WHAT IS CALLIGRAPHY?

GILBERT D. MEDINA

Have you ever wondered where the term Calligraphy comes from? Many books shared their ideas about it. But by going back to the beginning of writing history, we can understand the origin of letterforms.

If you are able to see, chances are you are being exposed to letterforms daily, even though sometimes we take them for granted and pay little to no real attention to them. But in our everyday life, we are dependent to letters to navigate the world, express ourselves, as well as communicate with others.

There are a lot of benefits of letters. They allow us to convey information, set warnings, or consume and produce education like this post you are reading right now.

And fonts and tools that allow us to create from simple documents to intricate work of art. But the question is: Where do letters come from and how did they continue up until now? Calligraphy means beautiful writing and according to Greek term, the word means "beauty" (Kailas) and "to write" (Graphein).

While the meaning of the word is "beautiful writing", it is viewed more than just a way of writing beautiful words. Calligraphy is also a fine art, like painting, sculpture, drawing, or photography. It is a way of how we see life as a whole.

Through the aid of calligraphy, you can learn about proportion, positive and negative space, depth, perception, and light.

By means of calligraphy, we can elevate a message. This is true because most people respond positively with awe to the qualities of a well-executediece. Therefore, that predicament brings a special punch to the intellectual meaning of the words. A well-constructed piece must satisfy three dimensions namely: a fine art, a craft, and a literary art.

It is up to the calligrapher to bring all these three dimensions together as a tricking idea with a high level of craftsmanship of fine materials and carefully chosen message. But what makes calligraphy colorful and meaningful is passion. The way of each calligrapher or individual artist depends entirely on how he/she express himself/herself through the words and lines of this art form.

-oOo

The author is Master Teacher I at Angeles City National Trade School