Our colour and writing products are manufactured in our workshops in Geneva since 1915.
CALLIGRAPHY STARTER KIT: DISCOVER ALL THE ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES TO GET STARTED IN THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY
A demanding art form, calligraphy relies as much on mastery of gesture as on the use of quality supplies.
An artistic practice that incorporates writing, drawing and painting, calligraphy can be done with a brush, a fountain pen, a fibre-tipped pen or even a ballpoint pen.
Renowned for more than a century for its exceptional instruments, the Maison Caran d’Ache places equal emphasis on the quality of the colour pigments used in its inks and on the sturdiness of its writing and drawing instruments. Paper, inks, instruments: discover Swiss Made tools with which to learn the art of lettering and calligraphy.
THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY: AN ARTISTIC TECHNIQUE AS RICH AS IT IS VARIED
From a technical standpoint, the art of calligraphy consists of creating letters or characters using a refillable fountain pen, a brush or other instruments (such as fibre-tipped pens or even ballpoint pens).
From traditional graphic writing to lettering and brush lettering, calligraphy comes in a wide variety of styles.
Whether you’re using a nib, a paintbrush or a brush fibre-tipped pen, calligraphy allows you to bring movement to writing and personalise every stroke. The curves and width of the letters, the pressure and angle of the tip, the intensity of the colours around the edges: your personality brings each stroke to life.
Calligraphy is a graphic writing art form in which creative shapes and the interplay of colours come together. Such an art deserves a carefully chosen selection of specially designed instruments.
ONE ART FORM, A WIDE ARRAY OF CREATIVE INSTRUMENTS
Choosing the right paper for your technique
The paper used for calligraphy should have a sufficient weight to absorb inks without warping, while offering a smooth surface to ensure precise lines.
Paper with a satin finish and a weight of around 200 gsm helps prevent ink smudging and reveals the delicacy of the calligraphy strokes.
Paper with a satin finish and a weight of around 200 gsm helps prevent ink smudging and reveals the delicacy of the calligraphy strokes.
Inks: playing with texture and pigment intensity
Choosing the right ink is important in calligraphy. A good-quality ink guarantees intense colours and excellent durability over time, while the selection of colours will shape the visual identity of your creations.
The Maison Caran d’Ache Chromatics inks for fountain pens — available in ink bottles or cartridges — offer twelve inspiring shades for lovers of traditional calligraphy. From a lush green to ultramarine blue, passionate red and cosmic black, each gives writing a bright and bold appearance.
The different writing and drawing instruments best-suited to calligraphy
When starting calligraphy, the ideal set brings together several instruments.
• A graphite pencil is essential for learning to structure letters before moving on to ink.
• A fountain pen is calligraphy’s best-known instrument. It offers great precision and makes it possible to work on thick and fine strokes with elegance.
• A fibre-tipped brush pen is ideal for lettering. The Fibralo™ Brush range offers a palette of 30 bright colours, enriched with inspiring new shades. Its flexible tip bends to your wishes, allowing you to create a wide variety of lines, from fine to broader strokes.
• A brush allows for a technique that’s closer to painting. Its tip plays with colours and textures. Watercolour brush, rounded or broad acrylic brush, water brush: each kind brings its own original touch.
GETTING STARTED IN CALLIGRAPHY: OUR ADVICE FOR BEGINNING WITH THE RIGHT SUPPLIES
Choose the right paper
In calligraphy, the technique determines which paper is suitable: thicker paper for ink or paint, finer paper for fibre-tipped pens.
• A multi-technique drawing pad of 250 gsm is therefore an excellent foundation for beginning calligraphy, adapted to pencil sketches as well as fountain pen ink lines, fibre-tipped brush pen work or brush strokes.
• To practise, create your sketches in a versatile A5 sketchbook with a lighter paper weight of 170 gsm.
Respectful of people and the environment, Caran d’Ache multi-technique notebooks and pads feature FSC™certified, acid-free paper.
Understanding the basics of typography by sketching in pencil
Calligraphy is first and foremost an exercise in handwriting. Before getting started on a complex project, practise drawing the main shapes and curves of the letters of the alphabet with a graphite pencil. Take the time to reproduce each letter fluidly to build up confidence.
Choose your style with the right instrument
A key aspect of calligraphy is controlling the intensity of each stroke. As a result, it’s essential to choose the instrument that corresponds to the style of line you wish to achieve.
With a fountain pen, your choice of nib will determine the variations in your line. A firm nib offers precision and regularity, while a more flexible nib allows for greater freedom. Its size, from extra-fine to broad, influences the thickness of the strokes.
Would you like to create the thick lines typical of brush lettering? Opt for a Fibralo™ Brush fibre-tipped pen with a flexible tip. Do you enjoy painting? Shape your letters with a brush, choosing the thickness of the tip to suit your style.
Practise with a complete set of quality writing and drawing instruments
To improve your calligraphy skills you’ll need to work hard. Our advice? Get set with a complete calligraphy kit to practise and create your first work. Put together your own starter kit according to your preferences and explore every facet of calligraphy at your own pace.
🎨 Fountain pens, inks, sets, fibre-tipped pens: explore all our instruments dedicated to the art of calligraphy.
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