Does Learning Calligraphy Improve Handwriting? My musings on the topic…
I am always curious to know why students take my calligraphy class. For most, it’s curiosity, an admiration for beautiful lettering or the desire to create cards or wedding stationery. For others, it’s wanting to improve their handwriting that draws them in. I have definitely noticed that as we become more ‘digital’, there is a greater interest in handwriting as a skill.
So as a calligraphy teacher, I am wondering, does learning calligraphy improve handwriting? I can’t say for sure one way or another, but some aspects of learning calligraphy suggest it just might.
1 - Focus on letter shapes. Calligraphy teaches us to break letters down into basic strokes, and to see letters almost as shapes to draw. The same could be said for handwriting. When people are dissatisfied with their writing it is likely because they don’t like the shapes of the letters. Learning to see letters this way could definitely improve one’s handwriting.
Learning calligraphy definitely forces us to think about the shapes of letters.
2 - Spacing and proportion. Calligraphy is not just about the letters! It’s also about the spaces between the letters and their relative sizes. The type of handwriting we usually admire is even and consistent, and calligraphy can definitely help us focus more on relationship between letters.
My calligraphy in a handwriting style for a client’s thank you cards.
3 - Muscle control is important in both calligraphy and handwriting. Both calligraphy and handwriting require precise muscle movements from the fingers up to the shoulder. Calligraphy practice improves this control, which can benefit handwriting too.
4 - Both benefit from slowing down and paying attention to the process.Calligraphy is slow and methodical and requires us to pay attention to how we form each letter. This is a habit that could definitely transfer over to everyday writing.
Writing out 'Andrea Bocelli' took me more than one minute - 80 seconds to be exact.
5 - An appreciation for the beauty of handwriting. Last, learning calligraphy encourages us to see the beauty in letters. After teaching children in years 2 through 5 calligraphy, the head teacher shared with me that the kids took much greater pride in their handwriting as a result. You could argue that they just learned to see their handwriting differently.
If you really look at letters, you can see that they can be very beautiful.
I think I have convinced myself that calligraphy might just actually improve handwriting. There's only one way to find out - give it a try! 😉
I should point out that while calligraphy may help improve handwriting, there are key differences too.
Calligraphy requires specialised tools beyond just pens and pencils (though it can be done with those just as well. See my blog post: UNLOCK THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE AT HOME)
Pointed pen calligraphy involves varying pressure, while cursive writing uses steady, consistent pressure.
Last, handwriting—especially cursive—is meant to be fast, while calligraphy is definitely anything but - it is slow stuff!
Thanks so much for reading my blog! If there is anything you are interested in knowing more about, drop me a line. I am always looking for inspiring blog post topics. Stay well and thanks again! Anthea x