Modern Calligraphy Class

Learn Modern Calligraphy Online

Do you admire beautiful modern calligraphy? Start lettering now with Melissa's online class. Get unlimited one-on-one coaching and and a lifetime subscription to Melissa's printable lettering exercises, instructional videos and written coursework.

Buy the Bundle to Save $$$

Purchase the Modern Calligraphy Class + Kit Bundle to get the best price on your kit.

15% off a Kit when you buy a Gift Certificate

We offer a 15% discount on a kit anytime you buy a kit and a gift certificate in the same transaction. Make sure they're both in your cart at the same time.

Gift the kit and class to a loved one! Check out our gift options.

We recommend purchasing a $95 gift certificate and a kit together. This way your recipient can get started immediately without having to source supplies.

Supplies

Purchasing supplies on your own? 

We've written our Calligraphy Supplies Guide to make sourcing supplies easy.

Greetings Letterers,

My name is Melissa Esplin, and I teach this calligraphy course.

I have been obsessed with the alphabet since I first learned to write. As a newly-literate elementary school kid, I practiced my handwriting constantly. I earned a BFA in Painting and Drawing from Brigham Young University, and I paid for my schooling by working as a graphic designer.

It wasn’t until two years after I had finished my University program that I remembered calligraphy. I had some free time, so I broke out my old calligraphy set and started writing.

It was ugly.

I needed practice, and I needed better supplies.

I hit the local art supply shop, loaded up on ink, nibs and paper, and I got to work. My progress was slow, because I was teaching myself, but the obsession returned with full force.

I have always blogged about my projects on MelissaEsplin.com, so it wasn’t long before I got inquiries about teaching classes and doing freelance calligraphy work. I did a few freelance jobs and taught my first local class in late 2009.

Fast forward to the Winter of 2011. I’d been teaching local calligraphy workshops in Salt Lake City, and I’d been talking to my husband Chris for well over a year about launching an online course. I had started an email list on MelissaEsplin.com for people to express interest in an online course, and the list numbered over 1,000 email addresses.

I knew exactly what I wanted to teach—I’d been teaching face-to-face classes for over two years—and I already had most of the content written down. Chris took some time off of work and helped me to build this website, and I’ve been teaching online ever since.

Calligraphy is the perfect cross-over art form

Graphic designers, illustrators, photographers and event planners can benefit from using calligraphy in their businesses. Scrapbookers can decorate their layouts with a huge variety of colorful inks.

My own calligraphy works its way into the logos and web layouts that I design. I digitize my calligraphy for use in photographic overlays. I also hand letter event invitations, save the dates and place cards.

Event planners spend $4 an envelope for professionally lettered invitations... but you can teach yourself to hand letter your own envelopes for the cost of the ink.

You will learn faster than I did

Melissa Esplin- June 2009

Melissa Esplin - November 2011

Emily Cavanagh - Student

I spent years teaching myself slowly by reading and practicing calligraphy on my own. My coursework and the feedback gallery are designed to help you practice and learn efficiently from the very beginning.

A beginner with zero experience can learn calligraphy

I receive emails every week asking how hard it is to learn calligraphy for a beginner.

My answer is that it takes practice, but the learning curve is gentle thanks to our custom feedback gallery. As you progress through the course, you’ll upload snapshots of the assignments that you complete. I will review your work and respond with suggestions for improvement. I can diagnose most calligraphy issues immediately, and if you’re advancing quickly, I’ll suggest ways to practice and continue your growth.

Learn Calligraphy in 30 Days

This course includes 8 lessons with 4 videos and 3 printable guides for practice. You will have lifetime access to the course materials and a private feedback gallery for one-on-one feedback from yours truly. We have a recommended 4 week timeline to keep you motivated and on track, but you can truly go at your own pace.

To get the most out of the course:

• Choose the "With Kit" option on this page to receive Melissa's favorite calligraphy supplies on your doorstep, or purchase your own supplies at Paper & Ink Arts. Follow the Conference & Classes link.
• Dedicate 2-4 hours per week to coursework and practice.
• Upload assignments (both good and bad!) for critique and troubleshooting (upload at any time, but feedback is given twice a week on Mondays and Fridays).
• Go slowly and practice, practice, practice!

Questions? Check out our FAQ page or email me.

Satisfaction guaranteed

If the course is not working for you, I would rather give you a full refund than have a dissatisfied student.

My calligraphy teaching method is not merely an eBook and some videos like you may find elsewhere on the web. I spend time on each of my students to understand their technique and to help them correct their mistakes and learn faster. Calligraphy is a very inexpensive art form, but you can waste weeks and months struggling with small mistakes that I can diagnose quickly via the feedback gallery.

Join the calligraphy community

Once you’ve completed the course, continue to learn and share your work on the I Still Love Calligraphy Facebook page, or get involved in your local calligraphy scene. Most larger cities and metro areas in the US have local calligraphy meetups.

Sincerely,

Melissa Esplin

P.S. My husband and I work on Calligraphy.org full time. Nobody else is involved at this point, so when you purchase the course, you get both of us. We eat, sleep, take care of our children, and teach calligraphy.

I am always available by email to answer any questions. I get a lot of them, so don’t be shy. Chris is by my side to troubleshoot all website issues as they arise.