Nowadays, it seems that typing has almost entirely replaced handwriting, and penmanship seems like it might be becoming extinct. Were all those exercises on dotted paper for nothing?
Well, not if you're designer and engineer Tolga Girgin.
While he works as an electronics engineer, his real passion is penmanship, and using a variety of gorgeous ink pens and a steady, sure hand, he can create words that are more than writing — they're works of art.
They say that your handwriting can reveal secrets about your personality, but Tolga's talent allows him to change his handwriting and letter-forming based on what word or phrase he's creating.
And using a different style of lettering for each word and keeping it consistent takes some serious skill.
Check out some of the gorgeous letters Tolga has created, and see how in the right hands, a single, simple word can become a work of art.
And who knows? Maybe after so much time typing out your messages, his work will inspire you to pick up a pen again (even if it's just a ballpoint) and rekindle your love of penmanship.
[H/T: Colossal]
Using different styles of pen, Tolga creates different styles and moods for each word.
He also creates the illusion that the words are standing or lifting right off the paper.
Many times, his work forms a visual pun, like this literal representation of a zigzag.
Other times, he creates truly eye-fooling illusions.
And sometimes he illustrates his pieces even further, with tiny images that also appear to rise off the page.
He creates differently stylized letters thanks to a huge collection of different pens. Some are modern, marker-like pens with different kinds of tips, and some are traditional ink pens with metal nibs.
He also uses a variety of colors to create the illusion of shadows and reflections. Here, the real shadow from the lighter blends right in with the drawn shadows of the letters.
And if you think penmanship is only stiff and precise, check out his looser, more painterly styles, like this one, complete with a watercolor-style butterfly.
But that's not to say that calligraphy doesn't require a lot of patience, practice, and discipline!
While each piece seems so simple, just a single word or even a single letter, imagine the precision that needs to go into creating them.
Oh, and he doesn't just work on plain paper. He also uses lined paper, but maybe for a slightly different purpose.
Instead of staying inside the lines, Tolga uses them to create a totally new style of lettering.
Complete, of course, with artistic flourishes that illustrate the meaning of the word. The next time you'd like to get creative but only have ruled paper, give this a try!
You can see more of Tolga's amazing calligraphy on his Behance page, as well as on Instagram, where he also posts some incredible videos of his process — we highly recommend checking those out.
And if you know someone who loves handwriting, but doesn't get the chance to use it in a digital world, SHARE this gorgeous penmanship with them for some inspiration!
