Arabic Calligraphy — From the First Stroke to Diwani

About this course

Arabic calligraphy is one of the world's most refined visual disciplines — and it's accessible at any age, with modest tools. We follow the traditional master-student structure: you'll cut and prepare your own qalam, mix ink properly, and progress through Naskh letters in the order Ottoman masters used. By session ten you can write a short verse in Naskh confidently and have begun Thuluth and Diwani. Sessions emphasize hand position, breathing, and the quiet that calligraphy demands — a meditation as much as a craft.

What you'll cover

• 1

  Tools, posture, and the qalam

  Choosing and cutting your qalam. Mixing ink. Sitting and holding the pen the way masters did.

• 2

  The dot and the basic strokes

  The dot is the unit of all calligraphy. Master it before any letter. The 7 fundamental strokes.

• 3

  Naskh — the alphabet, beginning

  Alif, ba, ta, tha. Each letter in its three positions (initial, medial, final).

• 4

  Naskh — joining and the rhythm of words

  Where letters meet. Spacing. The rhythm that turns a string of letters into a word.

• 5

  Your first short verse in Naskh

  Pick a verse, sentence, or saying. Plan the layout. Execute slowly.

• 6

  Introduction to Thuluth

  The royal script. Why it's the master script. Just enough to appreciate and start.

• 7

  Introduction to Diwani — the calligrapher's flourish

  The Ottoman court script. The flowing curves. A small Diwani composition.

Skills you'll build

• Arabic calligraphy
• Naskh
• Thuluth
• Diwani
• Ruq'ah
• qalam
• Islamic art
• lettering