Creative Calligraphy: Find Your Style with a Sketchbook
A course by João VarelaLettering Artist and Type Designer
A course by João Varela, Lettering Artist and Type Designer
Experiment with brush strokes and lettering techniques to develop your own unique visual language
“I've always thought that words are the best conveyor of meaning, both through their message and their shape.”
Lettering artist and type designer João Varela specializes in using different materials, techniques, and styles to design experimental letter forms based on traditional calligraphy. He collaborates with clients and studios, alongside publishing his personal projects and sharing his creative process on social media.
In this online course, João teaches you the basics of traditional calligraphy and how to reinvent it, from simple geometric strokes to more elaborate letters. Develop your own sketchbook, filled with creative lettering exercises and use it to help you build your artistic style. Find your stroke and intensify the power of written language.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 18 downloads
Experimental Calligraphy
9 minutes, 2 seconds
Calligraphy through Time
9 minutes, 43 seconds
A Switch in Function
8 minutes, 2 seconds
From Lines to Glyphs
14 minutes, 31 seconds
Historic Scripts
19 minutes, 16 seconds
Expression with a Single Stroke
9 minutes, 0 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know lettering artist and type designer João Varela. Discover how he turned a teenage love for graffiti into a career in designing letters, along with the influences that inspire him and his work.
Dive into experimental calligraphy and the rich history of the art form. Then look at the changing function of handwriting over time and the impact of technology. Begin drawing with lines and glyphs, and review different styles of calligraphy along with their characteristics.
Experiment with single strokes before moving on to letters, and eventually words. João shows you how to reinvent classic tools to create new letterform designs. Scale up your letters and explore ink for unexpected results.
Bring all of your exercises together and prepare them in the form of a sketchbook that you can use for future inspiration. To wrap up the course, João guides you through the process of binding your sketchbook, from cutting the paper to stitching and gluing.
What is this course's project?
Fill a sketchbook with calligraphy exercises, exploring different tools and techniques to build a habit of practice.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in expressing their creativity through creative calligraphy.
Requirements and materials
Basic calligraphy experience is required.
In terms of materials, you will need: paper Indian ink gouache acrylic paint brush markers a broad nib pen, and a few other materials specified by the teacher in the course.
Reviews
- 6 months ago
Curso muito completo
- 8 months ago
Excellent course!
- 10 months ago
Molto bello, consigliato!
- 10 months ago
I really liked Joao's approach and personable manner. Using the experiments to assemble into an easy-to-make book is a great idea and fun to do. I'm going to work more with some of the ideas and I like the freer style as an approach to calligraphy. Many thanks for a lovely course.
- 1 year ago
muy divertido
He is known for his experimental approach to calligraphy that challenges the traditional methods. As well as collaborating with clients and studios, João is committed to his personal projects, including a self-published book on his creative process. He also documents his work via Instagram.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Creative Calligraphy: Let’s Get Started!
- Experimental Calligraphy
- Calligraphy through Time
- A Switch in Function
- From Lines to Glyphs
- Historic Scripts
- U3
Expression and Tools
- Expression with a Single Stroke
- Breaking Down a Character
- Expressive Words
- Tools Make Shapes
- Scaling Up
- Playing with Ink
- U4
Bringing It All Together
- Preparing the Sketchbook
- Joining Everything Together
- FP
Final project
- Creative Calligraphy: Find Your Style with a Sketchbook
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for those with some prior experience in calligraphy, focusing on experimental and expressive techniques beyond the beginner level.
You’ll need a range of calligraphy tools such as brushes, markers, pens, ink, paper, and sketchbooks. The course encourages experimentation with both traditional and unconventional materials.
You’ll learn experimental hand lettering, creating unique letterforms, working on large surfaces, mixing alphabets, using various tools, and embracing mistakes as part of your creative process.
Yes, the course includes lessons on creating calligraphy murals, scaling up artwork, and techniques for brush lettering on walls and textured surfaces.
Some basic experience with calligraphy or hand lettering is recommended, as the course builds on foundational skills to explore more advanced, experimental techniques.
Absolutely. The course emphasizes experimentation, creative process, and personal exploration to help you develop a unique artistic signature in calligraphy.
Yes, the course explores traditional styles such as Gothic, Roman, and Copperplate, as well as how to reinterpret and experiment with them for expressive results.