Modern calligraphy has become a fixture as one of the hippest hobbies to try these days. Once you get hooked, it can get really addicting. It can transform an otherwise prosaic writing experience into a meditative and meaningful one. There is a unique and rich feeling when the nib expands and releases the ink before closing again. And when you take this much time to write your correspondence or create something like a wedding invitation, wonderful things can happen.
A lot of people host the calligraphy workshop experience but not everyone has the time to attend these workshops. Most of the workshops, on average, cost anywhere from Php 1,500 to 2,500 for a single session. The price is quite steep for most people. There are also free workshops in art fairs but they are relatively short and also depends highly on physical availability.
I attended a couple of workshops in the past, but the practice of nib calligraphy is more than just something that you do in a single sitting. It takes drills and days of practice to get used to dipping the nib in calligraphy ink, doing upstrokes and downstrokes to form the letters, and letting your dominant hand get used to holding and controlling the nib through the proper pen holder.
The struggle is even more difficult for left-handed people like me. During one of my first attempts, I made a mess and spilled a lot of black walnut ink.
As a left-handed user, I also tend to push the nib on the paper instead of the usual pulling motion that right-handed users are used to. My first choice of nib, a Leonard, was not fun for me at all. I began working with the Hunt 22 nib after that and I slowly eased my way into it.
But like most people who get hooked with this hobby, I turned to good references online and offline to help me as a beginner. Video tutorials from Youtube proved to be quite helpful. Aside from this,I also carved out a space at home for the drill practice and for housing my tools of choice. The drills for the strokes are permanently plastered on my bedroom wall.
Fortunately, The Craft Central makes learning calligraphy even more accessible to people. With the help of their partner brand, The Ink Scribbler, they created two simple and affordable starter kits: the Simple Calligraphy Package and the Simple Brush Lettering Package. Priced at Php 250 and Php 500, respectively, you already have the essentials to getting started with calligraphy or brush lettering with it.
Both of these simple starter kits come with a set of basic instructions that inform you of things such as the parts of a calligraphy nib, proper strokes, drills, and many others.
The illustrations are clear enough to help you get started in your calligraphy or brush lettering journey. The kits do not come with ink simply for the reason that they encourage you to select your own calligraphy ink based on your personality and ink color preferences.
The Craft Central has a physical main office and store in Greenhills during regular office hours but the items are available virtually everywhere with their online store. They are one of the first calligraphy stores to sell organically and locally made ink. Hoarders and fans can attest to the affordability of their calligraphy supplies. They also have a presence in bigger stores such as Scribe Writing Essentials. And with their present DIY offerings for self-studying calligraphy enthusiasts, I won’t be surprised if the calligraphy storm continues to rage on.
