Oh, we are so good at seeing our flaws! But sometimes, it's not so easy when we are producing a work of art or calligraphy. After all, the work created is a reflection of ourselves in many ways. While it is often easy for us to be critical of our work, it is not as easy to critique it in order to make improvements.
It is easy, however, to be defensive. When I was developing my photography business, I belonged to a great forum where you could post your work for critique. I found when people posted their work, they really didn't want to hear the bad news. They only wanted to hear the positive feedback. If anyone gave constructive criticism, it was typically met with lots of excuses or a "well, I like it that way" response. This is a really NATURAL and altogether normal reaction! While it does help us feel better, it doesn't do anything to help us improve.
As any designer knows, you really have to develop a thick skin to design artwork for other people. It is one thing to design/letter something and then offer it "as is" in its completed form, and a completely different thing to create a calligraphy piece for someone else. You are now working under his/her expectations, not your own.
I developed a pretty thick skin after a couple years of designing custom logos. Clients have no problem telling you what they don't like! I then began lettering for Sunrise Greetings (now a division of Hallmark) and Papyrus for a number of years. If I thought logo clients were tough, they weren't even close to the feedback art directors can give. They usually have a very specific look they are trying to achieve and will help you achieve it with amazingly accurate description and critique.
So when I took my first lettering job for American Greetings, I was thrilled. I thought, yes, this will be great! Mike Gold was the art director. Anyone familiar with calligraphy knows Mike is one of the best. He has years of experience working with top lettering artists.
My first card was strictly lettering - no design. I worked diligently on the lettering and sent it in. Mike called me. I was really unprepared for the extensive and equally spot-on feedback he gave! My notes from our call are attached.
But, instead of being upset when I hung up, it was like I had new eyes! Mike had given me the opportunity to see my work in an entirely different light. Even then, I did not recognize it but I really was not ready to be designing contemporary greeting cards! I look back at some of my early cards and cringe. But that is the beauty of time and calligraphy! Hopefully, with time and practice, you continually improve. There is no finish line.
And in order to improve, you have to be able to see what you are doing wrong. So here are some suggestions which I hope will help you to improve your work.
1. After finishing, put your calligraphy away for a day or more. When you go back to it, you may be surprised either at how much better it really is than you thought, or at the flaws you didn't initially see.
2. Tape your work to a blank wall and step back at least 3 feet. Look at the overall shape. Look at the "big picture." Does it flow well? Is the arrangement pleasing? Does anything jump out at you? Are there gaps or congested areas? Is it easily readable?
3. Ask someone else to look at it and give honest feedback. Ideally, at least two people.
4. After the initial bristling and feeling like those people have no idea what they are talking about, consider they might actually have a point.
Try some of the suggestions based on their critique and see if it improves your letters. It might, it might not. But I guarantee you will learn something from it.
5. Take your red pencil and mark your work. Draw lines with a ruler. If you are doing traditional calligraphy, do your letters all reach the midline? Do they stay within the baseline. Is the size and shape consistent? Are your letterforms good? Inspect individual letters. Does your "a" look like the exemplar "a?" Does the bowl form an oval? Does the second descender line bump into it or gently touch it? Does your t have a squared off top? Take your exemplar and compare letter for letter.
6. Check legibility. Read your piece backwards. Can you read each letter/word without hesitation? Is there any chance for confusion?
7. Pretend your calligraphy is someone else's. Look at your work as if a friend had just handed it to you and asked you to give him or her feedback. How would you respond? Hopefully with compassion and kindness - looking for both the successful components and the areas that need improvement.
8. Accept other factors. There are many factors which are going to contribute to good or bad letters. Recognize when you are tired, the lighting is bad, you're in a grumpy mood, the nib/paper/ink won't cooperate, it's too humid, etc. Sometimes it is good to push through those times and then lettering makes you feel better. Other times, it is better to put it away for another time.
9. Critique other calligraphers. One of the best ways to learn good letterforms is to study other calligraphers' work. We all know it when we see it - that piece that just takes your breath away. Critique it. Really study it. Ask yourself, why does this appeal to me so much? What does this artist do? What about it do I like? And the converse is true. If you see a piece that doesn't resonate with you, try to determine why. Is it illegible? Are there bad letterforms? Is the style unpleasing. If so, why.
10. Judge your letters - do not judge yourself! Being hard on yourself does not make you better - it makes you feel bad. It is easy to feel deflated and like we'll never get it. Calligraphy is hard. Except in rare circumstances, it is going to take months, if not years to develop a good hand. But don't let that time be discouraging. Encourage yourself! Enjoy forming the letters. Enjoy learning. There is no finish line so don't rush through it. Show yourself the same compassion you would show a friend. Every time you sit down to letter, it can contribute to your improvement. Don't just look at the bad letters, look at and circle the good ones. Feel happy in that perfect s or a! Yes, it feels pretty awesome to complete a piece you are proud of - but much of the joy is in creating it!