Faux Real Calligraphy

Faux Calligraphy FAQs

Wondering if a faux calligraphy course is right for you? Let the lessons begin right now with these faux calligraphy FAQs!

What supplies do you need to do faux calligraphy?

Don’t worry, you don’t need expensive supplies, a regular pen will do! The faux calligraphy technique can be replicated with ANY writing utensil:

• ballpoint pen (a normal pen)
• gel pen
• felt tip pen
• brush pen (a marker with a flexible brush tip)
• chalkboard
• paint
• pencil

Even use your iPad for lettering! Print out the free practice sheet included in our course and use whatever utensil you have on hand to get started practicing.

What exactly is fake calligraphy?

Faux or fake calligraphy is a form of calligraphy that can be done with just a pen. It’s sometimes also referred to as:

• hand lettering
• modern calligraphy
• faux lettering

These are all umbrella terms that describe beautiful lettering that’s really drawn piece by piece instead of written in one go.

For some instant faux calligraphy inspiration, see a super quick faux calligraphy tutorial here on our YouTube channel:
Intro to Brush Lettering ~ Basic strokes

What makes the faux calligraphy alphabet different from normal calligraphy?

At its core, calligraphy is the art of beautiful handwriting.

The main element that separates gorgeous calligraphy from normal handwriting (and makes it so darn beautiful!) is the varying thickness within individual letters.

Take a look at the difference between lines (in calligraphy, called strokes) here:

Look closely at the alphabet on the left: see how every stroke has the same thickness?

Meanwhile, the faux calligraphy alphabet on the right has thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes, transforming the faux calligraphy letters (don’t worry, you’ll learn all about basic strokes in the course!).

We have a special blog post about the basic strokes of calligraphy that you can dive into anytime.

Rather than switching between thicker lines and thin strokes in real-time while you’re writing, you create faux calligraphy by taking normal handwriting and thickening it after you write.

How do you practice the faux calligraphy technique?

Looking at how faux calligraphy compares to real calligraphy, you'll see that it's very hard to tell the end result apart.

Faux calligraphy practice is all about learning how to write a letter in calligraphy and is essentially the first step toward learning modern calligraphy.

In calligraphy, each letter is built using thin upstrokes and thick down strokes. The foundation of all faux calligraphy styles is understanding the different strokes that make up each individual letter.

Once you know where all the downstrokes are in any letter, you can work on creating the shading.

Can you learn traditional calligraphy after fake calligraphy?

Absolutely yes! While fake calligraphy is a replication of the “real deal,” it’s not negative or cheating. It actually teaches you the very basics of calligraphy.

You can dive deeper into the hand lettering style, or transfer the same skills directly to countless calligraphy styles, even traditional ones like dip pen calligraphy.

Do you have other free calligraphy courses?

Interested in learning other types of calligraphy? We have COUNTLESS free resources to help you learn calligraphy. Here are some of our other favorite courses:

• Simple to Spectacular: learn the fundamentals of flourishing
• iPad Calligraphy Basics: learn digital lettering
• Creative Calligraphy Camp: learn calligraphy for kids

What comes next after the course?

Once you’ve printed your free practice sheets, written the alphabet and started writing words and quotes, you need some friends to share your work with!

We have a free Facebook group with thousands of lettering friends waiting to meet you.

We hope that we’ll see you in there, and we’re so excited for you to start practicing! If you want to learn calligraphy, this is a fun and easy way that anyone can try. Don’t hesitate to share your progress, ask questions or just say hello anytime.