Calligraphy as a Daily Practice: Journal Compositions, Lettering & More

About This Workshop

Calligraphy can feel like an intimidating practice to start — foreign tools, unfamiliar guidelines, and no clear entry point. This workshop changes that. With the Society of Scribes as your guide, you'll learn how to bring calligraphy into your journaling as an ongoing daily practice.

You'll get hands-on time with both pointed and broad nib tools, learn to troubleshoot them, and explore the basics of Copperplate and Italic scripts. By the end, you'll have the foundation to keep going — and a booklet to take home with everything covered in the workshop and more.

Workshop Details

What You'll Learn

• Introduction to calligraphy and a brief overview of its history
• How to use and prep oblique and straight calligraphy pens
• Pointed nib fundamentals: pressure control and stroke thickness
• Broad nib fundamentals: stroke angle and technique
• How to troubleshoot your tools when things go sideways
• The Tri-Tool Theory: how paper, ink, and pen interact to affect your results
• Basic letterforms for Copperplate and Italic scripts
• How to build elevated calligraphic compositions for journaling
• Practical applications of calligraphy in a daily journaling practice
• Recommended next steps and tools for continuing on your own

Materials Provided

All supplies are provided — nothing to prep or bring. Materials are purchased by Society of Scribes and donated in part by John Neal Books / Paper Ink Arts.

• 2-in-1 pen holder
• Pointed nib — Hunt 22
• Broad nib — Speedball C2 & C4
• Walnut ink crystals
• Exemplar guide pages for each script

What You'll Take Home

• All workshop materials (yours to keep)
• A booklet covering everything from the workshop — plus deeper dives on each topic
• The foundation to keep practicing calligraphy as a daily habit

Past Workshops