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.
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through images of beautiful calligraphy art on Instagram and buying all the nice cards for your loved ones, thinking “I wish I could create beautiful things with my own hands too!” … but don’t know how to get started?
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
If you found yourself agreeing to the above, you’re not alone! I’ve been there before and I totally feel you.
Learning calligraphy shouldn't be a painful and difficult process.
I’m here to help.
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 loosing 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.
Here’s my work mid-2015:
Fast forward to my work years later, 2017 - 2024
I’ve since left my day job (fund accountant at a bank) to pursue my passion and craft full-time and am proud to say that I’ve have had the pleasure to work with amazing brands and businesses such as Google, Lamborghini and The Washington Post!
Today, I’m excited to impart everything I know to you.
I've shared my expertise with many students over the past years and had helped them learn and grow their calligraphy journey - from locals 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, MOE school art teachers, motion designers etc., the list goes on. And now, I am excited in helping you succeed in yours!
Accelerate your learning
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.
Who this course is for
Students will be equipped with a solid theoretical understanding of the anatomy of type and by the end of the course, be able to successfully and confidently apply techniques learnt, assess and make similar creative decisions on their own in the work they produce.
This course is excellent for both beginners and practitioners alike who seek to utilize a new skill set for custom calligraphy and design projects - from simple hand-written greeting cards, envelope addressing and quotes to more advanced applications such as wedding invites, stationery design, script-based logo design and branding, calligraphy hand-engraving and more.
What you can expect to learn
Week 1: Basics, Theory & Copperplate Minuscules (3.5 Hours)
Fundamentals & Theory
- Introduction and history to calligraphy, lettering, custom typography and typography
- Various practiced calligraphy styles + how to engage in purposeful observation
- Applications: What can I do with Calligraphy as a skill?
- Supplies and materials walk through + recommended progression for exploring your tools
- Theory and guidelines explanation, how to hold the brush pen and the principle skills of calligraphy
- Body posture, pen and paper placement (Left + Right-handed)
Copperplate Minuscules: Basic Strokes
- Basic strokes + demonstration of common mistakes, why they’re mistakes and how to rectify them
- How to get square cut offs with a brush pen
- Drills
Copperplate Minuscules: Lowercase a-z rundown in family groups
- Why the need to practice in family groups?
- a - z rundown
- 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
- Optional: 26^26 letter practice
Week 2: Copperplate Majuscules (3.5 Hours)
Basic Strokes & Uppercase A-Z rundown in family groups
- Basic strokes
- A - Z rundown
- Letter connection, proportions & ratios
- Taking inspiration from Spencerian Capitals
Week 3: Flourishing - Lowercase Variations (3.5 Hours)
Flourishing Fundamentals & Theory: The why behind effortless looking flourishes
- 10 Rules of flourishing
- How to create infinite possibilities of flourishes without any memorisation: 3 key concepts & breakdown
Lowercase Flourishing & Variations
- Rundown a-z
Week 4: Flourishing - Uppercase Variations (3.5 Hours)
Uppercase Flourishing & Variations
- Learn how to create infinite variations of flourishes possible from A-Z
- Combining lowercase and uppercase flourishing
Week 5: Ligatures, Numerals & Symbols (3.5 Hours)
Ligatures
- What are ligatures and how to spot an opportunity for adding a ligature to your work
- When to use ligatures vs flourishing?
- Common ligatures
- Creative out of the box ligatures
- Double ligatures, triple ligatures, quadruple ligatures & more
- Ligatures across words: horizontal and vertical stacking
- Ligature word practice
- Combining ligatures + flourishing
Numerals & Symbols
- 0 to 9 rundown + flourishing options on how to dress it up more
- Alternative baseline; oldstyle vs lining numbers
- Common symbols rundown + alternatives
Week 6: Composition and Layout (3.5 Hours)
Composition & Layout
- How to achieve elegant and effective calligraphy with a composition that is clean, intentional and easy on the eyes
- Exploring various layout scenarios
- Exploring shapes and alternate paths
Week 7: Modern Calligraphy (3.5 Hours)
Modern Calligraphy
- Difference between traditional vs modern script + what rules can be broken?
- Letter variations for a modern script
- Step-by-step breakdown and rundown of how to achieve a modern script
- Train your eye: spot the mistakes!
- Modern Calligraphy (Lowercase)
- Modern Calligraphy (Uppercase)
Developing your own unique style that you'll love
- Dissecting various modern calligraphy styles to understand individual characteristics + demonstration of various styles catered to various occasion(s)/vibe and feel
- Developing your own unique style(s) - yes, you can create more than one! + faux calligraphy
- Style practice and experimentation
Week 8: Dip Pen Calligraphy, Gradient Calligraphy, Ombre & Colour Blending, iPad Procreate Calligraphy, Digitisation using Adobe PS & AI, and Hand-engraving (3.5 Hours)
Dip Pen or Pointed Pen Calligraphy
- Deep dive into nibs, flanges, pen holders, ink and paper
- How to hold the pointed pen
- Straight vs oblique holders (left and right handers)
- How to prep the nib
- Going through common mistakes and how to troubleshoot them
- Sharing my ultimate cheatsheet and top recommendations
Gradient Calligraphy
- How to create gradient calligraphy in 5 various ways
- Tips to achieve a cohesive gradient
- Ombre and colour blending
- Stylistic embellishments
Analogue to Digital
- Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator demonstration walkthrough
- iPad Procreate demonstration walkthrough *bring your iPad & Apple Pencil if you own em!
Hand-engraving
- Introduction and demonstration of hand-engraving
- Hands on: you'll get to try engraving with one to one guidance from me!
Upcoming Schedule
< First Session only >
Date: TBC
Time: 9 AM - 1230 PM
Location: The Adelphi, 2 mins walk from City Hall MRT
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Workshop Fee: $168/pax, additional add-on sessions @ same rate
< full 8 week course >
Dates: TBC
Time: 9 AM - 1230 PM
Location: The Adelphi, 2 mins walk from City Hall MRT
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Course Fee: $1098/pax for all 8 classes, bundle price
* Slots usually sell out fast so do book early to avoid disappointment! Should slots be sold out or you don’t see suitable dates, click here to join the waitlist to be the first to know when new dates are available.
* If you prefer to try the first session before considering the full 8-week course, the top-up difference is $961 to join the remaining 7 sessions.
* I get a lot of questions on this but unfortunately, this course is not Skillsfuture claimable, my apologies!
Online Course
If you’re someone who prefers to learn at your own pace to on-demand video lessons or prefers a more affordable option, check out my online course!
* Do note that attending the in-person course doesn’t include online course access and vice versa.
Course Pictures & Student Work
Featuring art pieces and practice work from our course participants, ranging from as young as 10 years old to 60+ years old!
“I attended Leah's Brush Lettering Course in Singapore in 2019. 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 demo. She was able to control the flow of the course, such that all topics were covered and we finished class on time. She is also keen on seeing our strong and weak points. With that, as a participant, I knew where I'm good at and which to work on more. I highly recommend Leah's classes if you want a strong foundation for Brush Calligraphy.”
– Coy Barredo, Professional Calligrapher & Workshop Instructor in Philippines | @COYLIGRAPHY
Master a new skill in 8 weeks
We’ll learn everything from the basics to advanced topics, taking you from clueless to confident! Structured practice sheets (printable and traceable) are provided weekly.
Create endless variations with ease
Feeling stuck with flourishing? I'll show exactly how to improvise and create flourishes without memorization, teaching you the skills aka how to fish and not spoonfeeding you with "answers". Beyond the basics, we'll also learn how to use flourishes and ligatures to create effective compositions and layouts.
Modern calligraphy styles demystified
After learning the rules, it's time to break em'! We'll cover an array of styles - dissecting each one so you understand how they’re made and how you can recreate them too if you’d like. But more importantly, I’m not here to teach you my own style. Instead, I'll show you how you can create your own distinct style that you'll love, unique to you and you only!
Level up to Dip Pen Calligraphy
We ain’t stopping at just brush pen. After mastering calligraphy, let’s look to other tools like the pointed pen. We’ll deep dive into nibs, paper, ink, straight holders vs oblique holders, cover common mistakes and so much more.
learn ombre calligraphy
I’ll show you techniques to create strikingly bold and vibrant calligraphy. Perfect for cards!
Experience Hand-engraving
Make a permanent mark with hand-engraving - you’ll have hands-on under my guidance in a safe environment.
Don't limit yourself to pen and paper; let's go digital!
Learn how to digitise your script. This is where you can put your artwork on any product medium you can think of and explore selling em'!
Create breathtaking designs with ease and clarity
If you're tired of buying cards or bullet journal stamps, now you can decorate and create your own from scratch!
Certificate of Achievement
To celebrate course completion, you’ll be awarded a certificate, with your name calligraphed by me. Here’s to your life-long calligraphy journey!
“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, Professional Watercolour Artist, Illustrator & Educator | @LICHINGHENG
If you want to…
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!
Course highlights
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.
Have a solid theoretical understanding on all the whys and the hows
Have me demonstrate each point the wrong *and* right way with detailed explanations so that you can fully understand the common mistakes
Learn to engage in deliberate practice and purposeful observation
With a visualiser + projector set-up, there’s no need to stand around, crowding over my shoulder. You’ll get full close-up view of all demonstrations from where you’re comfortably seated
Make friends in a cozy setting with our small group size of no more than 8 participants
One-to-one attention and guidance where I will troubleshoot your mistakes and provide you with clarity on the spot in class
Get detailed one-to-one feedback from me on your work, outside of class, anytime throughout the course period
Moving forward, you'll be able to spot and troubleshoot your own mistakes and create work that you’re proud of after the course ends
Materials you'll receive
Pre-course PDF resources + Pre-recorded Theory Introduction Video
Curated notes, structured exercise sheets, practice sheets, guide sheets (200+ pages!)
Brush pen, Oblique Holder, Straight Holder, Nibs x 2, Ink
Practice writing pad
Assignments will be given each week and I will review and provide personal feedback on your work in the following week. Even though these assignments are optional, frequent practice outside of class is highly recommended.
Are you ready to kickstart your journey in the art of writing? I hope that you’ll join me in this value-packed course. Hit enrol and I can't wait to see you in class!
“Had a lot of fun learning brush lettering with Leah 😊 While being both systematic and organised, she also encourages us to play, explore and try out alternative lettering methods so we can find a style that we're comfortable with. Great class, would definitely recommend her lessons 😊"
– Stephanie Hew Nakatani, Australian Illustrator based in Singapore | @INKYCATSTUDIO
FAQs
Do I need to have prior experience to take this course?
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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!
What if I can't make it to the available dates?
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If you're someone with a busy schedule, I'd recommend opting for the online course option for maximum flexibility, where you can watch the lessons whenever and wherever you'd like! And you can consider signing up for one-on-one coaching which is best similar to an in-person course experience. I'll look at your submitted work and provide individual in-depth feedback. If not, sign up for my newsletter: https://www.leahdesign.sg/waitlist or follow my socials to be the first to know whenever the next available course dates are confirmed!
What if I want to learn Pointed Pen Calligraphy and not Brush Lettering?
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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.
Which is why we will use the brush pen for majority of the lessons, before transitioning to dip pen calligraphy in the last session. 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.
What if I have bad handwriting?
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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.
What if I am left-handed?
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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!
How much time do I need to dedicate to be successful at Calligraphy? What if I'm lazy or unmotivated?
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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.
What kind of style do you teach for modern calligraphy?
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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!
Would you recommend that I join your online course or in-person course?
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The online course content is equivalent to the in-person course ie. the online course isn't less beneficial or less valuable. The skills taught are the same. After teaching for many years, I’ve seen and provided solutions for various common problems my students face. So in all the lessons (in-person or online), common mistakes are always addressed with accompanying solutions so you’d know how to spot and rectify mistakes in your work. Personally, I’d say, a better question to ask yourself "what are my learning needs and which learning style suits me better?" as this depends on the individual!
For in-person, you'll get direct access to me for 8 weeks, with one to one attention. It's great for those who learn better with accountability ie. prefers to learn at a set place, date and time every week for 8 weeks in a group setting. However, if you'd like access to recorded videos and prefer to have the option to rewatch the videos multiple times, as well as having the freedom to watch the lessons anytime, anywhere, without adhering to class schedules, I'd recommend the online version. This is great for self-motivated learners who are looking for flexiblity in schedule.
If you're someone who wants all of the above aka best of both worlds, opt for the online course with one-on-one coaching.
If you're still unsure, DM me on Instagram @leahdesign with your questions or concerns, I'll be happy to help.
What if I am unable to attend class after purchasing?
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The full 8-week in-person course is non-refundable but you may opt to completely switch over to the 6-week online course. Alternatively, you can opt to join future in-person course runs, depending on availability. However, I seek your understanding in informing me via email or text at least 2 weeks in advance so that I can better prepare the materials for class.
For registration of individual classes, this is strictly non-refundable.
Is this course Skillsfuture claimable?
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Unfortunately, I'm afraid not. Sorry about this!
What if I have more questions?
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Ask away! I'm happy to answer any specific questions you have - just shoot me an email at hello@leahdesign.sg and I'll get back to you ASAP. 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, don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Student Testimonials
Here’s what my students have to say! Additionally, feel free to check out these Instagram accounts of past course students (either existing accounts, or those who created accounts after the first session of the course to document their calligraphy journey!): @shuiewrites, @coyligraphy, @omgitsweijian, @aiyen.arts, @jennytang722, @watercolor_luftmensch, @tohnado, @chemistrycalligraphy, @theletterbarn, @yourblueletters, @onesunnysideart.
“From learning lowercase to uppercase to flourishing and finally ligatures, the course was SO GOOD. I highly recommend it. Leah will give feedback on the pieces you’ve done and you feel personally coached. I could see improvements very quickly. Super proud of myself and how far I’ve come!”
– Joyce Lim | @letterstojoyce
“Five years ago, Copperplate was my love-at-first-sight script style that made me venture into this penmanship interest but I was not able to produce the beautiful, elegant and rhythmic writing piece the script embodies after going through countless books and online videos. From then onwards, I went to study broad edge pen calligraphy such as Foundational Hand and Blackletter and paved my way to modern brush calligraphy.
In 2019, while scrolling through Instagram for inspiration, I came across Leah’s Instagram page and saw her conducting Copperplate Workshops in Brunei’s neighbouring country, Singapore. I flew across to rekindle my relationship with my first love and Leah was very helpful and informative in teaching the anatomical structure of the script letterforms and family relationships among the letters.
In class, you get honest, instant feedback and she’s also been generous to give detailed feedback on your work submissions through WhatsApp as well. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned calligrapher, I highly recommend her classes to build your foundation or even further upgrade your current writing skills.”
– Zaman Wahid, Brunei | @zaman_whd
Private Calligraphy Workshops
If you're keen in picking up calligraphy in a more private and intimate setting with complete one-to-one attention and guidance throughout the entire class, I am happy to provide private classes to meet your specific learning needs. Or if you want to take a private class exclusively for just your group of friends (maybe say for a hen's party or birthday party?), let’s make it happen!
Specifically, I've taught several private group classes for young kids aged 6-12 as well. Usually, they're kids in the same peer group at school and I'd suggest a private group class if possible for them to be in a comfortable setting of similar age group and same pace of learning and style.