Download these 3 Free Printable Modern Calligraphy Practice Sheets to try 3 different lettering styles and techniques. Plus, discover new calligraphy materials you need to try!

This is one of my favorite quotes, ever. Lately, it’s taken on a new meaning. Because of that, I think it’s fitting that this quote comes in 3 different styles of lettering. Now you can download 3 Free Printable Modern Calligraphy Practice Sheets to try out these gorgeous styles. I realize that I missed posting this on or before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, but I figure it’s a quote that can always be shared and appreciated.

Guys, I’ve been struggling to get motivated since Christmas…if we’re honest since Halloween. I usually have so much going on in the holiday season, I absolutely HAVE to work. Now that things have slowed down…I’m putting off maintaining certain parts of my business. Usually, when I feel this way (it happens EVERY YEAR), I need to give myself a break.

For me, a break meant doing some calligraphy and doing it in my own style. I love trying out different techniques and sometimes the most unique combinations work the best. You can learn how to find your own calligraphy style in my new CASUAL CALLIGRAPHY course!

Get the Casual Calligraphy Course for Beginners

I decided to use this quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. because it has a bit of a double meaning for me. There’s the obvious meaning – that hate breeds hate. I try to make Printable Crush a space of positivity because I truly believe in Martin Luther King, Jr’s wise words.

Something that has been bothering me lately is my inability to move forward in the year. I keep kicking myself for not being farther along with my business -blogger jealousy is so real, even though I’m not naturally a jealous person. I keep kicking myself for not bringing myself out of this slump, for not having a perfectly tidy house, or healthy meals on the table every night, or for being absolutely terrible at making my kids do their homework…

BUT if I keep kicking myself for being down…I’m never going to get back up. Deep…I know. But also true. Dark, negative thoughts have a way of creeping in, no matter who you are.

“Darkness cannot drive out Darkness. Only LIGHT can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only LOVE can do that.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

So learning my new lettering techniques really helped me get back up. Lettering and creative thinking are my light, as silly as it sounds 🙂

Since I am a blogger, I felt the need to share a bit of my lettering journey. I won’t be able to share the tutorials from the course I took because that would be STEALING…but I do want to share these Modern Calligraphy Practice Sheets I created so you can try some of these techniques on your own. I’m going to break it down into products I used for each technique.

Modern Calligraphy Practice Sheet 1

This is what you would call ACTUAL calligraphy, only I do not have the patience or control to create perfect envelopes for wedding stationery. I loved one of the lessons about breaking the rules because that’s what I do all the time, anyway (little ones, like not coloring in the lines, or jaywalking). It’s still fun working with old-fashioned calligraphy tools, though.

For very beginners, I recommend the Speedball Oblique Penholder
Pretty Gold Carrot Calligraphy Nib Holder – I JUST purchased this because of its great reviews and it’s just so purty
Nikko Calligraphy Nibs
Moon Palace Sumi Ink
Tombow Fudenosuke Pens (if you’d rather do brush lettering instead of calligraphy)
Strathmore Calligraphy Paper (the off-white paper I have in my images)
Premium Choice Laser Paper (not for printing- it won’t bleed like white printer paper)
Cricut Bright Pad (Optional – use for tracing)

You can also use these practice sheets on your iPad Pro (I’ve included jpegs just in case). You’ll need the procreate app and the Light Calligraphy brush (I highly recommend getting all her calligraphy brushes in this Procreate Brush Pack). You can see how to insert an image to the procreate app HERE.

There are obviously several other inks, nibs, and papers you can use, but these are all great for beginners. You can check out my Casual Calligraphy Supply List for a better idea of what you need to get started.

Modern Calligraphy Practice Sheets 2 & 3

This is a style I’m much more comfortable with, and while it’s not technically calligraphy, it has the same techniques – thicken the downstrokes, lighten the upstrokes.