Modern Calligraphy for Content Creators: From Sketch to Social Media

1. Welcome to the Class: Let’s Create Something Dope: Hey, what's up? My name's Jostin. I'm a graphic designer and calligrapher. And in this class, I'm going to walk you through how I create my calligraphy pieces from a pencil sketch all the way to a finished ink I'm going to show you can be done with simple tools and your phone. No fancy studio or gear. If you've been wanting to get into calligraphy or start posting your work online, this is a great place to start. I'll share my personal process tips I've learned over the years, and by the end of this course, you'll have your own piece ready to post or even sell. And with that said, let's get into it. I'll show you the tools I use first. 2. Tools, Setup & Mindset: Getting Ready to Create: These are the tools I use every day. This right here that I have in my hand. This is my lead holder pencil. It gives me more control than a regular pencil would then I have the sharpener that I use to sharpen my lead holder. Then I have my eraser. This is one of the plastic ones. And then I have a different variety of brush pins here. My go to is my Zicocoo and then my Tambo brush pin, then my sharpie creative markers, then my big dual tip brush pens. And paper wise, you then, of course, I have my sketchbook. And paper wise, smooth paper works best. This is 32 pound paper. You don't want anything too textured because brush pens, they with all this said. W to end this module with this, you don't need to overthink this. Just grab something simple and start creating. 3. Sketching the Quote: Finding Flow & Layout: So today, I'm going to sketch the quote Believing Yourself. And I'm just gonna start by writing it loosely just to see how it feels. And then I'm going to break it into chunks. I'm giving belief more space so it doesn't crowd in yourself. And remember, layout is important. I want this piece to feel balanced and have energy. Right now, I'm not focused on making it perfect. I just want to capture the feeling. 4. Inking with Style: Confidence, Pressure & Control: So now what I'm going to do, I'm going to switch to my brush pen, and I'm going to slow I'm going to go slow on the downstrokes, adding more pressure, and then lighting on the upstrokes. I want this to feel fluid and not stiff. Really, it's like I am dancing with the pen. I also add more elements to it while I'm inking it with my brush pen and adding certain flair to it just to make things pop. Really? At this part, you just have to experiment and trust dry. And also, you will have train yourself to know what looks good to you and also what feels natural to you. 'Cause sketching is just a part of the process. But whenever you get the pen and your hand, you really got to let the pin guide you. And at the same time, don't be afraid of letting the pen guide you. And whenever you are erasing, you do not need to press down super dupra hard, I would say, give it medium pressure because you do not want to take up the ink with the eraser or damage your piece. And here, after getting mostly well, and here after getting a good majority, if not all of the pencil sketch lines erased, this is where I will look to further expand the personality of the piece, see where I could add even more flourishes and really just try to make the piece look like it's supported and not stealing the attention away. And one thing I will say is a little goes a long way, and I used to overdo it. But now I'm able to hold back and to not overdo it. 5. Shoot, Edit & Share: Finishing Your Piece for Social or Print: Alright, now, let's shoot this piece, laying it flat. And as you see, I got my lighting set up looking really nice. And I just shoot it from above using my iPhone and her iPad, but majority of the times, I'm using my iPhone. I just edit it in the built in app. Well, the built in Photos app on IOS or whichever device you're on, most likely, they do have a built in photo app that you could edit your photos in. And what I do, I like to boost the contrast, sharpen it a little, and I don't worry about cropping it for Instagram or any of the apps because what I've learned that those apps, they will adjust it once you upload it. 6. You Did It — Here’s What’s Next: You did it. You went from a blank page to a finished calligraphy piece. Whether you post it or keep it for yourself, you now have the tools to create more. I challenge you write one quote every day for 30 days, and you'll be surprised at how quickly you improve. Make sure to tag me at Jost Dooley. If you post, I'd love to see her work, and thank you thank you so much for joining me in this course, and I will see you in the next one.