Another mindful calligraphy basics exercise. We will practice the overturn stroke in combination with your breathing. It is meant to get you in a nice and relaxed flow. Calligraphy takes a lot of practice, but that does not mean you have to write boring practice lines. Let’s make it fun and practice with shapes, like this heart, instead.
Supplies used:
Smooth paper (Rhodia) and brush pens (Tombow fudenosuke hard tip), colours: purple, pink.
Alternative supply suggestions:
If you don’t have brush pens, it is still possible to do the exercise. Just grab a regular sheet of paper and some colored pencils. With colored pencils you can make the thin and thick strokes as well. Really, I have tested this. If colored pencils are also not available to you, you can use a regular pencil.
Instructions:
1. An overturn has a curve. Start by slowly going up and press very lightly on your pen.
2. When you get to the top of the curve, slowly start pressing down. Remember to breathe in when you go up and breathe out when you go down. Focus on your breathing and go slow. Keep your angle the same on both sides.
3. If you want to make a heart-shape in two colors, first draw the outline of the heart (in purple). Start in the middle and with each new row, draw an overturn on the left and the right side above the last one. After the fifth row, you will keep the overturns in the same place for the next two rows. Then slowly start moving inwards and downwards (see picture).
4. Now fill the outline of your heart with overturns in a different color and you’re done!
