Decorative Writing | Part 1

I have immediately set myself up to fail by calling this part 1 - you can hold me to it and I hope part 2 will follow sooner rather than later, however; I wanted to post a little today about the beautiful and decorative art of calligraphy......that I fake.

I am continuing to learn how to write correctly, however; I do sometimes fall back to this simple technique - it's also a way to achieve the calligraphy effect without the calligraphy pen.
Calligraphy writing sets aren't cheap, so if you are thinking about starting the art, or want to give decorative writing a go, this is a simple starting point.  It very much starts with adding definition to your lettering - no swirls, loops or flicks at this stage, but a way to simply add more depth to your writing with a very simple and easy technique.

The trick to adding a little definition to your writing [no matter the style] is to add width to the lines that are drawn on the vertical.  As an example, my favourite style to add this to is writing with no worries about straight lines and even spacing between the letters:

Where the pencil/pen is drawn vertically down or up, add width with your pencil:

Next, colour these lines in to add definition:

This is different to making each letter 'bold' and the full effect can be seen once all letters
 have been defined:

You'll find that some letters take to the style better than others, so experiment with how much
 definition you add to suit your style:

If you would like a little more structure to your lettering, add lined paper underneath to trace
and write your words or message:

Following the same rules, add your definition to those lines made on the vertical:

...and fill in:

Finally, if you aren't a fan of your own handwriting , or have a particular style in mind, the same 

effect can be achieved with printed fonts.  Trace your words, using your printed font as a template:

..add the definition:

...and fill in to complete:

Instant decorative writing achieved that can be used for anything.

I've used this style for cards, tags, envelopes and most recently, my Christmas cards - but maybe the upcoming holiday of love would be the perfect opportunity to experiment:

It's a perfect example of practice makes perfect and the effects are limitless - if any of the above doesn't make sense, please feel free to contact me - give it try!
Part 2 will look more at adding a little style to the definition.

see you next time x