The Calligrapher's Bible: 100 Complete Alphabets with Step-by-Step Hand Lettering Guides

by David Harris

Learn the beautiful and ancient art of calligraphy! Calligraphy is a timeless practice. Whether you want to improve your penmanship, practice calligraphy as a hobby, or create your own hand-lettered art, this informative, gorgeously illustrated calligraphy guide is a go-to for anyone interested in learning the art of hand lettering. A calligraphy kit designed for self-teaching, it contains 100 sections, each complete with an A-to-Z calligraphy alphabet, lessons on correct pen strokes, and advice on avoiding errors. Beginners will find sound basic instruction, while experienced calligraphers can extend their repertoire with letter styles that range from classic Roman to clean and elegant contemporary styles. In addition to an analysis of each alphabet's features, the book provides information Including a brief history of the art form and examples by master calligraphers through the eras, this book is ideal for adults who want to practice their handwriting or who love crafts. This book's spiral binding ensures that pages lay flat when opened, allowing calligraphers to study and copy each pen stroke with ease. The perfect gift idea for adults who love crafts, bullet journals, activity books, or design, The Calligrapher's Bible is for everyone.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Design, How To

256 pages, Spiral-bound

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
See this page for more information.

Reviews

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Calligrapher's Bible is an indispensable book for the beginning calligrapher, with advice on tools and posture, a historical overview of the development of handwriting, and 100 complete alphabets, from simple rusticas to ornate gothics and modern hands.

[TLBL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very good for a beginner. Provides information but without getting too overwhelming. Gives the angle of the pen and order of the strokes for making the letters. Go for the spiral bound so that as you work it easily stays open for reference.

[Nic]

The suggestion for lefties was, “…writing the letters from the bottom up, re-interpreting the stroke order shown in the alphabet exemplars.”

It’s like knitting patterns meant for righties, I don’t like having to reverse things in my head on the fly, actual instructions for lefties would be nice.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Calligrapher's Bible" is an excellent resource and reference for beginners containing a complete list of 100 alphabets and a section on tools, materials, and preparation.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book to expand the number of fonts that I could use and reference. It is great for that, there are many beautiful fonts in here. When I saw a section on illumination and ornamentation I got excited. However, the section only explains how to apply gold leaf. The section seems like an afterthought. I feel it should include more about how to design an illumination. The section about preparation is interesting, but would not be my first recommendation for learning how to write. I think that this book is most effective used as a book full of fonts for reference, which is what I got it and use it for.

[Riana Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't interested in and don't practice calligraphy, but I discovered the hobby was one of my Mom's passions so I decided to learn about it. This book gives a good overview of the history of the different classic forms over the centuries. It also deals with various art materials and their usage in both historical context, their evolution, and what can be used today - there's a lot more here than just picking up a pen and writing the alphabet.
I particularly liked the section on structure and layout as a whole; there are several useful techniques I can carry over to projects I'm working on in my own wheelhouse. Perfect example of "no knowledge is ever wasted"!

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rated
2 Stars: ⭐⭐
Kindle Unlimited Read

I'm waiting to learn to write calligraphy. I checked this out thinking this is what I was looking for. It's an ok book, but it's not geared for beginners like myself.

[Samantha Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good beginner's book

This book was great to get an idea of the basics, I think more detail could have been included for sentence writing but all in all a great starting point for anyone wanting to learn calligraphy

[Autumn Kearney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Calligrapher’s Bible: 100 Complete Alphabets and How to Draw Them was a fair book. There wasn’t much help or advice for left handed people. It’s a rarity whenever they print an art book for us. Ugh!

[Oksana · Rating 5 out of 5]

great help for calligraphers

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that illustrates how to calligraph 100 different alphabets. Very easy to follow.

[Jeremy J Boyd]

Great introduction to calligraphy

[Zgardenldy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good resource.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

great, clear step by step guide. best to own so you can take your time and practice. need to buy the different nibs to give it a go.

[Karen McRitchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book as a reference on how to draw different styles of writing. Fantastic reference.

[Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to follow

This book has many different fonts to learn and become inspired by. I do recommend this for all calligraphers easy to comprehend and fun to try

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably an excellent reference if you already have the basics down and are looking for just the right script for your project. It's not so good if you are new to calligraphy and need direction vis-à-vis how to learn and practice.

[Sean Menon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I think The Calligrapher's Bible by David Harris is a nice book that makes writing very easy. Most of the fonts in the book are very cool but personally I do not like most of the modern fonts because of their lack of detail and flourishes. The gothic fonts are very beautiful and easy to write once you got the hang of it. Overall good book so far!!

After Reading________ After reading the book, I thought it was great and explained in detail how to write beautifully. I still did not enjoy the modern fonts because they were so sloppy and hard to read. The gothic fonts were no doupt the best. Awesome book! :))

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very informational and really explained where all the styles of writing come from. This was a very helpful book for many school projects I have encountered. If you are looking for a book that explains all the styles of writing and who it was developed by this book is for you!

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really nice resource for anyone wanting to learn Calligraphy. I like that the book lays flat so can have it open next to you while you practice. I would have given it 5 stars if it had more if the modern calligraphy styles. There were only a handful of the more decorative script styles with flourishes. I would have liked to see an equal amount. Overall it is a nice resource.

[♥Xeni♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome... well as awesome as Harris' books get. He has his own rather mainstream way of forming scripts, unfortunately. Still, it's a wonderful book in that it has tons of scripts in it. I am in the process of buying a copy, and I can't wait until I own it!

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small but heavy spiraled bound book. Everything you need to know to get started or for experienced calligraphers.

[Mckinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done. Great reference.

[Marija S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book could have been more extensive in the Illumination and ornamentation section, but otherwise has everything I need at this point in time and level of skill. A good investment.

[Andrew Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice reference book with clear easy to follow examples

[Gretchen Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for calligraphy enthusiasts.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most useful book in my collection for sure.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for learning different techniques and styles. Very well written and enjoyable to use. The ring binding makes such a difference when doing calligraphy practice.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent reference guide for beginning calligraphers.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for any body who is learning calligraphy or has been doing it for years. A must have for my bookshelf.