LS
SHOW ME YOUR DRIL
Crash
Course
SMALL PENS WORKBOOK
WELCOME TO THE
S H O W M E YO U R D R I L L S
CRASH COURSE!
I’m Becca from The Happy Ever Crafter
(hi! ) and I’m soooo excited you’re here
to learn the basics of calligraphy with
me… it’s my jam!!!!
BE FO R E WE G E T STA RT E D. . .
Make sure you have the accompanying video that goes with
this workshop! Check your email for the login instructions
you got after signing up at www.ShowMeYourDrills.com!
I’ve designed this workshop and workbook to be packed with the most thorough and hands-on
rundown you can get, in as short of a time as possible, so you can be off to the races quickly.
After this workshop, my goal is that you’ll feel confident that you haven’t missed any steps (which I
DEFINITELY did myself when I started… I’ll tell you all about that!) and that you have a well-rounded
understanding of exactly how calligraphy works.
That being said, you won’t magically leave here a calligraphy pro. It WILL require practice (and lots of
it!). But I will hand you the road map of exactly what and how to practice so you can get from A to Z
(literally) with confidence.
You’ll notice at the very end of this workbook that I’ve provided
links to my full ShowMeYourDrills calligraphy program (and in the W A R N IN G :
video I mention a discount for you!) so if you want to keep going
YO U M AY G E T
after you learn the basics here, make sure to check that out. A D D ICT E D TO
CA L L IG R A PH Y !
For now though, let’s jump right in!
Open up your workbook, start the video, and we’ll get right into it.
W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D F O R T H I S C O U R S E
PENC IL B RU SH PEN
Ideally HB, 2B, 3B, but any will do! See the next page for how to choose an
Doesn’t have to be fancy. appropriate brush pen.
N OTE: if you can’t access a brush pen,
you can simply use the pencil for this
workshop!
TR AC ING PA PE R YOUR WORKBOOK
Any art store will carry this, and it’s
PRINTED
pretty inexpensive. The goal is just that
There are two sizes of workbook
it’s a transparent paper so you can put
available– small pens, and big pens.
it overtop of the workbook and be able
Choose yours based on whichever type
to trace through, so you’ll still have the
of pen you choose (you’ll learn about
guidelines but you’ll be able to keep
this on the next page).
your workbook fresh and clean for reuse
many times if you want to. Tracing If you’re going to use tracing paper, you
paper also tends to be less harsh on can print your workbook on any paper
your brush pens for practice. available. If you’re going to write directly
in it, then print it on higher quality/
NOTE: if you can’t access tracing paper,
smooth paper if possible (it will be
you can also write directly in your
better for your brush pens).
printed workbook. That being said,
you’ll want to print your workbook on N OTE: if you don’t have access to a
higher quality/smoother paper if that’s printer, you can also complete this
the case! workshop just using plain old lined
or graph paper, and reference the
workbook/video on your device as
you go. As long as your paper has
guidelines on it, you can make it work!
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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CHOOSING PENS 101
When choosing a tool for brush calligraphy, there’s one main rule you need to know: it MUST be
flexible. (Hence the name, ‘brush’ calligraphy!). That flexibility is how you will create the thin and
thick lines.
There are tons of brands of brush pen out there to choose from– some better than others. But in
general, as long as it’s flexible, it will work.
Avoid “calligraphy pens” (or chiseled pens) as well. See how the edge of this pen
is flat, or “chiseled”? That’s not what we want here, because it’s not flexible. These
are for a different type of calligraphy.
SM ALL TIP VS . L A R GE T I P PENS
What you need to know about brush pens is that they can vary greatly in tip size.
Most worksheets you will find are scaled accordingly (for “small” or “large” pens), because the size of
stroke each pen produces is different. You don’t want to use a large tip brush pen on worksheets
scaled for small pens, and vice versa, so it’s important to know which size your pen is. And it’s fairly
obvious by just looking at it.
small tip pen
large tip pen
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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WA R M U P E X E R C I S E S
Follow along in the video for instructions!
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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WA R M U P E X E R C I S E S
Follow along in the video for instructions!
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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B E F O R E /A F T E R T E S T
We’re going to do a before/after test. Write the word “magic” in your existing pre-conceived idea of
what calligraphy looks like.
B EFORE
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
AF T ER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
SHOW ME
!
YO U R WO R K
Take a pic of your
before/after and tag me
@thehappyevercrafter
on social media!
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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USING PENS 101
There are a few key things to understand when it comes to holding and using brush pens. At first, it
can feel quite different from using a regular pen, so it will take some getting used to.
1. H OLD YO UR PE N AT ( R O U G HLY) A 45° A NG LE
2 . K EEP YO UR PE N PE R PENDI CU L A R TO T HE PAG E
3 . PRESS L IGHT O N T HE U P, A ND HA RD O N T HE DOWN
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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BASIC STROKES 101
This is the step that most people miss!
Cursive and calligraphy are not the same. Calligraphy is actually broken down into basic strokes—the
ones shown below. All of these individual strokes are what turn into each and every letter of your
alphabet—more on that later!
Once you’ve mastered creating each of the basic strokes, you’ll be all set to create a consistent,
pleasing alphabet.
UPSTROKE DOWNSTROKE OVERTURN UNDERTURN
Your lightest Your heaviest STROKE STROKE
stroke stroke Sides are Sides are
parallel parallel
COMPOUND OVAL ASCENDING DESCENDING
CURVE Starts off to the LOOP LOOP
3 sides are top side, not Starts in Starts in
parallel top upstroke downstroke
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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BASIC STROKES 101
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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BASIC LETTERS 101
Once you’ve got the hang of basic strokes, you can start assembling letters.
When you combine different combinations of basic strokes together, they form letters. Magic, right?!
Let’s take a peek at a few examples, then walk through the whole alphabet.
TH E LET T E R N
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
TH E LET T E R G
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
TH E LET T E R H
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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BASIC LETTERS 101
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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BASIC LETTERS 101
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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CONNECTIONS 101
Generally speaking, the finishing stroke from your first letter will turn into the entrance stroke for the
next. Here’s what this looks like:
forego this
entrance stroke
G IVE I T A T RY HE R E
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
Always keep in mind what your next letter will be. This way, you can adjust the connector as needed.
Here’s what this looks like:
shorten the
upstroke on this forego this underturn connects
underturn entrance stroke well with oval
G IVE I T A T RY HE R E
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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CONNECTIONS 101
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
ASCENDER
WAIST
BASELINE
DESCENDER
© 2024 by The Happy Ever Crafter | These worksheets are for personal use only. Please do not replicate.
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Now that you know the basics...
IT’S TIME TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!
Learn how to write the entire alphabet in lowercase and uppercase letters, how to connect your
letters to form words, and, finally, how to put a spin on your work to create your own unique style.
You’ll be able to effortlessly create beautiful full-page calligraphy pieces in no time.
YOU’LL GET:
Access to the full Show Me Your Drills course, my Access to a private Facebook community to share
basic calligraphy strokes program where you’ll find your work, get help, and connect with other beginners
suggestions on supplies, tips on correctly using your
pens, advice for lefties, and more! B O N U S ! Block Letters Workbook to help you bring
another layer of flourish to your beautiful calligraphy
5 downloadable PDF, print-at-home workbooks for pieces
learning new calligraphy skills like lowercase and
uppercase letters, bouncing, flourishing, and more! B O N U S ! The Numbers & Symbols workbook with
a step-by-step breakdown of numbers, common
7+ hours of in-depth video trainings with step-by-step punctuation marks and symbols
instructions and tried and true tips to improve your
practice ... and so much more.
WWW.THEHAPPYEVERCRAFTER.COM/BUNDLE
