Mastering Calligraphy: How to Write in Roundhand Script

For our first tutorial in "Mastering Calligraphy", we're going to start with an easy alphabet that uses the two basic strokes we learned in the easy introduction.

Just those two strokes make up a majority of the letters in the Roundhand Script alphabet. We'll be breaking the letters into similar groups and mastering both the lowercase and uppercase letters. 

And if you're looking for the best calligraphy fonts for your digital projects, scroll down after this tutorial. We've got a selection of premium handwritten script fonts from Envato Elements.

But first, read on for the instructions on how to how to write cursive letters by hand.

What You Will Learn in This Calligraphy Tutorial

• How to write cursive letters
• How to do the basic strokes
• Lowercase roundhand script alphabet
• Lowercase roundhand lettering
• Uppercase roundhand script alphabet
• Uppercase roundhand lettering

What You'll Need

• Pencil
• Eraser
• Black ink (preferably Speedball or Higgins waterproof ink)
• Practice sheet
• Pen holder (the black part of the pen above)
• Flat tipped pen nib (the shiny gold part of the pen above)

1. Review the Introduction Lesson

Before we dive into Roundhand Script, let's warm up our hands. We're going to go back to the introduction lesson and do a line or two of the basic strokes again to make sure we're ready to go.

Step 1

Print out four or five of the practice sheets on a nice card stock or Bristol paper.

Step 2

Practice the basic downward stroke for one or two lines to warm up.

Step 3

Practice the basic curve stroke for one or two lines to warm up.

Okay! Now we're ready to start. In this lesson on mastering calligraphy, we're going to learn a very simple-to-write alphabet called Roundhand Script.

2. Roundhand Script Lowercase Alphabet

Let's take a look at the Roundhand Script alphabet. As you can see, it's a nice blend of print and cursive lettering. This means that you can either join your letters when you write words or leave them separate. It's up to you. The blue arrows above show the directions of the pen strokes, and the numbers below tell you how many strokes make up each letter. We're going to start with the lowercase alphabet and break it up into two sections: downward stroke letters and curve stroke letters. So let's start with the downward stroke letters!

Print out a copy of the alphabet above so that you have it handy for reference.

3. Downward Stroke Lowercase Letters

Step 1

The letters b, f, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, x, and z all begin with a downward stroke. Some have strokes that fill up the entire height of the line, and others only reach the dashed line. Some, like the 'f', even reach below the bottom line. To start, I'm going to show you broken apart letters so you can see how many strokes make up each letter.

However, since it's much harder to ink broken apart letters, we're going to make the real ones. You can always sketch out the letters using your pencil first to feel more comfortable. Then you can simply follow the pencil lines with your pen.

Step 2

Let's start with the 'h' since it's easiest. Place your pen tip on the top line. Make a downward stroke all the way to the bottom line. Lift your pen and place it just below where the dashed line and downward stroke you just made intersect. Then arc up, over to the right, and down to the bottom line, ending in a small curl up. Voila! You have a Roundhand Script 'h'. Not too hard, was it?

Step 3

Repeat, making the letter 'h' two or three times so that you get the feel of it. Many letters, such as the d, f, and k, are very similar to the 'h'. Once you have the 'h' down, it's easy to see how other letters are made.

Step 4

Let's try a harder letter: k. The 'k' starts the same as the 'h' with the downward stroke. You then put your pen tip in the same spot, just below the intersection of the dashed line and the downward stroke you just made.

This time, instead of arcing all the way down to the bottom line, you'll curve back into the downward stroke about halfway between the dashed line and the bottom line. Then do a diagonal downward stroke to the right, ending in a little curl. Not too hard, right?

Step 5

Repeat the letter 'k' two or three times so that you get the feel of it.

Step 6

Slowly make your way through the rest of the curved stroke lowercase letters, using the guide of the strokes as a reference.

4. Curved Stroke Lowercase Letters

Step 1

The letters a, c, d, e, g, o, q, u, v, w, and y all begin with a curved stroke. To start, I'm going to show you broken apart letters so you can see how many strokes make up each letter. However, since it's much harder to ink broken apart letters, we're going to make the real ones. You can always sketch out the letters using your pencil first to feel more comfortable. Then you can simply follow the pencil lines with your pen.

Step 2

Let's start with the 'c' since it's easiest. Place your pen tip on the dashed line. Arc down and around to the right, making the majority of the letter. Then lift up your pen and return it to the starting point. The second stroke for the 'c' starts at the same place but arcs down just a tiny bit. Voila! You have a Roundhand Script 'c'. Not too hard, was it?

Step 3

Repeat making the letter 'c' two or three times so that you get the feel of it. Many letters, such as the 'e' and 'o', are made up of two curved strokes that swing out and meet at the bottom. Once you have the 'c' down, it's easy to see how other letters are made.

Step 4

Let's try a harder letter: q. Make the same start to the 'q' as you did the 'c'. Now, put your pen back at the starting point and draw a straight line down. For the little connecting flourish, place your pen where the curve and downward stroke meet on the bottom line and make a slight curve upward.

Step 5

Repeat the letter 'q' two or three times so that you get the feel of it. The letter 'q' is very similar to the letters d, g, and p. So once you have this one down, you can do the rest!

Step 6

Slowly make your way through the rest of the curved stroke lowercase letters, using the guide of the strokes as reference.

5. Write the Lowercase Alphabet

Now that you've written each letter multiple times, it's time to put it all together and write out the alphabet.

6. Roundhand Script Uppercase Alphabet

The uppercase alphabet always plays by different rules and is generally much more elaborate. The curved strokes are much bigger, and the downward strokes have a bit more flair. Besides that, the uppercase letters are just as simple to write as the lowercase. You can always sketch out the letters using your pencil first to feel more comfortable. Then you can simply follow the pencil lines with your pen. When it comes to uppercase letters, I prefer to pencil mine out beforehand.

 

Step 1

Since most of the letters begin with the curved stroke, I didn't divide the alphabet into groups. Instead, we'll simply work our way through it, using the guide above to see how many strokes each letter is made of and what direction the strokes go. So let's start with an easy letter.

Again, we'll start with the letter 'c'. Place your pen tip on the top line. Arc down and around to the right, making sure to curl back up nicely at the end. Then lift up your pen and return it to the starting point. The second stroke for the 'c' starts at the same place but arcs down into the 'c' with a nice flourish. Voila! You have a Roundhand Script uppercase 'c'. Not too hard, was it?

Step 2

Repeat making the letter 'c' two or three times so that you get the feel of it. When it comes to uppercase letters, the more flourish the better, so don't be scared to make some big curls and sweeping lines. As in the lowercase alphabet, many letters, such as the 'e' and 'o', are made up of two curved strokes that swing out and meet at the bottom. Once you have the 'c' down, it's easy to see how other uppercase letters are made.

Step 3

Let's try a harder letter: k. Place your pen tip on the top line and curve out and down toward the dashed line, curling up a tiny bit at the end. Go back up to the start of the curve and draw a big downward stroke to the bottom line, curling up at the end. Place your pen tip just shy of the top line. Curl up to the top line and then down and to the left toward where the downward stroke meets the dashed line. Then, from that meeting point, arc down and to the right, ending with a curl. A bit tricky, but not too hard, right?

Step 4

Repeat the letter 'k' two or three times so that you get the feel of it. The letter 'k' is very similar to the letters b, d, f, h, i, j, p, q, r, t, u, w, x, and y. So once you have this one down, you can do the rest!

Step 5

Slowly make your way through the rest of the uppercase letters, using the guide of the strokes as reference.

7. Write the Uppercase Roundhand Script

Now that you've written each letter multiple times, it's time to put it all together and write out the alphabet.

8. Putting It All Together

Let's write something a bit more exciting! A good way to mix uppercase and lowercase letters is to write out your name. Now, since you've gotten so good at Roundhand Script, let's make you a pro!

You've Just Mastered the Roundhand Script!

Everyone likes to think that calligraphy is hard, but if you just break every letter down into its basic strokes, you start to see the patterns. The more you practice, the easier it will be to ink the letters, and the faster you'll be at writing. In future tutorials, we'll learn some slightly more complicated scripts.

5 Top Roundhand Fonts From Envato Elements

You've learned how to write cursive letters. Next up, I'll share with you some of the best cursive calligraphy fonts from Envato Elements.

If you're working on multiple digital creative projects, you'll love our subscription-based marketplace. For a low monthly fee, enjoy unlimited downloads of the best calligraphy fonts. You can also get unlimited premium fonts, graphic templates, actions and presets, and more.

Let's see some awesome handwritten script fonts from Envato Elements:

1. Grettana Script Font (OTF, TTF)

Grettana is an elegant handwritten script font. Its clean and fresh look makes it perfect for invitations, logos, and prints. This roundhand font features ligatures and multilingual support.

2. Mitchellia Script Font (OTF, TTF, WOFF)

Mitchellia is a classic and elegant roundhand font. This handwritten script font is perfect for eCommerce brands, blogs, prints, or any type of project. This roundhand font comes with stylistic sets and alternates, along with ligatures and PUA encoded characters. 

3. Emely Script Font (OTF, TTF)

Emely is a beautiful roundhand font inspired by the popular Snell roundhand black script. If you're a fan of classic calligraphy and handwritten script fonts, you'll love this one. Emely comes with 300 glyphs with alternates and multilingual support. 

If you want a premium alternative to Snell roundhand black script, Emely script font is for you.

4. Havania Script Font (OTF, TTF, WOFF)

Are you looking for a roundhand font with a modern, fresh look? Havania is a great handwritten script font. See how great it looks for posters and brands. This script font is easy to install and use.

5. Julianne Script Font (OTF, TTF, WOFF)

Roundhand calligraphy can also be irregular and creative, just like this roundhand font. Julianne is a thin and modern handwritten script font, perfect for creative projects.

This roundhand font includes all letters and numbers, along with symbols and multilingual support.

Discover More Calligraphy Font Inspiration

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial on how to write cursive letters. After the cool handwritten script fonts from Envato Elements, I'm sure you'd like to discover more awesome calligraphy fonts:

• 
  Fonts
  30+ Beautiful Modern Script Fonts (Typefaces for 2021)
  Melody Nieves
• 
  Fonts
  30+ Free Signature Fonts (Script Fonts to Download Now)
  Nona Blackman
• 
  Cricut
  20 Best Free Fonts for Cricut (Monogram, Cursive, Script)
  Daisy Ein
• 
  Fonts
  31+ Best Brush Fonts (Script, Paint, and More!)
  Melody Nieves
• 
  Fonts
  36 Best Transitional Typefaces (Fonts to Download)
  Daisy Ein
• 
  Fonts
  25+ Best Free Hand-Lettering Style Fonts (Designs for 2021)
  Melody Nieves
• 
  Fonts
  The Must-Have Fonts for Graphic Designers and Font Lovers
  Mary Winkler
• 
  Fonts
  40 Most Popular Fonts of 2021
  Nona Blackman

Extra Resources

If you're interested in getting some help with your lettering or calligraphy, Envato Studio has a great collection of Lettering and Calligraphy Services that you might like to explore.

Or if you prefer a digital solution that lets you create elegant invitations with that hand-written look, browse the selection of handwritten script fonts on Envato Market.