Curious to know what my calligraphy looked like when I started out?

This question comes up almost every time I teach calligraphy. When I tell students that it wasn't really all that good, they often don't believe me. The truth is, I started out exactly where every one of my students starts out - without a clue about how to use a dip pen and ink, struggling to make straight up strokes and lush downstrokes, and with a lot of frustrating and wobbly lines. The only thing I had was a desire to create beautiful lettering like I had seen online and in magazines. I was no different than anyone I have ever taught. 

I don't have my very earliest attempts at calligraphy anymore (a cross Atlantic move took care of those!), I dug up a few things that I would call 'intermediate'. Come with me down memory lane and see where I started. Promise me you won't laugh! 😂 

As you can see, my writing is now more fluid and definitely much prettier. With some practice, the forms became more consistent and there is an ease and a flow to the lettering now which was not there initially.

Moving on. The two photos above are from commissions I did for clients. The top one is from one of the first love letters I was commissioned to write many years ago. Apparently the recipient loved it but I look at it now and think it wasn't the best. The photo beneath is from a poem commission I did more recently, in my opinion, is much improved. The downstrokes are nice and thick and contrast with the fine upstrokes. The letters seems to have a rhythm and flow across the page. 

And, one last example. Here is a thank you card that I made many moons ago. I was quite pleased with it at the time, especially the flourished bits. For comparison, here is a card that I made once I took the time to learn how to flourish ‘well’. With some practice and greater confidence, the final product is completely different.

I hope you enjoyed looking at these as much as I did. I think it's really worthwhile to take the time, when learning something new, to look back and see just how much you have improved. It's likely more than you think. To all my students, you now don't have to take my word that I was exactly where you were once upon a time. Here is the proof.