Family Tree of Skills

UNCIALS

penmanship 

good circles - letter o

basics of calligraphy

introduction to layout

introduction to fine detail painting

introduction to continuous writing

GOTHIC MINUSCULES

practice in verticals

inter-letter spacing

rhythm

exploring pattern and texture


introduction to relaxed penmanship (birds)

introduction to continuous writing

MONOLINE TRAJAN CAPS

foundation for Roman capitals in Foundational

understanding of capitals in Italic

appreciation of capitals in design

understanding of spacing and rhythm in lettering

understanding and critical approach to well designed typography

experience of drawn lettering

starting point to letter design 


Now its time to choose a direction for a while. 
You can always go back or change direction. The principle behind this idea is so that you don't go off at a tangent before consolidating one style like suddenly deciding to do Copperplate before mastering any script and at the end of a long time you have not really progressed in any direction.


Look at lots of calligraphy and decide what really appeals to you and what you think is within your ability.
What appeals to you the most? Look at the best calligraphy work to help you decide.
Tim Noad's beautiful Heraldry or Monica Dengo's expressive work. 
Consider Tom Perkin's or Hazel Dolby's drawn letters.

Tim Noad - reproduced with permission

Monica Dengo - reproduced with permission

Look at the St John Bible designed by Donald Jackson and Brody Neuenschwander's work. 
Look at the annual juried issue of Letter Arts Review.
Try to fit the work you see and like into one of the three categories below.
(I'm on dangerous ground here with all this labelling, but I really believe that its worth getting some strong foundations in a specific direction rather than becoming a workshop junkie going mindlessly from copperplate to rubber stamping to Brush Capitals and back. Once you have produced a really good portfolio in either Italic or Foundational, 
go on...indulge yourself in some experimentation and fun-stuff.)


FORMAL

This may lead to formal certificates, name tags, citations

Foundational

and 

Fine Detail or Heraldic Painting

later consider

Copperplate

Formal Italic

DRAWN LETTERS
This may lead to Typographic design, letter carving, drawn and painted letters
Foundational
with 
equal emphasis on capital letters & minuscules
and 
drawn letters
later consider
Formal brush lettering
computer skills:
Fontographer


GESTURAL 

This may lead to expressive work as in modern calligraphic works

It is also the most versatile hand for general calligraphy

and less formal work.

book covers

advertising

Italic (formal and informal)

and

art-design courses

later consider

brush lettering

computer skills:

 Indesign

I hope this helps! xxx At least it might help you evaluate differently.
The views expressed here are entirely my humble opinion* and I would welcome comments and debates. 
*b.t.w., one of my daughters once told me that my opinion is never humble.

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