Calligraphy has definitely gained a lot more popularity in recent years – and it’s very much deserved. Scroll through social media, and you’ll find thousands of beautifully addressed letters, handmade cards or motivational quotes. Whether it’s simply to improve your day to day handwriting or to produce incredible typography, penmenship has become a trend that people strive to improve in. It’s growing in popularity daily. So, it’s great to hear that the very first World Calligraphy Day is being held today, on the 16th August 2017. This day has been founded by Manuscript Pen Company, who’ve been at the forefront of the pen manufacturing industry since 1856.
“We are thrilled to be making this announcement as the founders of this very special day. Calligraphy and hand lettering are at the heart of what we do here at Manuscript. In recent years, the art of beautiful writing has taken to new heights with the trends of Modern Calligraphy, Faux Calligraphy and Hand Lettering. These new trends have really taken off, encouraging everybody to try their hand at a whole variety of wonderful creative ventures.” Charles Stockbridge, Managing Director of Manuscript Pen Company Ltd.
Get involved
I’m a total beginner when it comes to calligraphy. I would love to be better at it. However, a lack of practice thus far in life has prevented this from happening. My plan is to practice today so I can hopefully pick up a trick or two. There’s plenty of ways for you to get involved too and give it a go! Whether you’re a beginner or a world renowned calligrapher, there’s always a way to get involved.
If you’re based near Birmingham, there’s a fantastic event happening at the Pen Museum, hosted by Manuscript Pen Company who have brought together several amazing artists. It looks like it will be a great day full of free workshops. So head on over – you could also get the kids involved too! Great activity for those on their school holidays.
Fear not if you can’t make it to Birmingham or find a local event. You can follow the hashtag #WorldCalligraphyDay and #ManuscriptWCD on social media to see what people get up to and share your own creations. I noticed a few sales this morning too, so be sure to check it out if you want to grab a bargain.
Do it at home!
I recently tried a few of the Manuscript products and found that they were quite easy to use for beginners. I’m not great at it yet but it’s definitely something I enjoyed creating. You can pick up the Beginners Calligraphy Set on their website today! I used two of the nibs available in that kit in the photo below.
The Manuscript Pen Company have also kindly provided a practice template. So you can print it off at home and still get involved. You can download this by clicking the image below.
Visit the Manuscript Pen Company to find out more. I’ll also be attending the event at the Pen Museum day so come say hi if you’re around! See you soon!