The profession of calligraphy

During the Middle Ages calligraphy was a highly specialized technique practiced by monks and professional scribes. Medieval calligraphers developed a complicated Gothic, or black letter, script. This heavy, angular writing, although it was imprecise and difficult to read, became the accepted book hand throughout Europe and was copied by the first printers. There are outstanding examples of Gothic script in medieval illuminated 

The profession of calligraphy reached its peak in Renaissance Italy. Renaissance scholars, however, found the intricacies of Gothic script inappropriate for the transcription of classical texts. They devised a less complicated style based on the earlier Caroline script developed during Charlemagne's reign. The Renaissance script, known as neo-Caroline, or humanistic, was the forerunner of modern handwriting.

calligraphy samples art

There are several kinds of calligraphy pens to choose from when you're starting out. Most calligraphers recommend working with a dip pen for best results. But calligraphy for beginners is much easier to start with if you use a felt-pen or a fountain-pen that has a calligraphy nib. If you prefer, fasten two pencils together to practise ‘double-line' calligraphy so you start to understand the way the letterforms work. Most books on the subject will contain a few pages of calligraphy instructions about different types of pen and other tools.

Tibetan Calligraphy

Tibetan calligraphy refers to the calligraphic traditions used to write the Tibetan language. As in other parts of East Asia, nobles, high lamas, and persons of high rank were expected to have high abilities in calligraphy. However, unlike calligraphy in China, Japan, and Korea, calligraphy was done using a reed pen as opposed to a brush. Nevertheless, East Asian influence is apparent visually, as Tibetan calligraphy is at times more free-flowing than calligraphy involving the descendants of other Brahmi scripts. Given the overriding religious nature of Tibetan culture, many of the traditions in calligraphy come from religious texts, and most Tibetan scribes have a monastic background

Persians adapted the Arabic alphabet

After initiation of Islam in the 7 th century, Persians adapted the Arabic alphabet to Persian and developed the contemporary Persian alphabet. Arabic alphabet has 28 characters and Iranians added another four letters in it to arrive at existing 32 Persian letter. Around one thousand years ago, Ibn Muqlah and his brother created six genres of Iranian calligraphy, namely "Tahqiq", "Reyhan", "Sols", "Naskh", "Toqih" and "Reqah". These genres were common for four centuries in Persia. In 7th century (Hijri calendar), "Hassan Farsi Kateb" combined "Naskh" and "Reqah" styles and invented a new genre of Persian calligraphy, named "Ta'liq". Eventually in the 14th century, "Mir Ali Tabrizi" combined two major scripts of his time i.e. Naskh and Taliq and created the most attractive Persian Calligraphy style, "Nas’taliq" is one of the main script styles used in writing the Perso-Arabic script, and traditionally the predominant style in Persian calligraphy.

Morteza Gholi Khan Shamlou and Mohammad Shafi Heravi created a new genre called cursive Nastaʿlīq Shekasteh Nastaʿlīq in the 17 th century. Almost a century later, a prominent artist named Abdol-Majid Taleqani brought this genre to its highest level. This calligraphy style is based on the same rules as Nas’taliq, but it provides more flexible movements. It is a little more stretched and curved. Among contemporary calligraphers in this style, “YadollahKaboli” definitely ranks in the most prominent place.