I know this is an old topic, but it's worth bumping because the subject is exactly what I was thinking when I searched on flourishing. I'm very new to calligraphy, but I have enough background in graphic design and layout to offer some advice on the subject.
The start or end of any stroke holds the possibility of a flourish, but should you or shouldn't you do a little spin with your pen? The empty space in and around the piece is full the opportunity to flourish, but should you? The answer is that it depends:
- There must be room for the flourish.
- The flourish must not crowd the work or hinder reading.
- Back away from the work until the whole work can be covered by a closed fist at arms length. The piece is now small enough that you can easily see the dense spaces where a flourish would crowd the work, and the open spaces where a flourish might balance the work or create a pleasing overall shape.
- The flourish should add interest and enhance the work, or it should be left out.
- LESS IS ALWAYS MORE!! It's always better to do less and leave the piece more open and simple than to try to fill every possible gap with a flourish at the start and end of every stroke.
If you lack inspiration or want to see what others have done to add style to their lettering, you can always hit your favorite search engine and search for your lettering style plus the word "flourish." Someone out there will have created a Pinterest or a blog post or a class that is as specific as you need or want.
Most important of all, if you aren't having fun, STOP because you're doing it wrong!