Quiet Calligraphy Video: from Pencil to Procreate

VideoYouTubeProcreateCalligraphyiPad Lettering
Written By Molly Suber Thorpe

Nearly every manuscript and monogram I make starts the same way: with pencil on paper, and an eraser close at hand. Sketching first gives me the ability to test spacing and letter shapes, and adjust flourishes and connectors to avoid overlaps. It also lets me erase, which is one of the more satisfying parts of writing. I miss the tactile action of erasing when I work with ink on paper, and it's never as fulfilling to smooth away digital strokes.

This no-talking video is my real-time process for sketching calligraphy and then digitizing it on my iPad, using the Procreate app. Below the video, I provide a complete list of all the tools I use—analog and digital.

 
 

Digital Tools Used:

Calligraphy Nibs Procreate Brush Pack
Procreate App
13-inch iPad Pro
Apple Pencil
Magnetic Smart Case
Touch screen glove

 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for all my video demonstrations.

 

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Molly Suber Thorpe

A calligrapher, teacher, and author, Molly’s work spans both modern lettering and historical script. She writes about calligraphy and handwriting as creative disciplines—shaped by tools, technique, habit, and attention—and considers what it means to write by hand in a digital age. In addition to designing custom lettering for clients, she creates books, free resources, and online classes for people who want to develop their calligraphy and handwriting, whether as a creative outlet, a professional skill, or both.

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