The Ultimate Calligraphy Course
A step-by-step course to help you master calligraphy with clarity so that you can create the work you envision with ease, confidence and success.
Maybe you’ve already tried doing it on your own, watched a bunch of Youtube tutorials, but gave up halfway because it was too “tough”? Or your gut is screaming at you that something is just off in your work, but you can’t quite put your finger on it?
Or perhaps you’re already creating calligraphy work of your own or for your friends; you absolutely love how satisfying and creatively fulfilling it is but …
you’re seeing the same mistakes and have no idea how to correct them
you can’t get past a limiting belief of “oh, but my handwriting is terrible!”
you’ve been practising for the longest time and see little to no improvements
you’re unsure of how to upgrade your skills to a whole new level
you don’t feel confident in your work and
you don’t feel proud to share the work you produce
Back in mid-2015, I too discovered the art of calligraphy and I was absolutely hooked. I found myself drawing til 4 am in the morning, totally losing track of time, making mistakes (unknowingly then), creating piece after piece on random scraps of paper I could find, from meeting notes to cafe napkins to Starbucks takeaway cups. Anything could be a canvas!
I love calligraphy and letters and began to learn anything I could about it from online articles, YouTube videos and books. Looking back, I could see all the mistakes I made back then.
Nevertheless, I practised religiously for the love of it, made mistakes, unlearned my bad habits and relearned the right ones through trial and error. My work improved over the years, and more importantly, so did my creative confidence in design decision-making and art direction.
I’ve since left my day job (fund accountant at a bank) to pursue my passion and craft full-time. And I am proud to say that I’ve have had the pleasure to work with amazing brands and businesses such as these below!
This course is equivalent to pulling up a seat right next to me for 6 weekly workshop sessions!
I've shared my expertise with many students over the past years and had helped them learn and grow their calligraphy journey - from local Singaporeans to visiting tourists, beginners to seasoned practitioners (calligraphy teachers included!), casual hobbyists to business owners from other fields (e.g. florists, bakers, illustrators), designers from brand agencies, art school teachers etc., the list goes on!
And now, I am excited about helping you succeed in yours!
If you're scrambling around the Internet trying to put a bunch of freebies together, thinking that this will provide a cohesive and seamless education for you, I wholeheartedly would like to say, "Don't do yourself a disservice!".
Truth is, you can easily google for answers with a snap of your fingers. But it's a noisy abundance of information. You can get various answers altogether and sometimes if you’re unlucky, contradicting ones. Now, you’re right back where you started and have wasted much of your valuable time.
This is why I recommend my course to you.
I have curated together a well-thought-out and cohesive education, and strategically crafted it to guide you step-by-step along the way in a systematic manner.
I’ll teach you how to engage in purposeful observation: being able to tell what is right and wrong, so that you can train your eyes to study form and structure critically with clear understanding. This ensures that your practice is deliberate and intentional. It takes a lot of effort to make your script look effortless, and I’ll teach you the why before the how, so that each stroke you make is a deliberate act of decision, instead of “winging it”. Without purposeful observation, it possibly means practising a stroke 1,000 times incorrectly and reinforcing bad habits and we certainly don’t want that!
With this course, you will save time, gain valuable insights and be able to apply what you had learnt from pen to paper. You can't practice what you don't know either. Stop second-guessing and know exactly what and how to practice!
stop copying and referencing artwork from Pinterest and Instagram, and finally, be able to create work that is uniquely yours and screams you
be *so* clear and fully understand how to do calligraphy the RIGHT way and save time with your improved creative workflow
be able to see your calligraphy journey with signposts, no longer feeling lost, discouraged or impatient
gain confidence and finally stop questioning your calibre, worth and skills on whether you're good enough to write for friends or clients
stop scouring the internet for flourishing examples and memorising them, but instead, be able to improvise and create YOUR OWN flourishes with ease
be able to now lean into a creative and therapeutic hobby to practice mindfulness, slow down and be present
reignite your creativity and embrace your inner child
And most importantly, if you want a tried and true method to confident calligraphy writing without ever second-guessing yourself again...
...then this course is for you!
"Her course exceeded my expectations. I am a 4-year calligraphy practitioner from the Philippines but still, I learned a lot from her!
Her class is loaded with topics. She is very detailed in terms of the explanations and demonstrations. I highly recommend Leah's classes if you want a strong foundation for Brush Calligraphy.”
– Coy Barredo, Calligrapher & Workshop Instructor in the Philippines
Welcome video from Leah
Welcome Survey
Join our private Facebook group!
Best Practices
Course Curriculum
PDF Download: Resources List + Slant Guidelines
Introduction and history to calligraphy, lettering, custom typography and typography, + Applications: What can I do with Calligraphy as a skill?
FREE PREVIEWSupplies & Materials: Recommended progression for exploring your tools
Supplies & Materials: Paper
Quick exercise: Track your progress!
Theory and guidelines explanation, how to hold the brush pen and the principle skills of calligraphy
Muscle movement
Body posture, pen and paper placement (Left + Right-handed)
PDF Download: Week 1 Worksheets
Basic strokes + demonstration of common mistakes, why they’re mistakes and how to rectify them | Part 1
Basic strokes + demonstration of common mistakes, why they’re mistakes and how to rectify them | Part 2
*NEW* Oval Guides PDF
How to get square cut offs with both pointed pen and brush pen
*NEW* (re: questions posted in Facebook group) on square cut offs
Drills
Why the need to practice in family groups?
a, d, t
c, e, o
FREE PREVIEWl, h, k
j, g, y, z
i, u, v, w
n, m, x
b, p
f, q
r (half + full), s
Step-by-step letter connection: basic rules, why and how
Understanding oval widths
Breaking down the word "minimum" + Recommended practice words & common words for greeting cards and weddings
Letter proportions & ratios + when to use which ratio and why, connecting a-z + explanation of rule-breaking exceptions
Why do some letters have a different letter proportion than others?
PDF Download: 26^26 Letter Connection Reference (Optional Practice)
Quick exercise: Track your progress!
PDF Download: Week 2 Worksheets + Uppercase Guidelines
Quick exercise: Track your progress!
Capital stem + stroke proportions, connective upstroke + hairline entrance stroke
Upright compound curve
Compound curve entrance stroke
Vertical ellipse and vertical reverse ellipse
Vertical reverse ellipse entrance stroke
Horizontal ellipse entrance stroke
Pointed exit stroke, tapered stroke
A, M, N
V, W
H, alt H, K
R, B, P
T, F
D, L, S, alt S
G, C, E
O, alt Q
Q, X, Y, U
I, J, Z
Everything above + direct one-on-one feedback and critique on your work.
If you're looking for accountability and prefer to have my eyes on your work to guide you along the course, this is for you.
*Note: I understand that everyone can get a little busy sometimes (life happens!) so if you miss the scheduled feedback round, you can write in to postpone it. My only ask: is to submit your work for feedback within 6 months, from your course enrolment date or coaching upgrade purchase date (whichever is later). That way, I can plan my time accordingly and ensure I provide undivided attention to each of you!
PDF worksheets are downloadable when you sign up and you may print them directly if you've access to a printer. Along with a Pentel Touch Brush Pen, you'd be all set to get started!
However, if you'd like me to prepare materials for you, this is an optional add-on without all the hassle.
IMPT: This kit is not included in the course fee. It's an optional add-on @ an additional fee. Please purchase this kit here after making a purchase for the online course.
Kit includes:
A visual flip through of the worksheets:
"After months of trying to self-learn from PDFs and YouTube vids, I finally understood the basics of brush lettering and started to improve with only ONE class with Leah.
Leah is patient, approachable and cheerful. She breaks the fundamentals down into FUN and clear exercises. She's got great notes too! As a teacher myself, I feel that the BEST thing about her is that she is honest and generous with her information and instruction. Others may withhold tips and ideas either to entice you to take more classes with them, or they may do so to suppress competition. But Leah has the heart of a true educator. I highly recommend her."
– Leach, Watercolour Artist, Illustrator & Educator in Singapore
"I didn’t expect to be able to produce something satisfying in calligraphy and flourishing in such a short time by learning from Leah!
I love the way Leah approaches teaching from the first week by showing us what should and shouldn’t be done, while also challenging us to think in our own way and to be able to create our own style of modern calligraphy. She also shares her real process and decisions in creating that I found really helpful.
Even though this is an online course, I feel like I’m with Leah in person all along the course. She’s a fun person and I chuckled a bit here and there during the course. Moreover, if we need more feedback/help, it is very helpful that we can reach out to her in her Facebook community with excellent response time (she’s so generous!)"
– Aftri Marriska, Lettering Artist based in Indonesia
In this course, we dig deep to the nitty gritty and shed light on the little details that often go unnoticed by others but as a matter of fact, are equally or more important as these little details could easily make or break your work.
Enrollment Questions
You'll get INSTANT ACCESS when you sign up! The course has a proposed schedule of 6 weeks but you can definitely work at your own pace. After 6 weeks, all lessons are still accessible to you!
A learning experience in my course is highly skill-based and lifelong. Other than the comprehensive and detailed course content, you’ll gain access to a private Facebook group and the learning never stops. Even after the lessons are over, feel free to ask me questions in the group anytime, I'll be readily available to help. And everyone in the group can learn together!
You're right! It's definitely not a small sum. Please don't buy it if it's not financially feasible. I wouldn't want this for anyone, ever! This course is for action-takers who are looking to accelerate their growth and save time in the process, kinda like learning from my past several years of experience with the craft to get to where I'm today, but in 6 weeks. I also have an affiliate program ie. whenever someone signs up for my course with your unique link, you'll get a kickback. This means you'll get to learn from me *and* you can earn your money back. But I totally understand that courses are quite an investment, price-wise. So if this doesn't make sense for you right now, check out my YouTube channel for free tutorials. Once in a while, I also run course scholarships so stay connected with me on my socials!
You’ll have access to the course material for a minimum of 5 years from your purchase date. Additionally, you’ll receive any upgrades or bonus lessons I add in the future during that time, at no extra cost!
Unfortunately, as the course is digital and resources and worksheets are downloadable once you enrol, I'm afraid I am unable to provide refunds for this course. That said, I'd never want you to waste your time or money on a course that's not going to truly benefit you, so if you're sitting on the fence or unsure if it'll meet your learning needs, feel free to check out the course reviews or shoot me an email: [email protected] or message me on Instagram or Facebook with your questions!
If you've more questions, ask away! I'm happy to answer and assist in any way I can, so don't hesitate to reach out at [email protected].
Yes! If you're keen, email me at [email protected].
Calligraphy & Course Questions
The course is made for absolute beginners with no prior knowledge at all as I’ll be covering everything from the ground up. Even though this course is beginner friendly, it doesn’t stop as just a basics class. The lessons are progressive ie. we’ll be acquiring more theoretical knowledge over the weeks and tackling increasingly advanced topics. Lessons are bite-sized and systematic, so as it gets harder, you’re in safe hands as I’ll guide you step by step along the way so that the learning curve for you is gradual (but never plateauing). Intermediate practitioners are welcomed to take this course as well; I’ve had calligraphy workshop teachers learn from my classes and they picked up a lot of new and valuable info too!
As an artist myself, there's no such thing as "enough supplies" cause I want to try everything and anything new that's launching! But, primarily, we'll be using the Pentel Touch (fine tip) brush pen for this course and I'll also provide a PDF resource checklist (with clickable product links) that showcases a list of all the supplies you can possibly get (from brush pens, calligraphy inks, paper, other handy tools of various brands), along with its individual info as the answer to "what is the best tool?" really depends on the type of project you're working on (don't worry, I'll explain this in class!) Essentially, one fine tip brush pen (e.g. Pentel Touch/ Tombow Fude/ Zig Mangaka Flexible), writing pad + access to a printer to print out all the worksheets - and you're good to go. Anything extra is up to the individual! Materials are not provided along with this course purchase. However, if you'd like me to prepare and send a kit to you, please purchase the optional add-on.
While the proposed course completion is 6 weeks and students have seen success in the course after just 1-2 weeks of lessons, there's absolutely no rush to complete the course ASAP. Creative endeavours should be seen as a marathon, not a sprint. So I encourage you to go at your own pace, even if that means an hour a week. The speed for completing the course is irrelevant, what's more important here is CONSISTENCY! This helps in building momentum in our learning journey. Once you're enrolled, you'll get INSTANT FULL ACCESS to all lessons. You may watch and rewatch lessons as many times as you’d like in future.
If you’re someone who’s a self-motivated learner, the full course would suffice. After teaching for many years, I’ve seen and provided solutions for various common problems my students face. So in all the video lessons, common mistakes are always addressed with accompanying solutions so you’d know how to spot and rectify mistakes in your work. If you’re unsure of anything, feel free to ask in the Facebook group and I’d be readily available to help! If you’re someone who needs more hand-holding, especially if you’d like eyes on your work and practice, I’d recommend the one-to-one coaching tier. I’ll provide in-depth feedback on your work and suggest actionable steps so you know what to improve and work on. If you're still unsure, you may opt for without coaching first and if you'd like coaching sessions halfway through or anytime in the future, you may sign up for the coaching upgrade as an add-on arrangement.
This is a very valid question but to me, as calligraphy itself is a skill, whether you're using a dip pen or brush pen - it’s just a matter of the tools used. You can achieve formal script (e.g. copperplate) and freestyle writing (e.g. modern calligraphy) with either of the two mediums/ tools - dip pen or brush pen, though the former is more commonly associated with formal script and the latter with freestyle writing. I’ve no objections to learning dip pen calligraphy before brush calligraphy, as that was how I started as well. Given my experience, it’ll be a lot easier to make a transition from brush calligraphy to pointed pen calligraphy as the latter requires juggling 2 things at a time - learning the tools AND the writing itself. You’ll experience a steeper learning curve that way. That said, in this course, you’ll be learning BOTH formal script and freestyle and all notes given in class can be used with BOTH dip pen and brush pen. Pre-course resources include information on pointed pen calligraphy inks and types too. In the video lessons, though I'll be demonstrating using the brush pen - whenever there's a difference in *execution* between a brush pen vs dip pen, I'll point them out in that individual lesson/ scenario so that you know what the specific differences are e.g. I'll show you how to get square cut offs with both pointed pen and brush pen (yes it's not impossible!). After mastering the brush pen, you can absolutely venture into pointed pen and implement all the lessons learnt with the current course curriculum.
Nice handwriting is a nice plus to have, but not a requirement at all. If you’re someone who is worried that bad handwriting = possibly bad calligraphy, this is a huge misconception! For me, I’ve terrible handwriting and can “switch” via muscle memory to execute a beautiful script regardless. Calligraphy is very systematic, and I break it all down to straightforward, easy to digest concepts for easy implementation. With clarity and practice, you'll get it in no time.
Have no worries, there's some pointers that apply to left-handers only and that would be covered in class! I have taught several left-handed students before who have found success in rectifying past concerns after gaining clarity from the lessons, so you'll be in good hands!
I've always believed in working smart over working hard. By learning the why behind the how, and how to engage in purposeful observation, you'll be able to tell what is right from wrong, so that you can train your eyes to study form and structure critically with clear understanding. So that when you actually start practising, it is deliberate and intentional, even if it's in a limited timeframe. There's no point in practising one letter 1,000 times incorrectly; it just reinforces bad habits and you end up wasting your invaluable time! Now that we understand that – from here, the amount of time you wish to spend on deliberate practice is honestly... as much time as you want! You can practise anytime on the weekends or weekdays before or after work/school whenever you're free, even if its just 10 mins.
For me, I don’t believe in teaching ‘one style of modern calligraphy’, there’s no fun in that if everyone’s doing the same style! My approach to teaching modern calligraphy starts with copperplate - reason being: you can’t break the rules if you don’t know the rules. So, only after learning traditional script (copperplate in this case, I’m not teaching Spencerian here tho Spencerian capitals will be referenced and flourishing variations may be included), then we’ll venture into modern calligraphy as we are now more well-informed. Style wise - Lessons will include studying individual features that make each style unique. You can think of this as: why are there so many fonts out there already but there are always more fonts being released? This is because of individual characteristics that make em distinct from each other. So for modern calligraphy, we don’t do ‘one style’. We do many so you’d understand how they’re constructed. Then the fun part: your turn to make your own unique style!
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