Learning Calligraphy to Address My Own Wedding Invitations
I love calligraphy and I knew I wanted beautiful calligraphed envelopes for my wedding invitations. However, I also knew I probably couldn't afford that, so I stubbornly decided to learn it myself.
Written Word Beginner Calligraphy Starter Kit
Love love love. Could you get all these supplies separately for cheaper? Probably. Do you need a lovely brass nib holder? You do not. But this was packaged so beautifully and all of the materials are incredible quality. As I continued to learn more about calligraphy from all over the internet, the brands included here were frequently referenced as some of the best. The loveliness of this kit and experience also served as a great motivator to get excited and dive in.
Cons: I realized the style of calligraphy included in the worksheets wasn't the style I was looking for. The worksheets are a very nice modern calligraphy style, but not quite what I had in mind. This is entirely personal preference however, so no stars subtracted!
★★★★★
Skillshare
After getting more comfortable with the calligraphy basics, I realized I preferred the Copperplate style. Skillshare helped me better understand that style and my next step: envelope addressing.
Recommended:
Introduction to Copperplate Calligraphy with Doris Fulgrabe
Pen and Ink Calligraphy: The Art of the Envelope with Bryn Chernoff
I found both of those courses, along with a some paid and free resources from The Postman's Knock, particularly helpful.
Skillshare has great courses on an enormous variety of subjects. I took a great one about Digital Marketing, too. But I hate that they don't offer a monthly subscription option, only annual. I'd be happy to pay for a few months, but I also know I have some specific things I'd like to learn and don't need a full year. Alas. If you sign up with my referral link we'll both get a $50 giftcard which helps bring that price down. And they offer a 7 day free trial as well.
★★★★
A Hack
The image at the top is where I was able to get with the resources above. Not bad! But not quite up to addressing 50 envelopes. To master calligraphy takes years and years, a luxury I don't have. I realized you can type up your addresses in a nice calligraphic font and trace it using a lightbox (commissions earned). This probably wouldn't work if you were planning to have a super dark envelope, but I'm not!
Font Suggestions:
Bickham Script
Nautica
And that's the story of how I think I'll be able to address my invitation envelopes with just a couple months of calligraphy skill
