Practical Calligraphy by George Thomson is definitely a beginner guide so if you already are familiar with calligraphy this will seem like an unnecessary read. Now, that being said, if you are interested in the art of calligraphy or just curious about the beautiful creations others have made, then this book will be a benefit to you. I appreciated how well laid out the book is as well as the explanations of materials needed. It is a useful reference guide for leaning the art of calligraphy.
Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.

This book starts with basic techniques and guides readers to try for more advanced exercises. Overall most stuff are pretty basic, suitable for beginners, but not really the right book for people who have already mastered the basic skills. The page design is pretty nice, looks comfortable, and there are many detail pictures for beginners to follow.
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Overall: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Appealing: 3.5/5
Page Design: 4/5

Very informative with great projects to try. I really enjoyed the illustrations using different tools.

A guide to calligraphy with all the essential information to get started. The projects are a little outdated and other books have a more creative layoout. Would be useful as a first book on the subject.

A good addition to beginner books, but not a straight beginner book. Has some good tips for readers. A few images and projects to have a look at.

✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️

I have always wanted to study calligraphy and now I have the perfect guide in PRACTICAL CALLIGRAPHY. This lovely book provides easy steps for learning an array of calligraphy techniques and materials. Highly recommended!

Grateful to the Quarto Publishing Group - Ivy Press and NetGalley for the early copy, in exchange for my true review.

#PracticalCalligraphy #NetGalley

3.5-4 Stars!! So much information in this book! Great for anyone who really want to learn calligraphy! But for someone like me, who only wanted to see if I could do it, than it’s a bit much. I never realized how much went into calligraphy writing.
Part one teaches the basics-writing instruments, writing media, surfaces, rhythm and pattern, & line and shape. Part two teaches-lessons from the past, pen angle, letter weight and letter proportions, preparing to write, the foundation or round hand, the italic hand, variations on theme, & flourishing. Part three is about the projects, of which there are nine! The projects are named- the calligraphic finish, a monogram, a bookplate, a poster for a “grande fête”, a wedding invitation, calligraphy as illustration, a decorative alphabet, a concertina manuscript book, and a self written brief. Part four is titled ‘reference’ & includes gilding, layout and design, where to go from here and a glossary. It’s a very informative book & perfect for any calligraphy beginner!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

Practical Calligraphy is the perfect art book for beginners looking to get their feet wet with calligraphy. This book is short and concise, being less than fifty pages in total. That means there isn’t a lot of time wasted rambling, and instead the focus is entirely on teaching the reader the basics of calligraphy. If you’re looking for a guidebook that it intensely focused such as this, then this is perfect for you.
The guide focuses on the basics, which includes the tools used, such as the instruments, papers, and so on. Also included in the basics are basic concepts like line and shape, but also the rhythm and patterns. That’s something that I never would have thought to ask about, so this was a lovely touch. From the basics we’re moved on to more detailed elements of calligraphy; the best way to hold the brush, proportions of letters, flourishing, and many other details.
Also included are nine projects. Accompanying these projects are exceptionally thorough step-by-step guides. This is perfect for both beginners and those struggling with the minutiae of calligraphy. The projects themselves start from a very basic point, but steadily get more complex. They should give the reader a solid understanding of how to proceed on their own as well, which is perfect.
Finally the book leaves off with some final references, as well as an idea of what to do next with calligraphy. On the whole this book was very well thought out, and shockingly detailed despite the concise nature of it. I’m incredibly impressed and pleased.

This practical guide is wonderful. After explaining the basics, like writing material, surfaces and instruments, different techniques from past to present are explained, which is followed by a large selection of projects to revise the techniques described.

Throughout the book you will find a lot of pictures that guide you through the individual strokes that are necessary to create a certain letter or swirl. Different calligraphy alphabets are also displayed, each with individual strokes indicated.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who'd like to go beyond writing with fountain pen. You might not want to create your best friend's wedding invitation, but a nice book plate or your monogram on a large piece of thick paper might be nice.

Practical Calligraphy is a useful quick-guide for anyone interested in getting into calligraphy. It covers all the technical aspects first, and then encourages you to practise and improve on your skills through a series of varied projects. This is one for beginners, not those looking to expand existing knowledge and skills, but it does what it does well. The only thing I would have liked to have seen included would be some practice sheets etc. at the back. Otherwise, Practical Calligraphy offers a good starting point for your foray into the world of the calligraphy.

I learned a lot about calligraphy and forming letters from this book. Thanks for the review copy. Other will learn a lot from this book, too.

This is a good go to reference book for someone wanting to start calligraphy. It provides the logistics of the whys you hold the pen at a certain angle and the letter spacing. This book only covers pens and bibs though and does not address the calligraphy brushes. The drills in the back are good, but there is lack of emphasis on the strokes. As someone who practices brush lettering and faux calligraphy, you have to master the basic techniques of the up and down stroke, even with a calligraphy pen.