BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

How to Easily use a Watercolor Brush Pen & Paint

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of watercolor and waterbrush pens. I teach workshops and online classes that feature a waterbrush pen to easily paint stems and leaves as well as create a variety of brush pen lettering.

As a designer and artist, I find that having a variety of mediums and tools to create with keeps my art interesting and fresh so that I stay inspired and creative.

I thought I’d share with you a few quick videos that I recorded using the Timelapse feature on my iPhone - I have to say, it’s quite an addictive feature to be able to record these timelapse videos!

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

What is Modern Calligraphy

I was browsing a few hand lettering groups on Facebook last week and discovered that quite a few people aren’t quite sure what Modern Calligraphy is and what the difference is between more traditional forms of calligraphy. I thought I’d create an easy cheat sheet to help explain what Modern Calligraphy is for us visual people! First, here’s a quick video that I created while making and digitizing the lettering for the cheat sheet!

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

How to write happy birthday in modern calligraphy tracing sheets

Tracing is one of the best ways to help you build muscle memory and grow your lettering practice! So I thought I’d make it available for anyone who is looking for a fun and easy way to help with learning how to write “Happy Birthday” in modern calligraphy with these tracing sheets!

The best part is, I’ve designed this practice sheet to be used with both a pointed pen and ink, or a small brush pen! I’m all about convenience and multi-purpose tools!

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

My top hand lettering tools for beginners

For hand lettering and calligraphy fans, it’s such an exciting time to explore this skill and craft. There are many different lettering tools available on the market now to help you with your lettering projects. Far more than when I first started out for sure!!

Calligraphy and lettering is a large part of what makes up the design end of my business. I’ve even started teaching other the craft through workshops and classes.

I often get questions about which class to start with, or which tool to use, so I thought I’d share with you a quick video that I made demonstrating my top hand lettering tools for beginners!

To help you get a better understanding for all the lettering tools available, I’ve narrowed down my top hand lettering tools for beginners

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

Calligraphy practice sheet to help you write "best wishes"

Simply click here, to download your calligraphy practice sheet to help you write “best wishes”. Save it to your computer and print as many copies you need to help you practice!! The best part is, you can use a brush pen or a dip pen and nib to practice with!

If you missed my other practice sheets that I created for you, have a look at this post here.

Oh, and check out the free Christmas Gift Tags that I shared a little while ago!! They’ll help add style and will make a statement with your gift wrapping this year!!

Lastly, if you are curious about learning calligraphy or brush lettering with me, then check out these new online classes that I just created! They are at a low, introductory price for the next little while, so enjoy the savings while it lasts!

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

Free Calligraphy Worksheet to help you practice more

Learning calligraphy is like learning any new skill, the more you practice, the better you become. You can take classes, read blog posts, watch videos and hear about all the important tools to use or paper to practice on, but the only thing that will help you improve, grow confidence and want to continue to fine tune your calligraphy style is by practice! This free calligraphy worksheet to practice more give you an option to use a dip pen and ink or a small brush pen to help you trace words and grow your calligraphy skills.

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SIDE HUSTLE, BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos SIDE HUSTLE, BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

Why take online courses?!

I believe in taking online courses so much so, that I have taken time away from my art and creative practice, to create courses to help others achieve their personal goals. I’m excited to share everything that I’ve learned over the years in the hopes of inspiring, empowering and saving you time and money! No matter what your goal is. [More about life i design online in another post]

Here are the reasons why I think taking online courses is the way to go! Read to the bottom to see my top online class resources.

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

I'm teaching my very first online calligraphy class

When I started life i design just over 5 years ago, I had an idea about what I wanted to do for a new career/business, I just had no idea what I was doing

I knew I wanted to make art, sell art, and live a life that suited my personality and passions.  I just didn't know who I was as an artist, how to start a website, how to open an online shop or how to create graphics and take photos to help sell my art.

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

modern Calligraphy: everything you need to get started and grow your skill Part One

It feels like this past year has been all about teaching in-person, Modern Calligraphy and Lettering workshops! I have had a blast teaching my most favorite calligraphy style for lettering and observing how other learn, what tweaks I can offer to create more success for my students and just how inspired I am by others!  I often thought about how I could extend my teaching and offer the opportunity to those who are not in may local area to learn my personal method of modern Calligraphy. 

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BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos BE CREATIVE Nicki Traikos

How to learn modern calligraphy

It's the start of the new year and time for us to add a few things to our bucket list.  Forget the resolutions for a minute.  What's on your bucket list? Do you want to take a special trip? Go bungee jumping? Maybe you just want to learn something new?  How about learning modern calligraphy!!?

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