Download Article
Download Article
Handwriting can seem like an ancient relic in our modern world; some even claim that teaching cursive writing in schools is “obsolete” and a “waste of time.” But everyone needs to put pen to paper at least occasionally, and good handwriting is not only easier to read, it makes a better impression than illegible “chicken scratch.” Whether you just want to improve your everyday writing, or learn (or re-learn) to write in cursive or calligraphy, there are several simple steps you can take to have more beautiful writing.
Steps
-
Choose the right tools. Some people prefer pen, others pencil. Some like them larger, others smaller. The important thing is to find a writing instrument that feels right in your hand. [1] X Research source
- Consider a pen or pencil with a soft grip, especially if you tend to grip too tightly.
- Use lined paper for practice, and sturdier paper if you are writing something to keep.
-
Sit upright but comfortably. [2] X Research source Yes, your mother was right -- posture counts. Hunching over your paper will make your neck and back sore after a while, and it also restricts your arm movement so that you will over-utilize your hand and wrist in writing (see Method 2, Step 3 below).
- If you can sit up straight as a rail and be comfortable, great. But don't make yourself overly rigid and uncomfortable. Beautiful writing should not be a painful chore.
Advertisement -
Hold on loosely. Grasp the pen, don't choke it. (They say a good craftsman never blames his tools.) If you have an indentation or red mark on your finger when you finish writing, you're holding on too tight. A looser hold enables a better range of motion and allows the letters to flow more freely from your pen.
- There are plenty of “right” ways to hold a pen or pencil. Some pin it against the middle finger with the index finger and thumb, some press with the fingertips of all three fingers; some rest the back of the pen on the index finger base knuckle, some on the webbing between index finger and thumb.
- Instead of spending time forcing yourself to utilize a new grip, go with what is comfortable for you -- unless you find that you use an awkward grip that negatively affects the quality of your writing. [3] X Research source So long as you're utilizing your first two fingers and thumb, it should work fine.
-
Make your content more beautiful. Sure, it's fine to use abbreviations, symbols, non-sentences, etc. when jotting down notes, but especially when it's something that another person will see, take the time to write properly. A shiny, clean car that's missing two wheels and the hood doesn't look as beautiful as a complete one.
- Make sure you have the appropriate capitalization and punctuation marks.
- Don't use text speech or internet abbreviations. If you are writing anything other people are going to read, don't use text writing: Gr8, bcuz, u, soz, lols, etc.
-
Seek inspiration. Do you know someone with beautiful handwriting? Watch him or her write and ask for some pointers. You may even want to look at word processor fonts for inspiration on letter shapes.
- Don't be too proud to seek out writing lessons and workbooks marketed for schoolchildren. For that matter, if you have children, practice together. Turn family bonding time into better penmanship for all.
Advertisement
-
Study the cursive alphabet. Odds are you've forgotten what some of the cursive letters look like since grade school. Seek out some of the many cursive practice books that have lines on the paper to help you practice making the cursive letters.
- There is more than one style of cursive, of course, and it is fine to give your cursive an individual flare, as long as it is still legible. But it's probably best to start out by copying an existing style.
- Seek out websites with study tutorials and printable practice sheets. [4] X Research source Some even have animations of the pen strokes used to make each letter.
-
Practice using your whole arm to write. Most people write by manipulating their fingers, what is called by some “drawing” the letters. Handwriting artists utilize their arms and shoulders as they write, which facilitates a better flow and thus less angular, choppy handwriting.
- Try “air writing.” You may feel silly doing it, but it will help re-train your muscles. Pretend you are writing large letters on a chalkboard. (In fact, you can practice writing on a chalkboard.) You will naturally use shoulder rotation and forearm movement to construct your letters.
- As you become more proficient at air writing, reduce the size of your invisible letters and assume the positioning you would take to put pen to paper. [5] X Research source But continue to focus on using your shoulder and arm, not your fingers.
-
Practice basic cursive pen strokes. The two essential moves in cursive handwriting are the upsweep and the curve, so practice them first before writing full letters. [6] X Research source
- You'll want your practice stokes and eventually your letters to be evenly spaced, so lined paper will be really useful here. If you want to write on a blank piece of paper, put in light, evenly spaced pencil lines with a ruler and erase the lines once you've written your letters.
- To practice the upsweep, start the pen just above the baseline, brush against the baseline as you pull down and slightly forward, then turn the curve upward into a straight line (angled slightly forward) through the midline and to the topline.
- The basic curve practice stroke resembles a lowercase “c.” Start just below the midline, pull up and back to make nearly a complete counterclockwise, forward-leaning oval (taller than wide), brushing against the midline and baseline as you go and stopping about three-fourths of the way up to your starting point.
- As you move on to practicing whole letters and combinations, don't forget about the connections. In cursive, they are the “air,” the space between pen strokes when the pen is lifted in script writing. Proper connections will make your cursive writing not only more beautiful, but faster.
-
Start slow. Cursive writing is about writing faster by reducing pen lifts, but start out by practicing forming each letter and connection deliberately and precisely. Pick up the pace only as you master the form. Think of cursive writing as an art, because it is one.
Advertisement
-
Get the right tools. To get the attractive appearance of your calligraphy strokes appearing thick and thin, you'll need to make sure that you have the proper pens, paper and ink.
- The best writing utensils for calligraphy are broad-edged ones like markers, fountain pens, brushes, quills, reeds, or staff with inserted tips (called nibs).
- Make sure that you have paper that ink won't bleed through. Practicing on plain, standard notebook paper is fine, but you'll need to test that the ink won't bleed through. Most stationery stores sell paper that is made for calligraphy.
- If you're going to use inks, avoid India drawing inks because the lacquer in them has a tendency to clog the pen and rust the nib. You're better off using a water soluble ink.
-
Set up your paper properly. This means understanding where the lines go so that your calligraphy has uniformity of appearance.
- You definitely want to choose lined paper for practice. Either use pre-lined paper, place paper with dark lines under your practice sheet, or use a pencil and ruler to draw parallel lines on your practice sheet.
- You'll need to set a nib height -- that is, the space between guide lines as measured by the width of your pen nib. (The width of the widest part of your pen tip equals 1 “nib” in this equation). A common standard is 5 nibs between guidelines.
- The guidelines include the baseline, the waistline, and the ascending and descending lines.
- The baseline is the writing line that all letters rest on.
- The waistline is the line above the baseline, which changes according to the x-height of the letter (in this case, 5 nibs above baseline).
- The ascending line marks the height that all ascending letters (such as a lowercase “h” or “l”) hit. It will be 5 nibs above the waistline (or whichever nib height you're using).
- The descending line is where descending letters (such as lowercase “g” or “p”) hit below the baseline. It will be in this example 5 nibs below the baseline.
-
Position yourself and your pen. As advised to improve any style of writing, sit with your feet on the floor and your back straight (but not uncomfortably rigid). Likewise, hold the pen so that it is under control but not in a vise grip, or your hand may cramp.
- Calligraphy requires you to hold your pen nib at a 45 degree angle. To make sure that you're holding your pen at a 45 degree angle, draw a right angle (90 degrees) with a pencil. Draw a line upward from the corner of the angle that cuts the right angle in half. If it's a thin line, then you're holding your pen properly.
-
Practice primary strokes. In calligraphy, these include the vertical downstroke, push/pull strokes, and branching strokes.
- For the vertical downstroke, practice drawing thick, straight lines down from the ascending line to the baseline and the waistline to the baseline. Slightly lean the line forward after some practice. Eventually you will add “tails” (short thin-line strokes) to the beginning and end of your downstrokes, but save that for later practice.
- For push-pull strokes, make short, thick horizontal lines along the waistline. This stroke will make the tops of a lowercase “a,” “g”, the cross of a “t,” and others. You may eventually add a slight wave and/or tails to this stroke, but stick to a straight line at first.
- For branching strokes, make a curved line, slightly leaned forward, from the baseline to the ascending line and waistline to baseline. You will use this motion to make lowercase “n” and “v,” for example. Practice starting the line thick and ending thin and vice versa -- you will need to be able to do both.
- As you improve with these motions, make shapes like boxes, triangles, and ovals before moving on to the actual letter forms. Pay special attention to keeping the 45 degree angle.
-
Take your time. Unlike cursive, in calligraphy each letter requires one or more pen lifts. As you move into practicing letters, focus on each stroke used to make a letter. Get each piece of the puzzle in place, then assemble that letter.
-
Consider taking a class. If you are serious about learning calligraphy, you may want to consider seeking out a calligraphy class at an art school or perhaps even a community center. Calligraphy is truly an art form, and proper, guided instruction can prove very helpful to many aspiring calligraphers. But even self-taught calligraphy can be beautiful and improve your writing form in general.
Advertisement
Community Q&A
Search
-
QuestionCan you write in Calligraphy without a Calligraphy pen?Community AnswerYes. You can use a brush pen, or just your normal ballpen. You can just shade some parts of your normal cursive writing, and there!
-
QuestionIs there any specific pen I should use?Community AnswerJust use the pen that you think you feel more comfortable with, and the one you think makes your handwriting look better.
-
QuestionCan you write beautifully with a pencil?Community AnswerYes, you can write beautifully with a pencil but you might have to sharpen it more. Or, you can just use a mechanical pencil.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Tips
- For some people, writing with mechanical pencils (not wooden) can be easier.Thanks
- If you want to write on plain paper, to keep your writing straight, put a ruled page under it and you should be able to see the lines.Thanks
- Buy and use a handwriting book. All of it.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Choose pens, pencils or other writing tools that feel right in your hand. Having an instrument you're comfortable with will improve your writing.
- Take classes if you're interested in cursive or calligraphy. Proper instruction in these writing styles as art forms can be very beneficial.
- Be patient with yourself as you work to improve your handwriting. Change happens gradually with regular, diligent practice over time.
- When practicing writing, sit upright but find a comfortable posture. Hunching over causes soreness and restricts your arm movement.
- Focus on neat, proper content in addition to good penmanship. Beautiful writing has appropriate punctuation and capitalization.
- Seek inspiration from skilled writers or fonts you admire. Studying good examples can provide guidance on shaping letters.
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about teaching, check out our in-depth interview with Courtney Copriviza .
References
- ↑ http://ijrar.com/upload_issue/ijrar_issue_84.pdf
- ↑ https://occupationaltherapy.com.au/the-importance-of-good-sitting-posture-for-handwriting/
- ↑ https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ot/InfoSheet_A.pdf
- ↑ http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/mastering-calligraphy-how-to-write-in-cursive-script--vector-25716
- ↑ https://sightwords.com/sight-words/lessons/air-writing/
- ↑ http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/mastering-calligraphy-how-to-write-in-cursive-script--vector-25716
About This Article
Article Summary
X
If you want to have beautiful writing, choose a pen or pencil with a soft grip, and practice your writing on lined paper, which will help you keep your writing straight. Sit up straight, yet comfortably, so your hand and wrist can move freely as you write. Study the handwriting of other people, and if you can, find someone with beautiful handwriting and watch them write to get an idea of how to move the pen across the paper. For tips on learning basic calligraphy, keep reading!
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 785,465 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "I've known for a while that I tend to hold a pencil way too hard. I have a permanent mark on my ring finger from holding it in an awkward position and from holding too tight. I guess it took me too long to realize that it was affecting my penmanship." ..." more
Advertisement
89%
of readers found this article helpful
.
Click a star to add your vote
% of people told us that this article helped them.
"I've known for a while that I tend to hold a pencil way too hard. I have a permanent mark on my ring finger from holding it in an awkward position and from holding too tight. I guess it took me too long to realize that it was affecting my penmanship."
..."
more
"It is very helpful. I have already started doing this. I had a fear about writing any sort of paragraph or essay. But now I am on the path of improving my writing skill with the best chance. Thanks."
..."
more
"The step that was most helpful to me was how to write and learn calligraphy. This is because I am very young but am still practicing calligraphy every day."
..."
more
"This article helped me, mostly because of the video. After a while, my handwriting soon became more organized than it ever had been. Thank you, wikiHow!"
..."
more
"I saw it said some people prefer to write in pen, but I was writing in pencil. I tried it in pen and my writing got more beautiful."
..."
more
