How much does it cost to learn calligraphy?

Hobbies are sometimes known as being expensive, and sometimes they can be, but is calligraphy one of those?

There's two components to this answer. The first is the supplies you need to be able to create calligraphy and the second is resources to learn how to create calligraphy.

Calligraphy supplies

One of the ways that calligraphy varies from cursive is that it requires specific tools to be able to create it. This is because you need a supply that creates a thicker stroke when applying pressure. Although this usually takes the form of a brush pen or a pointed pen for modern calligraphy, you can actually learn calligraphy with a pencil!

That means all you need to get started with modern calligraphy is about 30p for a pencil and some paper you have laying around. However, just because it's the most affordable option, doesn't mean that it offers the best experience.

For beginners, I would recommend a single brush pen to get started with which usually costs around £3 - £4, dependent on the brand you go for. For those that want to learn modern calligraphy with a pointed pen will have to pay a bit more. It would cost closer to £20 when you add up the pen, the nib and the ink.

If you don't have a pencil laying around and don't want to spend money on a brush pen or you're keen to get started today and don't have the correct supplies to hand, you can use a normal pen to create faux calligraphy. Faux calligraphy is a calligraphy style in which you imitate calligraphy by drawing outlines of letters and colouring them in. I would argue that it actually has a steeper learning curve than learning with a brush pen though, so I would stick to a brush pen if you can.

You can use any paper that you have laying around but I would recommend buying nice computer paper. This is still far more affordable than specific art pads and it will last you a longer time. The pack I recommend costs around £10 - £15 for 500 sheets.

Learning calligraphy

Once you've bought the supplies you now need to learn how to create calligraphy and guess what? This can be totally free! You can learn calligraphy from YouTube videos, blogs and other free content such as following social media accounts.

I also offer a free guide to getting started with modern calligraphy which you can get by popping your name and email address below.

I was largely self-taught, piecing together content to teach myself the art of calligraphy. It can be done but it comes with a cost - time; it took me about 9 months to be able to create tidy calligraphy. You can learn more about self-teaching here.

There are several paid ways to learn calligraphy:

Workbooks/books

These cost around £10 - £20. They give a written overview of how to create calligraphy and usually have practice sheets for you to practice writing letters. My beginners workbook is currently priced at £15 and covers how to hold a brush pen, basic strokes, the alphabet, connecting letters and practice words. This covers everything you'd learn in a workshop with me minus the hands on support.

Workshops

These typically cost between £25 - £55 dependent on the length of workshop, supplies provided, niche, etc. My own workshops currently cost £45 for 2 hours of teaching, a printed workbook, a brush pen and refreshments.

Some workshops are online which is great if you want to access a calligraphers content that doesn't live nearby. Some other workshops are in person which is where workshops really shine because you can receive hands on supports and guidance. There have been some students of mine that have tried it alone and had a hard time, I suggested a simple change such as a slight paper rotation and it made the world of difference to their ability to create calligraphy.

In person workshops also offer a fun weekend activity if you're lookng for something unique to try out with friends and/or family.

Courses

These are typically the most expensive option and that is because they are more in depth, have a longer time frame and offer more resources. They also often delve into more specific topics.

It is difficult to give typically pricing for these as they vary the most in price so I'll just give my own beginners course as example.

My Modern Calligraphy Course for beginners costs from £100 - £185. The £185 option is for my xmas themed course includes a box full of calligraphy supplies, a 70 page workbook (digital and physical version), 5 online classes and support throughout the duration. Although it is expensive in comparison to other learning methods, it is a great way to learn all about calligraphy, get direct feedback and get creating.

I set my students weekly homework so that they apply their new found skills straight away and this is one of the biggest benefits in my opinion.

Some calligraphers offer "do it in your own time" courses which is great for scheduling reasons and you can more easily rewatch and reabsorb content. The downside to these is that you don't have accountability which can lead to procrastination, I'm guilty of that myself.

Grand total

The answer to "How much does calligraphy cost to learn?" is annoyingly "it's depends" as it can cost from £0 to £200+ but it's typically at the lower end of this spectrum and you can spend as little or as much as you want, unlike other hobbies where you may need to replenish supplies regularly or which have expensive supplies in general.

My recommended route for the average calligraphy learner (a workshop which includes supplies) would cost around £45.

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