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How to do calligraphy Arabic

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Arabic belongs to the group of Semitic alphabetical scripts in which mainly the consonants are represented in writing, while the markings of vowels (using diacritics) is optional. The earliest-known alphabet to mankind was the North Semitic, which developed around 1700 B.C. in Palestine and Syria. It consisted of 22 consonant letters. The Arabic, Hebrew, and Phoenician alphabets were based on this model. Then, around 1000 B.C., the Phoenician alphabet was itself used as a model by the Greeks, who added letters for vowels. Greek in turn became the model for Etruscan (c. 800 B.C.), whence came the letters of the ancient Roman alphabet, and ultimately all Western alphabets.

How to do calligraphy Arabic

Calligraphy Arabic scripts

It explains the six major scripts used in traditional calligraphy, and the differences between them. There are also some examples of high-quality work in various styles.

1. Ta’liq

Ta’liq (hanging) script is believed to have been developed by the Persians from an early and little known Arabic script called Firamuz. Ta’liq, also called Farsi, is an unpretentious cursive script apparently in use since the early 9th century.

2. Naskh

Naskh was one of the earliest scripts to evolve. It gained popularity after being redesigned by the famous calligrapher Ibn Muqlah in the 10th century. Because of Ibn Muqlah’s comprehensive system of proportion, Naskh style displays a very rhythmic line.

3. Kufi

Kufi was the dominant priestly script in early times. It was created after the establishment of the two Muslim cities of Basrah and Kufah in the second decade of the Islamic era (8th century A.D.). The script has specific proportional measurements, along with pronounced angularity and squareness. It became known as al-Khat al-Kufi (Kufi script).

4. Deewani

Deewani script is an Ottoman development parallel to Shikasteh (broken style). The script was largely developed by the accomplished calligrapher Ibrahim Munif in the late 15th century from the Turkish/Persian Ta’liq. Deewani reached its zenith in the 17th century, thanks to the famous calligrapher Shala Pasha.

5. Riq’a

This script, also called Ruq’ah (small sheet), evolved from Naskh and Thuluth. Although Riq’a has a close affinity with Thuluth, Riq’a developed in a different direction. Riq’a became simplified. The geometric forms of the letters are similar to those of Thuluth but are smaller with more curves. Riq’a is rounded and densely structured with short horizontal stems, and the letter alif is never written with barbed heads.

6. Thuluth

Thuluth script was first formulated in the 7th century during the Umayyad caliphate, but it did not develop fully until the late 9th century. The name means ‘a third’ — perhaps because of the proportion of straight lines to curves, or perhaps because the script was a third the size of another popular contemporary script. Though rarely used for writing the Holy Qur’an, Thuluth has enjoyed enormous popularity as an ornamental script for calligraphic inscriptions, titles, headings, and colophons. It is still the most important of all the ornamental scripts.

How to do calligraphy Arabic

The References

how to do calligraphy

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Calligraphy  is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering (Mediavilla 1996: 17). A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is “the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner” (Mediavilla 1996: 18). The story of writing is one of aesthetic evolution framed within the technical skills, transmission speed(s) and material limitations of a person, time and place (Diringer 1968: 441). A style of writing is described as a script, hand or alphabet (Fraser and Kwiatkowski 2006; Johnston 1909: Plate 6).
Modern calligraphy ranges from functional hand-lettered inscriptions and designs to fine-art pieces where the abstract expression of the handwritten mark may or may not compromise the legibility of the letters (Mediavilla 1996). Classical calligraphy differs from typography and non-classical hand-lettering, though a calligrapher may create all of these; characters are historically disciplined yet fluid and spontaneous, at the moment of writing (Pott 2006 and 2005; Zapf 2007 and 2006).
Calligraphy continues to flourish in the forms of wedding and event invitations, font design/typography, original hand-lettered logo design, religious art, announcements/graphic design/commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions and memorial documents. It is also used for props and moving images for film and television, testimonials, birth and death certificates, maps, and other works involving writing (see for example Letter Arts Review; Propfe 2005; Geddes and Dion 2004). Some of the finest works of modern calligraphy are charters and letters patent issued by monarchs and officers of state in various countries.
Calligraphy, literally translated, means “beautiful writing.” Heralded as an art form above and beyond a means of communication, calligraphy is a wonderful way to express yourself.
  1. Choose professional calligraphy pens and ink. The best choice for beginners is a chisel-point pen with a width of approximately one and a half millimeters.
  2. Take the time to relax and meditate. Calligraphy is an age-old art form that draws on a steady hand and inner peace.
  3. Begin by finding a copy of the uncial alphabet. This is one of the more common calligraphic alphabets, and was utilized by the early Christians.
  4. Trace the letters of the uncial alphabet slowly and carefully several times to get a good feel for the curves of the letters and the pen strokes.
  5. Focus on keeping your letters straight and uniformly sized. You can move on to the fancy maneuvers later.
  6. Research local beginning calligraphy classes at a junior college or art institute. Nothing can replace the helpful guidance of a trained calligraphy professional.
To use Calligraphy Pens:
  • Understand that good calligraphy writing is based on patterns of ovals and lines. All letters are written with the calligraphy pens using a series of ovals and lines.
  • Write the lower case letters by starting at the top of the letter. Make sure all of your down strokes in each letter are parallel. There should be even spacing and even white space between each letter. All capital letters should be the same height. Many calligraphers used lined paper to practice or they place lined paper under the paper they are writing on to use as a guide when sliding the pens over the surface of the paper.
  • Make sure that all of your lower case letters are of the same height. Make sure they connect and look right together. Do not switch letter types or nibs in the center of a word.
  • Change the nib of the pen for different looks. Your calligraphy set should have a chart stating which marks and techniques can be created using each individual nib.
  • Practice using the different nibs. A good calligrapher will practice a lot in order to perfect the writing style. Calligraphy takes a lot of time, patience and practice.
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