At present, I am still working (with an Etsy shop) doing calligraphy for gifts and sale. I mostly use a light box with templates for various nib sizes created in Windows Word. I also still draw my own guide lines for irregular shapes, and use the Phantom-Liner 100 now and then. I often do approximate guide lines (roller ruler, T-square, (or Ames lettering guide – now that they have one with metric spacing) and then fix anything out of kilter using a scan and Krita. The assistants in Krita do all the mechanical layout work I need: lines, parallels, circles, skewing for perspective, etc. But one must work with guides unless you are doing freehand art pieces. BTW, I am now 82. Wooden measuring tools are reported to have been used as early as 2650 B.C. These simple yet essential tools have since been used for measuring dimensions, drawing lines and serving as a guide for cutting materials. Throughout their history, rulers of varied sizes and shapes have been produced from wood, ivory, copper and other metals. Calligraphy guidelines are lines to help you determine the size and proportions of your letterforms, and at the same time, they are here to assist you and keep your calligraphy nice and consistent. Calligraphy guidelines may vary in size depending on the style of writing you’ve chosen to do. Copperplate calligraphy is performed with a pointed nib. Therefore we cannot use the same approach as we do with broad-edged scripts. Instead, a general rule of thumb is the use of a 3:2:3 ratio. The letters are also slanted at a 55 degree angle.

In case you are just starting out then perhaps these two articles below are more suitable for you – depending on if you are more interested in lettering or calligraphy.

Give it a couple of minutes for the ink to dry, and then gently erase the guidelines. How to size guidelines (traditional & modern calligraphy) The only downside of the kneaded eraser is that it’s not the best performer when it comes to hard and dark pencil lines.

I personally never tried it, but I’ve seen many calligraphers using it, and that’s why I included it on the list. Ok, now that we know what lines we have to draw (and how we call them), we can proceed to the next section. Protractors are used for calculating angles in the fields of geometry, mechanics and architectural rendering. There are also two-sided protractors with multiple angle divisions for making detailed angle measurements. Interior design layouts are often completed with the use of protractors to ensure accurate angle calculations for interior spaces, furnishings and decorative items. Set Square Ruler

Q-Connect 30cm Clear Shatterproof Ruler

This awesome tool has a small eraser tip that will help you fix even the smallest details without screwing up half of your work. 4. The kneaded eraser Picture this scenario – you are working on awesome lettering piece, you are in a good mood, the sun is shining, the birds are singing etc.