Styles of Calligraphy

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Classic Calligraphy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEo4xRfYbPg

     This form of calligraphy is how one would imagine calligraphy appears in general. It has a timeless feel and flow to the way the letters connect. It looks elegant and sophisticated, like the type of writing one would expect to see on a wedding invitation. The writing in this video is very delicate, which I am attracted to. The line work varies as the pen is tilted on a slight angle. I particularly like the ascenders and descenders in this form of writing because of how soft they are. The tops of letters really catch my eye, for instance, the loop of the K and the L. What makes this writing so eye-catching is how much precision goes into writing this way, not many people take the time to write this way anymore and that is why calligraphy is becoming more appreciated. As we learned in our history of media course last semester, when something becomes obsolete, it becomes a form of art.

Modern Calligraphy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=Q8lJWGnhyP4

     Modern calligraphy is different from classic calligraphy because there are really no rules when it comes to writing modern calligraphy. You simply chose a font or style you wish to recreate in a modern way and experiment. There were also many different tools used in this video opposed to the single calligraphy pen in the first video. The writing in this video was much more unrefined, yet were just as intricate the classic calligraphy, if not more so. For example, the S he created was very dramatic in the way that it almost became a symbol, and was no longer just a letter. In some of his letters, he also used double strokes, to give depth to the letters so they weren’t just lines on a page, which I thought was unique.

     After watching both videos and examining the two writing styles, I think that I like the first form of writing more so than the second. I think I am attracted to this writing because of its structure and certainty. It has a timeless feel to the style that everyone can appreciate. I do like the modern writing for its variations and twist on the classic font, but I am a person who likes old fashioned, simple things. It’s interesting to see the different styles of calligraphy because before this class, I thought there was only one way to do it. 

Sources:

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/thingsarebetterwithaparrott/tags/calligraphy/

http://www.etsy.com/listing/100580739/wedding-calligraphy-bride-and-groom-logo