Playful Letters: The Fun of CalligraphyPaperback, 26 November 2007

Calligraphy refers to "beautiful writing," an ancient art form still practiced today. Thought to have originated in China, calligraphy is skilled handwriting that produces expressive lettering and words. Each letter and word differs, even when produced by the same craftsperson, because it is improvised at the moment of writing. After a brief introduction to calligraphy, this book presents pages with examples of playfully lettered words. Each word has at least one letter that has been playfully embellished in a way that relates to the meaning of the word. That letter has also been enlarged and placed in the bottom of the page so that you can see its details (and imperfections). The pages are arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the word. Each page also contains plenty of white space for copying the word or letters. Thus, this book can be an enjoyable introduction to the art of calligraphy as well as a workbook for practicing your skills.