How long does it take to learn calligraphy?

Wondering how long it takes to learn the art of modern calligraphy?

What is learning calligraphy?

It's tricky to define what "learn calligraphy" means because it isn't graded like other creative subjects such as music.

What I am therefore going to define "learning calligraphy" as in this blog post is how long it takes to be able to create words in calligraphy so that they look consistent - free of errors and wobbles.

Get started with your modern calligraphy by popping your name and address below to receive a free guide on learning the art of modern calligraphy.

So how long did it take me to learn?

It took me 9 months to learn calligraphy - 9 months!

Now before you pack away your calligraphy supplies because you don't know if you have the patience wait 9 months just to learn calligraphy, I'm going to let you into the reasons why it took me so long to learn!

1. I ignored advice - I didn't understand the reasoning behind learning the basic strokes or lifting your pen so I didn't do it (that was a mistake!)

2. I ran before I could walk - in calligraphy terms this meant trying to create words in bounce calligraphy before I could even create basic movements with the brush pen consistently

3. I used the wrong supplies - I tried to create modern calligraphy with a dip pen designed for traditional calligraphy on the thinnest paper around so the ink bled everywhere and it was just a bit of a disaster really!

4. I taught myself - now there's nothing wrong with this but having a teacher who could have explained the reasoning behind doing things a certain way or who helped me correct errors earlier on would have made things easier

You can learn about the three changes I made to drastically improve my calligraphy here.

Something to also consider is that there are other variables to consider - amount of practice, how you're learning and talent (some people are just annoyingly gifted - I wasn't one of them!) to name a few.

I've known lots of calligraphers that learnt calligraphy in less than a third of the time it took me. Don't be disheartened if your journey takes a little longer.

But what happens next?

Once you've learnt calligraphy (the fundamentals anyway), you'll feel that you've hit your peak. Your calligraphy will look the same and it will feel as though you are not growing. This is a frustrating time as growth is much more obvious earlier on when learning calligraphy.

You will still continue to improve with time and practice. However, you can take things into your own hands for speedier improvement.

This is where my Calligraphy Confidence Course comes in. Designed for those that hit this wall, you'll learn new calligraphy skills and apply them straight away through the use of workbooks. Some of these intermediate styles include bounce calligraphy and flourishing.

In this course I also give guidance to help you to find your calligraphy style so that you can progress your calligraphy in a more proactive way.

The Calligraphy Confidence Course is due to go fully live until the end of July 2022. Until then, it is available at a pre-sale discount of £60 off. Make the most of this offer whilst you can!

You can also download my free bounce calligraphy guide by popping your name and email address below.

How long does it take to master calligraphy?

You can never truly master calligraphy. It is subjective and a continuous learning process.

However, you can definitely find a calligraphy style and feel confident about it which is amazingly satisfying!