I have not had a student yet who has not found the shaky lines they produce when trying to master the point pen really frustrating. I think this is in part the fault of those hypnotising Instagram videos (don't get me wrong - I love them too!) of gorgeous calligraphy that seems to come straight off the pen silky and smooth. Don't be fooled! These are the pros and even they probably shot that video a dozen times to get it absolutely perfect.

Gold ink is always makes placecards seem super special.

I thought it would be helpful to share the steps I take to minimise shakes as much as possible. The key word is minimise. I don't think the goal is to get rid of them entirely (there's Procreate for that!). The beauty of calligraphy is that it is done by hand so perfect isn't really the goal. Nevertheless, here is what I do to get as close to 'perfect' as I can:

1 - I MAKE SURE I HAVE EATEN WELL

Being hungry definitely makes my hands less steady. It also interferes with my ability to focus and, as a result, take my time and work slowly.

2 - Avoid Caffeine

I always avoid caffeine right before sitting down to work. A cup of tea is usually alright, but a high octane flat white is definitely out of the question if you don't want to tremble.

3 - Stay Warm

In cooler weather, I always make sure I am dressed warmly. I am really lucky there is radiator right under my desk. I crank that up and make sure my entire body, all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes, is toasty warm.

My mom knits the best woolly socks - perfect for living in an old, draughty house. This is my favourite pair.

4 - how you sit is really Important

I keep my feet off the ground. Arranging your workspace (i.e.: how you position your body, your paper, height of chair relative to desk, etc.) definitely impacts how smooth your calligraphy will look. I could probably dedicate an entire post to this but my number one tip has nothing to do with the position of your paper, pen or the angle of your body relative to these. Rather, it has to do with one simple thing - your feet being raised off the floor. This little discovery was a revelation to me! Now whenever I am working or practising, I always make sure my feet are up on a tiny stepping stool (these IKEA ones are perfect - https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/foersiktig-childrens-stool-white-green-60248418/) so that my thighs are ninety degrees to my body. If your feet are any lower that this, you will be slightly unstable and this will impact your posture and your ability to control your arm and hand.

A sneak peek under my desk. It's a pretty good set up with a stool, radiator and one very cute studio dog.

5 - Remember to breathe

I focus on my breath and try to inhale on the upstrokes and exhale on the downstrokes. Give it a go and see if you can almost use your breath to move your pen. This will have a transformative effect on your lettering by encouraging you to relax and discourage you from holding your breath - something we are all guilty of - me included!

6 - DON’T FORGET THE WARM UP

I know nobody likes warming up and if I am honest, I don't like it much either. Ever notice, though, how your calligraphy seems to improve 10 minutes in? That's because you have warmed up! Warming up for 5 - 10 minutes before writing will make a massive difference to how shaky your calligraphy appears. Writing out a few lines of text or doing some drills with either your pen and ink or even a pencil will do the job.

It's really easy to warm-up by doing drills with a pencil. This is a worksheet students do with me in my Complete Modern Calligraphy for Beginners course.

7 - Relax your grip

I try not to hold my pen too tightly and to think about the pen gliding over the paper, especially for those particularly challenging little upstrokes. This has the added benefit of not making my hand cramp which is always a win.

8 - write at the right speed (no pun intended!)

I know the right speed for me. It's not painfully slow (though probably much slower than you think) and definitely not too fast. Everyone is different so experiment and find the speed of writing that helps you to get the smoothness you are looking for.

If you look very, very closely you will always see some imperfections, but it's still beautiful.

9 - practice makes perfect

Some of the shakiness is just down to experience and practice. The more you practise the less shaky your lettering will be. I promise! To make it a bit easier, I have shared lots of everyday writing tools in this blog that you can use for practice - it doesn’t have to be dip pens and ink all the time.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

This gets us back to those absorbing Instagram videos we started off with. The people posting them didn't just start out. They probably know a lot of this and the great news is now so do you. You are well on your way to smooth calligraphy. Have fun!

Anthea xo

Frustrated by shaky calligraphy strokes? 9 tips and tricks to help with wobbly lines.