31 Awe-Inspiring Calligraphy Facts That Will Change Your Writing

Calligraphy is derived from the Greek words 'beauty' (Kallos) and 'to write,' and meaning 'beautiful writing' (graphein).

Calligraphy, like painting, sculpture, sketching, and photography, is a fine art. It's a technique of looking at the world and describing what you perceive.

A good calligraphy piece is a true art, a craft, as well as literary art in three dimensions.

Though a scribe can perform both, classical calligraphy varies between type design as well as non-classical hand-lettering.

Modern calligraphy includes anything from useful inscriptions and patterns to fine-art compositions with illegible characters.

Wedding and event invitations, as well as typeface design and typography, continue to be popular uses for modern calligraphy for decorating words.

Religious works, announcements, graphic arts and customized calligraphic art, carved stone inscriptions, and memorial papers are all examples of original hand-lettered logo design.

It's also utilized for movie and television props and moving visuals, as well as testimonies, birth as well as death records, maps, and other textual works.

A calligrapher's primary tools are the pen as well as the brush. The nibs of the pens used in calligraphy can either be flat, spherical or tipped.

In comparison to the oil-based liquids used throughout printing, calligraphy writing ink is generally water-based and considerably less viscous.

Cleaner lines are possible using specialty paper that has a high ink absorption rate and a consistent texture.

Continue reading to learn more interesting calligraphy facts. After this, you may also want to look at other fun articles like facts about being an artist and Chinese calligraphy facts.

The Invention Of Calligraphy

Based on the Greek roots of the word, calligraphy means 'beautiful writing.'

It necessitates a firm grasp on proper form as well as the ability to keep proportions while the piece is assembled.

Calligraphy is an ancient art form considered to have originated in ancient China when letters were etched on animal bones as well as tortoise shells.

This calligraphy writing eventually gave birth to writing on paper with Chinese ink brushes.

Artists realized that the ink brush, the water absorption of the paper, the viscosity of the ink, as well as other elements all had a role in the work's outcome.

Chinese calligraphy impacted individuals in Japan, Korea, and other parts of the world, who developed their styles like Japanese calligraphy, Tibetan calligraphy, Latin calligraphy, and Islamic calligraphy.

During the Tang dynasty, calligraphy was employed to assess people and as a means of identifying aptitude.

Steel nibs were eventually developed to substitute feather quills.

They were easier to use since they didn't require cutting and sharpening a fresh quill, and they lasted much longer.

An engraver would chisel the lines onto copper plates used mostly for printing to recreate the scribes' handwritten work.

After the development of printing, lesser works of calligraphy were published, but it has recently had a resurgence as a hobby and a business.

It's tough to describe modern western calligraphy since there are a lot of different diverse styles.

The crucial thing to keep in mind is that it does not have to follow traditional calligraphy principles; instead, it allows you to experiment with many versions to make it your own.

Handwriting evolved from conventional calligraphy, but it combines those fundamental strokes and shapes and transforms them into a completely distinct minor art form. It entails sketching and constructing the letter.

Calligraphy differs from other artistic writing styles in that lines are drawn with a single stroke.

Brush lettering differs from regular handwriting in that each letter contains more contrast between distinct strokes.

The History Of Calligraphy

Humans have been searching for the most attractive and elegant manner to exhibit their writing since the first quill landed on the first sheet of parchment.

Brush calligraphy dates back to the Shang era in ancient China, and it became increasingly popular throughout the Han period.

Western calligraphy originated in Phoenicia around 1200 BC and was adopted by the Greeks in the ninth century to form Greek calligraphy writing.

Those letterforms would evolve further and be adopted by the Etruscans, which in turn would be acquired by the Romans.

All of the other Western calligraphy is descended from Roman origins.

Ibn Muqlah, one of the most famous calligraphers of the Abbasid period, is credited with inventing the first cursive style of the naskhī script.

The beginnings of calligraphy are said to have been in China in the third century before Christ.

The Shang dynasty requested that attractive phrases or portions from poetry be etched in animal bones or turtle shells for ornamental purposes during that period.

It began to be used more frequently, and more popularly, in the seventh century after Christ, in China, wherein Buddhist monks began copying manuscripts.

During the same era, this minor art style had begun to expand over the globe.

The Romans had figured it out and began carving beautiful text into marble slabs for sculptures, signs, and even poetry.

Because the Qur'an is so stringent regarding visual portrayals, the beauty of the letters became to be recognized as a form of art in and of itself, to the point where it was regarded as the ultimate art form.

This passion for calligraphy resulted in the development of two primary styles: Kufic, the earliest and most showy; and Naskh, the smallest and more elaborate. Islamic calligraphy has remained popular despite its continuous evolution.

When it came to western calligraphy, reading was taken away from the public after the Romans, and it became a show of aristocracy.

Different Types Of Calligraphy

Western, Arabic, and Oriental calligraphy are the three basic forms of calligraphy.

When people talk about hand lettering, they usually speak to western calligraphy, or calligraphy based on the Latin script writing system.

Foundation hand, sometimes known as book hand, is among the most basic writing styles available, as well as one of the easiest to read.

When most people think about calligraphy, they think of italic hand, which is also known as chancery.

Roman writing, sometimes known as rustic capitals, is thick and uneven, giving it an antique and charming appearance.

Thick, chunky letters are used in blackletter script, often referred to as gothic script. It is the form of calligraphy found in antique manuscripts and illuminated books, and it dated from the 12th century.

Copperplate script is a gorgeous type of calligraphy that is distinguished by the use of a sharp-pointed nib rather than a flat nib to make it.

In Islamic civilization, Arabic calligraphy, often described as Islamic calligraphy, played a significant role.

This form of calligraphy was utilized by scribes to preserve and replicate the Qur'an, and so many saw it as a method to depict God without making a picture of Him.

Horizontal movements and geometric designs are prominent in kufic script.

Naskh script has fine, thin strokes and is simple to read. It is now the basis for the majority of Arabic language print scripts.

Oriental calligraphy, often known as Chinese calligraphy, is a beautiful old art style. Instead of just a pen and nib, artisans of the Chinese culture use a thin, tapered brush to create this form of calligraphy.

The focus is very much on the movement of the characters, which gives this design life within itself.

Modern western calligraphy includes anything from functional inscriptions as well as styles to fine-art artifacts where the letters may or may not be decipherable.

Although a qualified artisan might apply each, classical script varies between typography and non-classical hand-lettering.

Fun Facts About Calligraphy

In east Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, calligraphy is regarded as greater than every other art form, including sculpture and painting.

Bamboo was used to build the brush's body, while hair from mice, wolves, pigs, and other animals were utilized to form the whiskers.

The dip pens, which had to be dunked in an inkpot to create the drawings, were introduced in the 19th century.

In the realm of modern-day graphic designing, calligraphy has made a significant contribution.

The term calligraphy was first used in the English language in 1613. Before that, there was no name for this art of writing in English areas, even though it existed.

Calligraphers were highly valued persons, and their expertise and lineages were passed down through the generations.

Islamic calligraphy is still widely utilized in Islamic art and architecture today, and it has influenced various civilizations and aesthetic forms.

Wen Zhengming, Zhu Yunming, and Wang Chong are among the most well-known Chinese calligraphers.

Western, eastern, and Arabic calligraphy are the three primary kinds. Each type portrays a distinctive area of the world's wording and writing.

Chinese calligraphy is often created on thin, absorbent rice paper.

The solid stick type of Chinese ink is richly ornamented to craft Chinese characters.

Pinewood soot and gum resin are used to make the ink. For usage, inkstones are firm, flat, and dabbed with water. 

On the second Wednesday of August, art and handwriting collide.

Every year on the second Wednesday of August, World Calligraphy Day is celebrated.

World Calligraphy Day was established by Manuscript Pen Company in 2017 to bring together each calligraphy fan to honor the art of calligraphy.

Calligraphers like putting decorating words on a page in an aesthetic and pleasing style.

Sam Fogg, the director of Sam Fogg Ltd, is an expert in European Middle Ages art, with divisions dedicated to Islamic and Indian art.

The Mevlâna Museum in Konya, Turkey, is the tomb of Persian Sufi mystic Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi.

Rare and valuable Ottoman calligraphy of the sülüs, nesih, as well as talik forms, may be seen throughout the museum.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for calligraphy facts then why not take a look at Celtic art facts or baroque art facts.