With instruction on how to draw letterforms derived from original Celtic manuscripts, and with step-by-step explanations of knotwork borders and motifs plus illumination, this book will show you how to transform your writing into unique works of art.

This invaluable book offers a rich source of design, with lettering, patterns and colours that will delight beginners and more experienced calligraphers.

A complete, stroke-by-stroke guide to producing Celtic calligraphy. Learn how to create each leter of the alphabet in the age-old Celtic manner. Crystal clear instructions also cover pens, inks, work surface, paper and lines, how to hold the pen and more. 38 full-page plates plus 8 illustrations.

Discover the timeless art of beautiful writing! This introduction to creating calligraphy combines beginner-friendly clarity with thorough guidance and gorgeous examples. Introduces nine major calligraphic styles, with detailed diagrams and tips for writing each letter.Sub-sections include histories of each alphabet, step-by-step tutorials for embellishing your calligraphy, and ways to showcase your elegant lettering.Full color photographs and illustrations throughout.

In an age of myriad computer fonts and instant communication, your handwriting style is increasingly a very personal creation. In this book, Margaret Shepherd, America's premier calligrapher, shows you that calligraphy is not simply a craft you can learn, but an elegant art form that you can make your own. Calligraphy remains perennially popular, often adorning wedding invitations, diplomas, and commercial signs. Whether it is Roman, Gothic, Celtic, Bookhand, or Italic style, calligraphy conveys class and elegance. Margaret Shepherd makes this ancient art form accessible in a completely hand-lettered technical guide that will: * Provide context for calligraphy as an art, exploring the rich tradition of hand-lettering and mapping the evolution of the most popular styles. * Give detailed technical advice on choosing pens, paper, and inks, setting up your workspace, mastering various pen angles, along with step-by-step illustrations to guide you as you practice. * Explain which alphabets are appropriate for different forms of writing. For example, the Roman alphabet works well for short, unpunctuated passages, while the Italic alphabet is more suited to informal everyday communication. * Encourage you to personalize your lettering by using variant strokes and interpreting how you would like the words to look on the page. * Inspire you with carefully chosen illustrations and examples, which bring letters to life. In Margaret Shepherd's own words, "Calligraphy trains not only your eye and hand, but your mind as well." Learn Calligraphy is the authoritative primer for this age-old craft, and will help develop a new appreciation for lettering as you discover your creative personality.

This magnificent collection of Celtic scripts contains hundreds of initials and alphabets demonstrating a sweeping range of cursive pen strokes and decorative letters. The art of using initial letters to summarize the content of a book receives expert attention, as do unusual techniques such as the triquetra, a three-pointed knot; the diaper; the pelta, an abstract Celtic motif built out of triangles; and repeating geometric patterns.