Calligraphy’s popularity, much like its flowy design, has ebbed and flowed through time, but still conveys the power of the earliest writing. Simply put, there is music in the shapes, a boldness conveyed that is unlike that of standard scripts. Perhaps that is why calligraphy, and its variants are used so widely in modern advertising. There are whole industries reliant on calligraphy artists. The wedding and invite industries have seen rapid expansion despite the growing cost of paper and hourly wages.
Both the present and future are bright for calligraphy. Despite its low point in popularity during the Industrial Revolution the art form made a resurgence in England during its Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century. Thanks to an abundance of pens and paper, a wave of calligraphic desire swept the US in the 70’s. It was from these recent advances in popularity that we see much progress and the shaping of our digital typeface.
Thanks to the internet, calligraphy is thriving in the digital age and creator-to-client contact is more efficient than ever before. For example, Hamelin’s new calligraphy blogger, Amelia Yin, started in 2020 and is already well known in her field. She seeks inspiration online from Pinterest and othercreators like @pretty.and.pages, @kjpages, and @chanti_schreibt. Amelia says taking classes when she was younger was important for her development. Be sure to check out Amelia’s page at:@AMELIASTIKTOK
It seems the further we push into set fonts and automation, the demand for calligraphic arts rises. Employing calligraphy is a surefire way to distinguish yourself from your peers. Joy Kelly of howjoyful.com says writing and calligraphy are extensions of gesture, and that we use them, “as a way to make motion visible, memorable and lasting.” Whether its official documents, prestigious events or your favorite tattoo, calligraphy touches our lives in many ways. Thanks to the digital age the opportunities of a professional life in the artform are closer than ever. Though it is difficult to gain notoriety, there are numerous ways to develop yourself into a hired pen. With a little digging you will find online courses and reference books that will give you the support you need to get started. Fun Fact: some of the online courses are put on by global artists likeAchyut Palav.