This is an essential beginner's guide to classic alphabets, with over 40 projects and 400 photographs and artworks. It helps you how to master the art of calligraphy, from simple letters in black ink to illuminated lettering in gold leaf. It features all the classic alphabets - both formal and decorative - such as Roman, Foundational, Uncial, Gothic, Italic and Versal, as well as numerals and fractions. It is a complete guide to calligraphy equipment, including pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, inks, paints, brushes, paint palettes, cutting tools, compasses and protractors. It includes 40 step-by-step projects, such as addressing envelopes, making posters, inscribing t-shirts, making gift booklets and creating perpetual calendars, as well as how to use pretty hand-made papers and metallic paints. It is fully illustrated with clear artworks of each type of lettering and numbering, as well as superb photographs of hand-painted backgrounds and finished projects. The thrill of calligraphy lies in the making of letters with your own hand - the nib moving smoothly over the surface of the paper and leaving nicely proportioned letters in its wake.This illustrated guide to the craft shows how the beginner should set about acquiring the necessary skills to become a proficient calligrapher. It includes many different alphabet styles, each illustrated with diagrams that show how the letters are constructed. There is a guide to papers, paints and inks, and step-by-step projects are included to show how to create finished examples of calligraphy. Readers will soon develop the skill to produce their own beautiful handwriting.