If you saw my recent post where I wrote out the full lowercase modern calligraphy alphabet and thought: “Wait… how do I actually do this?”
Then this post is for you.
Or maybe you’ve just been trying to learn the alphabet on your own – scrolling Pinterest, copying Instagram Reels – and it’s not quite clicking. This is where things start to make sense.
In this tutorial, I’m walking you through exactly how I break down the calligraphy alphabet. This is the same approach I teach in my full alphabet course and workbook – and it’s designed to be beginner-friendly, frustration-free, and actually effective.
Supplies Used
- Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens
- Rhodia Paper
- Beginner Course + Workbook (Show Me Your Drills, of course!)
- Minuscules Course + Workbook
Rather watch than read? Check out the full video by clicking the video below!
Let’s Get Started!
Breaking letters into basic strokes truly changes everything. Trying to learn modern calligraphy by just copying letters is like trying to bake a cake without knowing the ingredients. You might sort of get there, but it’s going to be a struggle.
Calligraphy letters are built from basic strokes – and once you know those, the alphabet becomes so much easier to understand, build, and repeat with confidence.
Each letter is made up of specific strokes, and the key to mastering it is practicing each part before you try to put it all together.
So let me show you how I walk through the process using just a few example letters…
Letter #1: a
The lowercase “a” is made up of:
- Upstroke
- Oval
- Underturn
Step-by-step:
- Practice a row of upstrokes
- Then a row of ovals
- Then a row of underturns
- Try combining them (with space in between)
- Then slowly connect the strokes into full letters
The result? A clean, consistent “a” that actually looks how you want it to – because the parts are solid first.
Letter #2: b
The lowercase “b” includes:
- Upstroke
- Ascending loop
- A unique little “bump” shape (which you’ll see in a few other letters too)
This one introduces a non-basic stroke, which is why learning how to break things down is so important. It also shows up in several other letters (like “f” and “k”), so practicing it now helps a lot later.
Letter #3: m
Made up of:
- Overturn
- Overturn
- Compound curve
This is a great example of how consistent basic strokes = consistent letters. If even one part is off (different angle, shape, size), the whole letter starts to feel “off.”
Letter #4: r
This one’s a bit of a curveball.
It’s made of:
- Upstroke
- A stroke that extends above the waistline (kind of its own shape)
- Short underturn
The letter “r” (and a few others) contains unique movements that aren’t covered in the core basic strokes – but if you understand the principles, it’s easy to figure them out with practice.
Why Most People Struggle to Learn the Alphabet
If you’re sitting there thinking: “Why doesn’t mine look like that?!”
You’re not doing anything wrong – it’s just that jumping straight to letters skips over the practice that builds your consistency.
Here’s what helps:
- Repeating that process until each letter becomes second nature
- Learning the basic strokes first (yes, even if they feel boring!)
- Practicing them individually
- Learning how to combine them properly
Want the Whole Alphabet Broken Down Like This?
If you found this helpful, this is exactly how I teach the entire alphabet inside my Lowercase Alphabet (Minuscules) Workbook + Video Course.
Inside, I break down every single letter stroke-by-stroke, with:
- Printable worksheets and traceables
- Demonstration videos for every letter
- Built-in space to practice (and redo, and redo, and redo…)
It’s designed for beginners who want clarity and structure, not more “just copy me” confusion.
Brand New to All This?
If you haven’t even learned the basic strokes yet, start there first. My free beginner course, ShowMeYourDrills, teaches you all the foundational strokes (plus how to build muscle memory so your letters don’t shake like a leaf).
Both links – the beginner course and the lowercase alphabet workbook – are ready when you are!
And finally, your dad joke…
Why did the stadium get SO hot after the game?
All the fans left.
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