multimedia elements (my kids LOVE making slideshows for the family to watch. They hook their laptops up to the family room tv and present it. It’s a big to-do and they are so proud of themselves!)
• allowing kids to type their writing assignments than use a writing utensil
• explore educational websites that provide writing challenges & opportunities to share work with a wider audience ( *cough*cough* like That Homeschool Family Hangout *cough*cough* )

Make Writing Fun with this Freebie!

Remember that freebie I mentioned a bit ago? Well, it’s time to get to it!

When I was younger, I remember my Nana would sometimes give me “fancy” stationary that I could use to write to my penpal (Abby from Anaheim, California…I remember you!). The paper would come from her visit to the dollar store or would even come from some secret stockpile of stationary from the 60s & 70s. Some I used, some I kept, but I loved all of it!

These days, “fancy” paper can be expensive. Everything is expensive and I really don’t want you guys having to put out the big bucks to buy fancy paper for your kids so…I made you some summer-themed printable writing paper !

Given as a bundle of two papers (one with standard lines, one with early-learning lines), there are 20 different summer-themed designs. All bright, happy colors that remind us of the sunny days of summer!

To get the bundle of printable summer writing stationary, just fill out the form below and the PDFs will be sent right to your inbox.

Parental Involvement & Support

I could provide suggestions and freebies for an entire year’s worth of homeschooling, but it’s not going to make any difference unless you’re right there offering your child positive reinforcement, motivation, and support. Need some tips on getting involved with your child’s summer writing activities? I gotchu!

Create a Positive Atmosphere

When you help your child to create a designated writing space, like I mentioned above, you’re creating a positive atmosphere! If your child is struggling with an idea or having trouble with punctuation, spelling, etc., it’s better to be supportive than reactive.

Providing positive reinforcement will likely work wonders for your child’s motivation, self-esteem, and for your parent-child relationship.

Acknowledge Progress

Rome wasn’t built in a day, was it?! Nope! Writing is an ever-evolving skills (speaking as an elder-millennial blogger, I have a bit of experience with this) and acknowledging the progress your child makes will only boost their confidence and encourage them to write even more!

Set Realistic Expectations & Goals

As you’re setting up your summer writing activities & goals, let’s keep this in mind: it’s summer. Even if you do homeschool year-round, I always feel like summer is a little more laid back than the rest of the school year.

After all, I’m betting there are way more opportunities for having fun with friends in the summer than in the winter (hello, water parks!).

Anyways, it’s important to set realistic expectations & goals this summer…and all year long.

Start small by giving the kids access to short, writing exercises. Giving them goals that are easy to achieve will leave them feeling accomplished and ready to tackle even bigger goals!

Then, encourage them to think outside the box! Just because you’ve provided them with writing paper doesn’t mean they can’t use a piece of drawing paper to write or even draw out their response.

Finally, after they’ve completed their activity, give them some awesome feedback! Offer constructive criticism, focusing on their strengths and areas for improvement.

The Summer of Writing!

Encouraging kids to write in the summer can be a game changer for both their creativity and literacy skills!

(Speaking of literacy skills…you just gotta check out the many summer reading programs available for kids !)

With some preparation & access to creative activities, writing doesn’t have to be a chore. Before long, I bet the kids will even look forward to their writing activities! *gasp!*

Keep it light. Keep it fun. Keep it positive & engaging! And, if you feel inclined, and have permission from the kids, feel free to share your experience incorporating summer writing into your days in That Homeschool Family Hangout !

Until next time, stay safe and enjoy quality time with your family,

Elizabeth Dukart is a proud Georgia-based born and raised Jersey Girl, wife, and mom of 2 human boys & 1 canine boy.

Created in 2021, Elizabeth owns and publishes  That Homeschool Family : a free resource for homeschooling parents and beyond! A seasoned blogger, Elizabeth previously published a popular location-specific family resource blog, but decided to “Pivot!” her blogging focus after she started homeschooling her two boys in 2020. In addition to this blog, you can follow Elizabeth’s homeschooling and family adventures on Facebook , TikTok , Instagram , YouTube , and Pinterest . She can also be found in her Facebook Group: That Homeschool Family Hangout .

When she’s not busy taking over the world or homeschooling, Elizabeth can be found listening to music (especially The Beatles & Harry Styles!), being silly with her boys, watching movies with family, shopping, or traveling!

Have a question or want to work with Elizabeth? Send her an email!

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60+ Beautiful Calligraphy Examples (FREE Worksheets)

Beautiful calligraphy is all around us. Take a look around your life and you’ll be able to spot calligraphy everywhere, from the Coke can on your desk (the Coca-Cola logo) to a diploma on the wall and even the printed event invitations hanging on your fridge.

It’s inspired us to round up beautiful calligraphy examples worthy of admiration. Whether you’re brand new to the art of calligraphy or a seasoned calligrapher looking for some new inspiration , you’re in the right place.

Calligraphy has a rich history, but it’s still a modern craft – and it’s GAINING popularity .

Pin it for later! ↓

People learn calligraphy for many different reasons:

Fun and creativity!

Create handwritten event invitations

Make beautiful wedding or party place cards

Turn poems, words or quotes into framed artwork

Create and sell custom projects as a calligraphy business

Whatever reason you’re interested in calligraphy, we’re SO glad that you’re here today.

We’re Jordan (left) and Jillian (right), the calligraphy teachers (and twin sisters!) behind Loveleigh Loops. We’ve taught 40,000+ students in more than 150 countries and we couldn’t be more thrilled that you’re here with us today.

We’re so glad that you’re here! -J&J

The following calligraphy samples are from us and our incredibly talented students . These works were all submitted by our community and are shared with permission and attribution. Ready to get inspired?!

Table of Contents

Beautiful Traditional Calligraphy Examples

Calligraphy is an art form with deep roots: it’s as old as the written word itself and has been practiced in essentially every culture. So let’s start the inspiration with traditional samples showing how timeless these styles really are.

1. Copperplate And Chinese Hybrid

By Tsung-Yi Nina Chin, @ninas_art_studio

Tools : Hunt 101 for the Copperplate script and Chinese brush for the Chinese characters.

From the artist : “I think that Copperplate (with flourishing) matches the Chinese calligraphy style ‘thin-golden-style’ just right because they are elegant and graceful.”

What can we say about the elegance, balance and breathtaking beauty of this piece by Tsung-Yi Nina Chin?! We’re in awe of the level of detail put into this composition on every level. It’s a work of art.

2. Copperplate Script

By Anissa Lye, @serotoninscripts

Tools : Nikko G Nib with Tom’s Studio Carrot Pen.

The shapes that you see at the top of this page are the basic calligraphy strokes . These are the elements that every letter of the lowercase alphabet is written using! This makes learning calligraphy much easier – instead of learning 26 unique letters, you only have to learn a handful of shapes.

Anissa Lye generously shared this encouragement with other students: “This piece shows the amount of effort and time that goes into mastering a new script! An encouragement for all who are also learning – practice makes perfect!”

You can learn the basic calligraphy strokes with our free practice sheet:

3. Copperplate Alphabet Flourished

By Jordan from Loveleigh Loops

Tools : iPad, Procreate App and Spencerian Brush

This alphabet exemplar is proof that the fundamentals never have to be boring. These letters are written in the Copperplate style, but you may notice that they feel fancier than the normal alphabet.

Each letter is embellished with calligraphy flourishes . Flourishing is one of our specialties and we teach it to beginners in a free online course:

4. Modern-Traditional Hybrid Style

By Celine Chew, @thewrittenletters

Tools : Pointed pen with the Leonardt Principal Nib and Walnut ink.

A pointed pen is a traditional tool and these letters have roots in Copperplate calligraphy, but you may notice that they’re different from the past examples. Celine Chew created a hybrid style that combines traditional letterforms with modern flair (plus flourishes!).

We love how light and airy these letters feel and how the flourishes perfectly balance out the composition.

5. Wedding Calligraphy

By Angenise Rawls, @thegracefulpenstudio

Tools : Carrot pen holder

This beautiful wedding collection by Angenise Rawls is written in the Copperplate style with flourishes and uses a variety of inks. The calligraphy is matched in elegance and thoughtfulness by the composition – we love the textured backdrop that Angenise created. This is begging to be saved to a Pinterest board!

Calligraphy services for weddings are in demand! It’s just one of many ways that calligraphers can make money with their skills. If you want help writing wedding decorations or invitations, use our free stylized “Mr. and Mrs.” calligraphy worksheet:

6. Italic Wedding Invitation

By Dale Morrison

Tools : Pelikan fountain pen.

If you’re looking for a practical application for your calligraphy, there’s no better place to look than event invitations. We love how beautifully balanced and consistent this invitation by Dale Morrison is.

This is a great example of Italic calligraphy written with a broad-edged writing utensil (a fountain pen) versus a flexible tip (a pointed pen). We dive deeper into the differences in this guide .

7. Uncial Quote

By Carl Gwyn, @gwynfinearts

Tools : Speedball C2 flat nib.

Here we have another example of broad-edge calligraphy, this time with a circular form and accompanied by an illustration. If you feel like you’ve seen this style before, you may be right. Artist Carl Gwyn described this as a “Lord of the Rings-style” uncial alphabet.

Uncial scripts date all the way back to the 4th century AD , and their continued use speaks to the enduring prominence of calligraphy.

8. Fraktur Style Quote

By Keith Neds, Calligraphy for Christ

Tools : Brause pen nibs and Rapidograph pens.

This sample is a bible verse lettered in the Fraktur style, and is balancing many colors (black, red, gold, blue, and green) effortlessly without feeling over-busy.

Artist Keith Neds shared that the Lombardic capital is similar to capitals used in illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages. The border surrounding John 3:16 is Romans 5:7,8 lettered in light green on a dark green gouache background.

9. Blackletter Letter Close-Up

By Tamer Ghoneim, @blackletterfoundry

Tamer Ghoneim’s take on the humble “a” makes this little letter feel like a special occasion. Tamer is a Blackletter master – we’re students in his Blackletter Masterclass and had so much fun learning this style from him.

Blackletter isn’t a style that we practiced often, so we were real novices going through Tamer’s lessons. There’s nothing quite like trying a new style to make you appreciate once again how much depth, creativity and fun there is to the art of calligraphy.

10. Black And White Quote Illustration

Tools : Nikko G nib on a oblique wooden holder.

So much artistry is on display in this composition example. This is an entire original work by Carl Gwyn, with the illustration drawn in charcoal and the quote written in ink.

It can be challenging to create enough contrast in black-and-white compositions, but this was done masterfully in this piece. We love how charcoal was gently removed from the sky the make space for the calligraphy.

11. Loveleigh Loops Flourished

Tools : Copperplate style created digitally with the iPad, Procreate App and Loveleigh Brush

This sample was written digitally using the Procreate App but it’s producing the traditional Copperplate script. This example shows how big of a difference flourishes make!

Flourishes have such a unique presence and you’re never fully done learning how to flourish your calligraphy.

12. White Ink Copperplate Composition

By Shweta Tembre, @shwetascript

Tools : Oblique pen holder with LPEF Nib.

Unity and contrast are masterfully balanced in this piece. The bold white ink on the rich background unifies the letters and the delicate florals.

Shweta Tembre also subtly contrasted the quote and the attribution by changing from the Copperplate script to sans-serif capital letters. Shweta shared that this artwork was created to celebrate World Art Day.

13. Advanced Copperplate Flourishes

Tools : Oblique Holder with LPEF Nib.

Here we have another incredibly delicate and elegant Copperplate work from Shweta Tembre, this time taking our breath away with its floral flourishes. The ornamental letter F has an incredible amount of detail and balances out perfectly with the two lines of text.

The choice of ink color once again creates contrast and unity that transforms this from a normal quote into a work of art worthy of a frame.

14. Uncial and Beneventan Styles

By Adrienne Abbott, @adriennelovesletters

Tools : Automatic Pen.

Who says traditional calligraphy needs to follow a single tradition? Here we have a beautiful example of blending two styles into something unique. Adrienne Abbott describes her styles as a mashup of Uncial and Beneventan styles with some modern additions.

We love the contrast that using a dark background creates. The gentle ink splatters bring a really “finished” feeling to this composition (we think it looks like a starry sky!) without becoming overpowering.

Bonus points for the word choice – the word “shenanigans” just makes you smile, doesn’t it?!

15. Ornamental Flourishing

By Dawn LaLiberté

Tools : Pointed pen.

Here is another fabulous example of ornamental Copperplate flourishes. There’s a lot of contrast and emphasis at play in this composition. Simple use of color and a masterful control over thick and think strokes really guide the eye between elements.

When looking at work this intricate, it’s easy for beginners to think that they’d never be able to create something at this level. We’re here to share a friendly reminder that long before Dawn could create works of art like this, she was learning her basic strokes and writing the alphabet for the first time. All calligraphers started as beginners – use beautiful examples like this as inspiration to keep practicing!

16. Glass Pen Copperplate

By Ruta Kanade, @memyselfandruta

Tools : Glass pen.

So far, we’ve seen calligraphy created by a pointed pen, a broad edge pen and a fountain pen. Here’s a new utensil: a glass pen .

We were so excited to see this flourished sample by Ruta Kanade because it reminds us of how many exciting tools a calligrapher has to try while on their calligraphy journey.

We can’t stop staring at that flourished letter “G” (a tricky letter to write!). The white ink makes this composition extra mesmerizing.

17. Happy Birthday Flourished

By Tonya Browning, @grammysquare

Tools : Pointed Pen.

Notice the flourishing details on the descenders? The p, p and y of “happy” all beautifully intertwine. The word “birthday” also has some really thoughtful flourishes. We love the creativity with the “B” flourish turning into a balloon. A great example of how to combine traditional letter shapes with a modern idea and make something truly unique.

Also, what a beautiful pointed pen! That blue-white pen body is a work of art.

We have a traceable worksheet that will help you learn how to write “happy birthday” in calligraphy. Get it here:

18-22. More Traditional Works

We had a problem with this round-up… our students are SO talented that our inbox was overflowing with stunning examples. Now that we’ve explored the styles in the individual samples above, we’re going to share a gallery with more traditional samples from our students.

As you look through these works, see if you can identify the styles and any design choices that the artist made. These examples play beautifully with color, proportion and contrast (just to name a few!).

Use the left/right arrows to scroll through the gallery:

Beautiful Modern Calligraphy

When some people hear “calligraphy,” they might picture a nun slapping your knuckles with a ruler and making you write identical words repeatedly on a piece of paper. That could not be further from the truth.

Calligraphy is as dynamic, alive and FUN as any other art form. That’s never more apparent than when looking at modern calligraphy . And for the record, learning traditional calligraphy is also painless and full of smiles 🙂

Let’s look at some beautiful examples of modern calligraphy from our students.

23. Flourished Modern Style

By Mansimar Kaur, @Sim_StuffIMake

Tools : Moblique Oblique Pen holder.

This flourished modern calligraphy composition from Mansimar Kaur is still based on the Copperplate script, but it’s personalized to the artist’s style, using color and illustrative details to make it unique.

Calligraphy fact : Even if you only want to do modern calligraphy, you still need to start by learning the traditional letterforms. As we always say, learn the rules before you break them!

The non-standard letterforms in “p” and “s” work very well here. The design principle of proportion is also done well in this composition. We love the addition of stars that are bigger but not so big as to overpower or distract from the calligraphy.

24. Handwritten Gift Tag

By Sandra Karawgodage, @theinkloungecalligraphy

Tools : Oblique pen holder and Nikko G nib.

Like the last sample, this is another modern calligraphy style that’s built on the Copperplate foundation. The ink color used here is beautiful and we love how it matches the contents of the bottle. Writing custom gift tags is a great practical use for calligraphy.

While you never need to make your calligraphy “productive,” it’s always such a joy when you can use it in a gift and share it with others.

25. Thank You Modern Flourishes

By Jillian from Loveleigh Loops

Tools : iPad, Procreate App and Loveleigh Brush

You’ve seen a lot of small, delicate flourishes so far, and this is an example of how large flourishes can look with a simple word. The words remain readable despite the large flourishes surrounding the letters. When learning flourishing as a beginner, bigger is better and helps you learn the intricacies.

Like most of these modern samples, this used Copperplate as a base and has modern elements like the unique “Y” shape and the loop on the “o” on top of this foundation.

You can get a free traceable version of this “thank you” in our guide:

26. Brush Lettering Quote

By Maria Alejandra Diaz, @cleo.letters

Tools : Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen.

Maria Alejandra Diaz uses contrast and emphasis beautifully in this piece. Our eye is drawn to the pink text and it’s balanced really well using the green decorative element on the left.

We also love how the flourish on the word “more” seems to imply a little heart shape! This is a sample of brush lettering , which is perhaps the most popular type of modern calligraphy.

27. Faux Calligraphy

Tools : Tombow TwinTone

This is actually an example of FAUX calligraphy! These letters were drawn, not written. We know it can be a strange concept but we have an entire deep-dive guide that teaches faux calligraphy:

Faux calligraphy may sound like a lazy version of normal calligraphy, but that’s a misconception. This is a really beautiful calligraphy style that many calligraphers (beginners and advanced artists alike) use in their compositions.

28. Fountain Pen Quote

By Pam Province, @anartfulmompam

Tools : BlueDew flex fountain pen.

Immediately when looking at this piece, we notice the beautiful use of repetition. We love how using identical flourishes creates a sense of movement; it almost looks like the flourish is blowing in the wind.

This is a modern calligraphy sample written using a fountain pen. If you’d like to learn more about the different types of calligraphy pens, you can learn more in our guide:

29. Family Names

By Jordan and Jillian from Loveleigh Loops

Tools : Paper, Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen

Grandpa’s never looked sharper than he does with flourishes. This is a fun excerpt from our family names tutorial (button below). Practical words (like family names, thank you, happy birthday, etc.) come in handy for special occasions, gifts and holidays.

We made our tutorial to help give ideas and offer tips on how to write as a beginner. It comes with a free traceable worksheet that you can download to practice writing like this! Get it here:

30. Ombre Flourishes

By Jaclyn Drexel, @GroversWarrior

Tools : Pentel Sign Touch and sparkle pop pens.

This sample from Jaclyn Drexel displays a flourished ombre blend with a sparkle drop shadow. Fun level: 11/10. Sparkles take anything to the next level, and it’s done so subtly here without overpowering the design.

The same can be said about the ombre (the blended colors) on the names. We love how the blend feels so natural and seamlessly continues into the flourish. If you’d like to try this technique, we have a tutorial that teaches how to blend with brush pens:

31. Bounce Lettering Quote

Tools : Tombow Dual brush and Gel roll pen.

On this sample by Maria Alejandra Diaz, we love the modern letter shapes. They’re a little more free-form than some of the others. Can you spot what’s different? These letters are using a style called “bounce lettering.”

This is a really fun modern technique that we teach in this guide:

We love the creativity shown here. Through a simple dotted pattern, the letters themselves shine bright!

32-48. More Modern Samples

Enjoy 17 more beautiful modern calligraphy samples from our talented students (use the left/right arrows to scroll):

Beautiful Digital Calligraphy Examples

Not all calligraphy requires paper and ink! Digital calligraphy (usually done on and iPad with the Procreate App) is an incredibly popular and convenient way to letter. Here are some special compositions made using digital tools.

49. Mesmerizing Symmetrical Composition

Tools : iPad, Procreate App

At first glance, this looks like a work of art and not handwriting. What you see here is a flourished symmetry piece, and it’s a great example of something that’s only (reasonably) done digitally.

Of course you could write each word over and over again with pen and paper, but you couldn’t achieve identical letters like you can with the Procreate App. Symmetry is a mesmerizing Procreate feature! We teach it in our Procreate beginner’s guide:

50. Color-Changing Flourishes

Tools : iPad, Procreate App with Loveleigh Loops brush

We have another delicate and complex piece by Jaclyn Drexel. The flourishes in this composition show a masterful control of balance and proportion.

Do you see the two different colors of this word? It’s written using our free color-changing Procreate calligraphy brush. You can get instant access here:

51. iPad Spencerian Script

By Neeta Budhraja, @neetabudhraja

Tools : iPad, Procreate App and the Loveleigh Loops Spencerian Brush for calligraphy and Design cuts brushes to create the background.

Here’s a new style that we haven’t seen yet – the Spencerian script! This is a beautiful calligraphy style that has a deep history that still touches our lives today. It was a precursor to cursive writing, which many of us learned in school as children.

We teach Spencerian in our beginner’s tutorial:

52. Spencerian/Copperplate Style

By Geneviève Roussel

Tools : iPad and Procreate App

This is a calligraphy sample with both Copperplate and Spencerian styles. You may be thinking… isn’t it against the rules to combine scripts?!

Absolutely not! It’s helpful for every calligrapher to learn with one specific script (typically Copperplate), that’s a foundation for your own unique style development.

This is an incredibly fun and creative era of calligraphy that you enter once you’re more experienced. We teach it in our Style Study Bootcamp:

53. Flourished Illustration

By Nikki Davis, @StellaLunaCalligraphy

Tools : iPad, Procreate App and script brush

This Procreate illustration by Nikki Davis with a lettered quote is an entire finished piece of artwork! We love the natural contrast between the calligraphy and the capital sans serif words. The previous examples have had a lot of loud and proud flourishes, but these ones here are great examples of minimalist embellishments.

Do we sound flourish-obsessed?? It’s true! It’s one of our specialties and we even have an entire membership dedicated to it:

54. Colorful Modern Quote

By Melanie Garber, @melanie4816_art

Our eyes are feasting on the rainbow blend that Melanie Garber chose for inside her letters. The slight white drop shadow adds a level of elegance while keeping the focus on the letter forms. This a modern script that has a slight bounce to the letters.

Lean in and you’ll see the detail Melanie put into these letters – the way descenders and ascenders loop together is such a lovely touch.

55-61. More Digital Compositions

Let’s keep the inspiration going! Browse these additional digital calligraphy submissions from students (plus a few compositions from us).

Beautiful Calligraphy Fonts

Instead of handwriting calligraphy yourself, do you want to try typing with a font? We have you covered – we’ve made our own calligraphy fonts that you can get instant access to today.

Twindigo Calligraphy Font

Twindigo was created by Jillian and is a bouncy, fun brush lettering calligraphy font. This organic script even comes with connective elements that will help your letters look authentically handwritten.

Check it out for yourself in our shop:

Magentica Handwritten Caps Font

This calligraphy font was also written by Jillian by hand using a Sharpie marker. As a bonus, this font purchase also comes with traceable worksheets and other helpful freebies.

Learn more in our Etsy shop:

Create Your Own Calligraphy Fonts

The BEST resource (by far) for creating calligraphy fonts is the Learn Font Making Course by Every Tuesday.

Jillian took the course and used it to create the beautiful calligraphy fonts above. It’s an incredible way to create endless custom calligraphy fonts that are completely unique to your style.

Whether you want to get inspiration to practice your lettering or create your own calligraphy font, we hope that you got tons of ideas here today. We’re so thrilled that you stopped by Loveleigh Loops and we have SO much more to offer you!

You have instant acces to hundreds of YouTube tutorials , free worksheets and online courses . Make yourself at home here.

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Learn How To Write Beautifully With The 11+ Best Online Calligraphy Classes 2024

You might think that it will take years of practice to be able to write beautiful and elegant calligraphy, but that’s not the case!

In this guide, I have rounded up some of the best free online calligraphy courses in 2024 so you can create stunning calligraphy in no time at all.

Also, If you are just starting out, you’ll find many practice exercises, supply guides, writing templates, and detailed demonstrations to perfect the techniques needed. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Top 11+ Best Online Calligraphy Classes, Courses + Training 2024

1. introduction to modern script calligraphy (skillshare).

First on my list is an outstanding calligraphy course taught by Bryn Chernoff, who is a professional calligrapher at the Paperfinger studio . In total, 27,000 students have taken this course and it has a 4.7-star rating, so you’ll be in good hands!

In this class, Bryn Chernoff will introduce Modern script calligraphy that looks beautiful and is lots of fun to write! While this can be a challenging type of calligraphy to start with, you will be guided through what materials and techniques you’ll need in order to emulate those perfect lines without wavering.

Other topics covered in this class are how to set goals, how to use calligraphy tools, how to set up your workspace for success, how to use a nib and a chiseled nib, how to clean a nib, how to construct letterforms and shapes, how to write a script, and how to go about practicing script.

Overall, this is a great calligraphy course for beginners who don’t mind a bit of a challenge and want to learn from one of the best. Highly recommended.

• Very popular: 26,618 students
• Suitable for beginners
• 268 student projects have been posted to the course page – great inspiration
• A good amount of content: 18 lessons, 1h47m

Activate FREE Skillshare Trial

2. Calligraphy Essentials: From First Script to Final Flourish (Skillshare)

You’ll be in good (and steady) hands with instructor and calligraphy icon, Seb Lester , who is a highly accomplished calligrapher and graphic designer who has worked for high profile companies such as NASA, NIKE, the New York Times, and Apple.

In this course, Seb will teach you how to create flawless italic letterforms using a broad nib pen. His lessons involve step-by-step instructions and highly detailed, up-close demonstrations, which makes it incredibly easy to follow along with. You’ll also gain access to a printable workbook that will be an asset when practicing what you’ve learned.

Some of the topics covered in this course’s 15 lessons are materials, understanding proportions, holding the broad nib pen, warm-up exercises, lowercase letterforms, writing words, capital letterforms, flourishing techniques, writing your name, and more!

Overall, this is a great class that covers the foundations of calligraphy without being too complicated.

• Low time commitment: 15 lessons, 1h34m
• Popular: 6,693 students
• Highly skilled instructor
• Suitable for all levels

3. Modern Calligraphy – learn to become a Calligraphy artist (Udemy)

Are you under the impression that you need to have innate artistic abilities in order to write calligraphy? Hopefully, this course can help convince you otherwise! Instead of using old fashioned pen and ink, this course will teach you how to work with a brush pen – a great option for beginners.

Brush pens are quite a bit cheaper than calligraphy pens so this is one of the best online calligraphy courses to take if you are new to the hobby and aren’t ready to spend a bunch of money on supplies.

Topics covered include the a-z lowercase alphabet, how to join letters together, upstroke and downstroke, entrance and exit stroke, overturn and under turn stroke, ascending and descending loop, creating fabulous uppercase letters, uppercase alphabet, writing happy birthday, thank you, and congratulations.

In total, this class is 3 1/2 hours of on-demand video lessons, so for those looking for a thorough calligraphy course, this is a great place to start.

• Bestseller on Udemy!
• High rating! 4.5 stars
• Popular: 1,032 students
• Lots of content: 52 lectures, 3h21m
• Lifetime access to course content
• Comes with a course completion certificate

Visit Udemy.com

4. Italics Calligraphy Masterclass (Udemy)

In this course, you’ll be learning how to create beautiful handwritten italics letters using a parallel pen. Instructor and calligrapher Mary-Jane Roussel will start by teaching you some important calligraphy terms, how to position your paper correctly, and how to do pencil practice.

The course will then cover the following: lowercase letters, uppercase letters from A to Z, practice writing proper names, numbers and punctuation, pangrams, flourishes, thank you note project, certificate of achievement project, and guidelines for different nib sizes from 1.5 to 6.0 mm.

Also included with this course are practice sheets that will keep you stay on the right track when you are first learning and give you the confidence and skills you need to produce flawless letters!

• 4.5-star rating
• Low time commitment: 43 lectures, 1h43m
• Includes lots of great practice material

5. Modern Pointed-Pen Calligraphy (Bluprint)

For this class, you’ll need to gather some calligraphy supplies: a pen holder, nibs, ink, and paper. Once you have everything you need, instructor and artist, Laura Lavender , will give you an enlightening overview of modern calligraphy and hand lettering.

This course is geared towards beginners who want to learn the basics such as tools and setup, essential exercises, minuscules, variations, majuscules, and numbers.

After completing the course you’ll be able to use what you’ve learned to write letters, words, and symbols. Keep practicing the essential exercises outlined in the course and you’ll be amazed by the beautiful things your pen can do!

• You can access this course for free with a Bluprint free trial
• Good amount of content: 4 episodes, 2h26m
• Beginner friendly!

Visit Shop.mybluprint.com

6. Getting Comfortable with the Pilot Parallel Calligraphy Pen (Skillshare)

Next on my list is a course that focuses only on the pilot parallel calligraphy pen. Instructor, calligrapher, and graphic designer, Alice Young , will teach you a series of exercises that will help you master the pilot parallel pen with ease.

This great course will take less than an hour to work though so it is one of the best online calligraphy courses for someone who is short on time. And this course also includes a great project that will let you put your new-found skills to the test in a creative way.

The class project for this course is to design a calligraphy stroke tattoo. Alice will provide you with the guidance you’ll need to undertake the project and who knows, you might love the result so much you’ll actually consider getting it as a tattoo!

• First course in a 3-part course series
• 48 class projects on the course page – view them for inspiration!
• Low time commitment: 13 lessons, 43m

7. Using Calligraphy for Addressing Envelopes (Creative Live)

You might be wondering what you’ll actually be able to do with your hard-earned calligraphy skills. The answer is lots of things! But this course will focus on one of those things in particular: addressing envelopes.

In just four lessons you’ll learn how to beautifully address a white envelope and a colored envelope using black ink or colored ink. You’ll also get an overview of the required materials and tips on creating artwork and signage that makes your calligraphy stand out.

This course also comes with some great bonus material: an introductory calligraphy guide and a calligraphy supply list. Soon you’ll be looking everywhere for an excuse to address envelopes!

• Popular: 3K students
• Low time commitment: 4 lectures (shortest 7m, longest 20m)
• Specific focus: addressing envelopes

Visit Creativelive.com

8. Pen and Ink Calligraphy: The Art of the Envelope (Skillshare)

Instructor Bryn Chernoff uses her calligraphy skills to bring joy to others, and she is here to teach you how to do the same. Imagine how special it makes someone feel when they receive mail and they see that an envelope has been painstakingly addressed to them!

Bryn will help you choose the papers and ink that will create the most eye-catching effect and then she’ll walk you through the skills needed to address an envelope to perfection. The lessons in this class are: quick calligraphy lesson; getting started; the envelopes; ink; the list; style; setup; client work; and more.

This is also one of the best online courses for people who are looking for advice on how to get started with professional calligraphy. Calligraphy can be much more than a hobby and this course will give you some tips for putting your skills out there!

• Low time commitment: 14 lessons, 59m
• Popular: 5,501 students
• Intermediate level – for dedicated learners

9. Calligraphy.org (Calligraphy)

This is one of the best online calligraphy courses you can take if you want to get a really good idea of what supplies you’ll need to get started with calligraphy. You’ll even get a free bonus supply list cheat sheet when you sign up for the course!

Some of the things you’ll learn as a calligraphy.org student are: how to letter envelopes; how to write out invitations and save-the-dates, how to pen a perfect love letter; and how to use calligraphy to enhance your scrapbook layouts.

Before jumping into all of that, the beginner course will provide you with custom practice guides and tracing exercises using a pencil until you are ready to progress to the calligraphy pen. Calligraphy.org courses also give you the opportunity to get one-on-one feedback from an instructor!

• Popular: 8,537 students
• Optional one-on-one input from instructors
• You can get started with the course for free, payment will occur once you have decided that you like it and want to continue with it

Visit Calligraphy.org

10. Fauxlligraphy – Faking Calligraphy 101 (Skillshare)

This course takes a bit of a different approach to calligraphy. You’ll learn how to spruce up regular cursive writing so that it looks like calligraphy. It’s not really faking; it’s just using an alternate method!

The 7 lessons in this 21m course will teach you about spacing and contrasts, choosing your phrase, and sprucing up your letters. Alphabet practice samples will also be included in the course material so you can conquer those letters you find a little extra tricky!

The course project is to simply write your name in fauxligraphy. The method outlined by the instructor is to sketch out your name and then go over the sketch using ink. You can post your final result to the course webpage so that other students can get inspired by your work as well!

• Popular: 4,884 students
• Beginner friendly
• 48 student projects have been posted to the webpage
• Very low time commitment: 7 lessons, 21m

11. Calligraphy Essentials: A 10-Day Challenge (Skillshare)

The key to perfecting any skill is consistent and dedicated practice. But it’s not always easy to motivate yourself to practice every day. This course will give you the boost of enthusiasm and guidance that you need to build a daily calligraphy practice.

Instructor and professional calligrapher, Bryn Chernoff, will teach you how you can jumpstart your calligraphy skills with just 10 minutes of practice per day. For starters, she’ll teach you how to set up your daily practice by gathering materials and setting aside the time you’ll need.

Other topics covered are traditional exercises; slants and spacing; creative break; tackling capital letters; mood meets tool; flourishing; alphabet collage project; playing with style; and breaking habits.

The class project will ask you to self-reflect on your progress throughout the course and upload some of your writing to the course webpage. To learn more, you can also see my post on the top arts and crafts courses to further your skills!

• Specific focus: building a consistent daily practice
• Good amount of material: 14 lessons, 1h19m
• Comes with a huge amount of helpful downloadable resources: all class files, daily calendar, guide sheet downloads, worksheet downloads, and list of Bryn’s favorite supplies and kits

Hire A Seasoned Calligrapher

You may have read this thinking you pickup calligraphy before your wedding or next party and are now just wishing you could get the project done cheap and easy. Good news – you can!

I’ve had great experiences working with Pros on Fiverr who have taken my novice stress and turn it into something beautiful. And much better than I could have done.

I’ve included a few top notch calligraphers below to inspire you.

My name is Lewis Keegan and I am the writer and editor of SkillScouter.com. I'm extremely passionate about online education and what it can do for those to better their lives. I spend most of my time blogging, hiking, and drinking coffee. I also have a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Teaching.