This post is going to go in a slightly different direction than other posts. Here, I will discuss how to find inspiration for calligraphy in more detail.
The first thing I want to say: inspiration can come from anywhere or from anything. Although I take much of my inspiration from music, there are many other places inspiration can stem from. I am not big on reading, but book quotes can serve well for calligraphy. If you are religious, quotes from religious texts may also inspire calligraphy art. The main part of finding text to make calligraphy out of is being open to sources of inspiration. Also, I tend to not go looking for words to make calligraphy out of. Most of the time, rather than searching for quotes, when I happen to come across a inspiring quote, I keep it in my mind for when I decide to make more calligraphy. As cliche as it might sound: inspiration cannot be forced, it must be felt.
The next part of inspiring calligraphy is allowing the words to inspire the artistic choices made in the piece. There are a few questions you must ask yourself about the words you plan to make art out of.
- How do the words make you feel?
- What images do you associate with the words?
- How detailed do you want your art to be?
- Are you looking to make a full piece of art or do you want to make something quick to release stress?
- How proficient are you in your calligraphy abilities?
With these questions in mind, you can decide what you want to do with your art. Deciding how the words make you feel is the most important part in my opinion. Emotions decides many of the aspect of the calligraphy. It dictates the font of the text, the color of the text and the background, and what words you want to emphasize. Emotion often mentors a successful piece of calligraphy, so I would suggest that if the quote does not draw out any emotion in you, you should consider I different quote, but this is just a suggestion. Images that you associate with the word will allow you to think of backgrounds and pictures to add to the art. Deciding how much detail you want to add can help you determine your game plan for you art. For example, it will help you decide if you want to emboss or simply do calligraphy with pencil. Your proficiency can also help decide what you want to add to you calligraphy (embossing, images, etc.).
An important part of finding inspiration is pushing your calligraphy abilities. Even if you aren’t very good with using a felt tip pen, for example, make some calligraphy using a felt tip pen! Calligraphy takes a while to master, so don’t get discouraged. Just keep practicing! I still have my first piece of calligraphy and even though it’s not the best piece I’ve done, I still like to look at it as a reminder of how far I’ve come.
My first calligraphy
Marta, I really like that you wrote a post about finding inspiration! I am not a very creative person, so it definitely takes time for me to find something worthwhile to work on when it comes to artistic projects. I remember how I took art in ninth grade, and then I realized I could not take anymore art classes because I just take so much time with working on everything in order to make it turn out well. But actually taking the time to find inspiration for something, whether its artistic or not, definitely impacts how well a project of some sort will turn out. I like how you included your first piece of calligraphy work because it really it nice to see how far you’ve come. I’ve never done calligraphy, but sometimes I like to look at old artwork because its nice to look back on everything I’ve accomplished before.
Wow, for your first piece of calligraphy that was really beautiful! Though, definitely, practice makes better and better. I’m glad you dedicated a post to the surprisingly difficult task of finding inspiration. It’s not easy, it can’t indeed be forced, and it may take time. After all, I’m still searching for inspiration about medicine; I’m still looking for something that will inspire me to go into medicine and enjoy it. But, as hard as I search, I know it will come to me eventually, in some form or another. Also, I like your brief list of questions –– I think they can be projected for all art, not just calligraphy. And I agree with Yasmin, finding that perfect inspiration can really be a huge motivator, and make the work turn out even more beautifully than you thought you were capable of. On the other hand, there have been times I tried to make art without inspiration, and my confidence was not so strong, and my heart wasn’t fully in the piece. Anyway, can’t wait to see what you do next week!
Absolutely, finding inspiration for calligraphy is an exciting journey! Let your creativity soar by exploring diverse sources. Sometimes, a single quote can spark your artistic flame. Embrace the emotions these words stir within you, allowing them to guide your artistic choices.
Wondering about the right approach for your piece? Consider what feelings the words evoke, what imagery they conjure, and your desired level of detail. Let your proficiency level in calligraphy be a compass to venture into new techniques and styles. Remember, practice makes progress.
Discover more about honing your calligraphy skills and embracing artistic growth with this Quote of the day