Penkraft Course Enquiry Guide: Courses, Teacher Training, DFA and DFA Teacher Training

Choosing the right creative course can help you develop artistic skills, explore career opportunities or become a professional art educator. Penkraft offers courses, workshops, teacher-training programs and Diploma in Fine Arts options for learners with different goals.

This guide covers Penkraft Course Enquiry, Teacher Training (TT) Enquiry, SF Enquiry, Diploma in Fine Arts (DFA) and Diploma in Fine Arts Teacher Training (DFA TT).

What is Penkraft?

Penkraft offers structured learning in handwriting, calligraphy, mathematics, phonics, traditional and modern art forms, workshops and teacher training. Courses are available in online and in-person formats.

Creative programs include painting, drawing, calligraphy, mandala art, Indian art forms and contemporary techniques. Several courses also follow a “Course-in-a-Box” model with required learning materials.

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1. What is a Penkraft Course Enquiry?

A Course Enquiry helps learners understand which Penkraft course suits their interests and requirements.

Penkraft offers courses in:

• Handwriting

• Calligraphy

• Abacus Maths

• Vedic Maths

• Phonics

• English Grammar

• Traditional and modern art forms

• Painting and drawing

• Other creative skills

Art courses include Madhubani, Warli, Gond, Lippan Art, Pichwai, Pattachitra, Kerala Mural Art, Tanjore Painting, Resin Art, Fluid Art, Watercolors and Pencil Shading.

Who can make a Course Enquiry?

A course enquiry is useful for:

• Beginners

• Children and adults

• Hobby learners

• Aspiring artists

• Art enthusiasts

• Individuals interested in future teaching opportunities

An enquiry helps you understand the course structure, requirements and available options before enrolling.

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2. What is a Penkraft TT Enquiry?

TT stands for Teacher Training.

A Penkraft Teacher Training Enquiry is suitable for people who want to learn a skill and teach it to others.

Teacher training can help individuals who want to:

• Become creative-skills teachers

• Conduct art or activity classes

• Improve their teaching skills

• Start teaching students

• Build a career in creative education

A TT enquiry is ideal for anyone who wants to move from learning a creative skill to teaching it professionally.

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3. What is SF Enquiry?

If you are looking for an SF Enquiry, contact the Penkraft team to clarify the specific program or service you need.

When making an enquiry, share:

• Your name

• Preferred course or program

• Experience level

• Learning or teaching objective

• Preferred learning format

• Location

• Specific questions

This helps the team provide relevant information.

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4. What is a Diploma in Fine Arts (DFA)?

A Diploma in Fine Arts (DFA) helps learners build a strong foundation in visual arts. The program combines theory and practical learning while encouraging creativity, experimentation and individual artistic development.

Subjects covered in Penkraft DFA

• Composition

• Drawing and Sketching

• Pencil Shading and Toning

• Coloring Techniques

• Perspective Drawing

• Painting

• Landscape

• Watercolor Painting

• Acrylic Painting

• Oil Painting

Duration and Eligibility

The Penkraft DFA program is spread over 6 months and includes approximately 160 hours of curriculum.

Eligibility may include the Penkraft Diploma Entrance Test (PDET). Candidates with a Government Art Exam Intermediate Grade qualification may be exempt, while practicing artists may be considered based on their portfolio.

Who should consider DFA?

DFA may be suitable for:

• Aspiring artists

• Art enthusiasts

• Learners strengthening their art fundamentals

• Individuals interested in visual arts

• People considering art education as a career

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5. What is DFA TT?

DFA TT stands for Diploma in Fine Arts Teacher Training.

This program combines Fine Arts education with teaching techniques, methodology and pedagogy. It is designed for individuals who want to develop artistic skills and teach Fine Arts to others.

Subjects covered in DFA TT

• Composition

• Drawing and Sketching

• Pencil Shading and Toning

• Coloring Techniques

• Perspective Drawing

• Painting

• Landscape

• Watercolor Painting

• Acrylic Painting

• Oil Painting

The program also focuses on effective teaching methods.

Duration and Eligibility

The DFA Teacher Training program is spread over 4 months and includes approximately 160 hours of curriculum.

Who can consider DFA TT?

DFA TT may be suitable for:

• Aspiring Fine Arts teachers

• Existing teachers

• Artists interested in teaching

• Individuals planning to conduct Fine Arts classes

• People seeking a career combining art and education

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DFA vs DFA TT: What is the Difference?

Feature	DFA	DFA TT
Full Form	Diploma in Fine Arts	Diploma in Fine Arts Teacher Training
Main Focus	Fine Arts knowledge and skills	Fine Arts and teaching skills
Suitable For	Aspiring artists and art learners	Aspiring Fine Arts teachers
Duration	6 months	4 months
Curriculum	160 hours	160 hours
Teaching Focus	Mainly art-focused	Includes teaching techniques and pedagogy

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Which Penkraft Program Should You Choose?

Choose a regular Penkraft Course if:

You want to learn a creative skill, improve your abilities or explore a hobby.

Choose Teacher Training if:

You want to learn a skill and eventually teach it to students.

Choose DFA if:

You want structured training in drawing, sketching, shading, perspective and painting.

Choose DFA TT if:

You want to combine Fine Arts education with teaching skills and become a Fine Arts educator.

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Why Make an Enquiry Before Enrolling?

An enquiry helps you understand:

• Course duration

• Eligibility

• Curriculum

• Fees

• Learning format

• Admission process

• Course materials

• Training structure

• Teaching opportunities

This is especially helpful when choosing between DFA and DFA TT.

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Start Your Penkraft Learning Journey

Whether you need a Penkraft Course Enquiry, TT Enquiry, SF Enquiry, DFA Enquiry or DFA Teacher Training Enquiry, begin by identifying your learning or career goal.

Penkraft offers creative courses for learners, artists and aspiring teachers. The DFA focuses on Fine Arts education, while DFA Teacher Training combines Fine Arts with teaching skills.

Explore the available programs and submit an enquiry to find the option that best matches your goals.

Penkraft – Learn, Create, Teach and Grow Through Art.

Qyaari by Penkraft, where heritage meets artistry

 From hand block printed sarees to embroidered stoles, fabric painted dupattas to kantha art tote bags, hand painted kurti material to Madhubani painted file covers, frames, block hooks, keychains, suit material, dress material, stoles, scrunchies, jewellery, runners, table mats, napkins, serving trays, coasters, cutlery holders, tissue holders, tealight holders, carry bags, purses, clutches, mobile bags, wallets, pouches, saree covers, back packs, curtains, wall hangings, torans…..and even thaans of Dabu, Ikat, Bagh, Ajrakh, Kalamkari, Maheshwari, Kota Doria, Cotton Silk, Khadi Silk…..a plethora of choices, each one a testament to the skilled craftsmanship of our artists & artisans, blending age-old techniques with contemporary aesthetics.

 

Why learning handwriting is essential even in this digital age

October 7, 2019

Have you scribbled out a shopping list on the back of an envelope or stuck a Post-it on your desk in the last few days? Or, perhaps you have added a comment to your child’s report card or made a few quick notes during a meeting. But when did you last draft a long text by hand? How long ago did you write your last “proper” letter, using a pen and a sheet of writing paper? Are you among the increasing number of people, at work, who are switching completely from writing to typing?

No one can say precisely how much handwriting has declined, but surveys tell us that one in three adults had not written anything by hand in the previous six months. On an average, they had not put pen to paper in the previous 41 days. People undoubtedly write more than they suppose, but one thing is certain: with information technology we can write so fast that handwritten copy is fast disappearing in the workplace!

Given that email and texting have replaced snail mail, and that students take notes on their laptops, “cursive” writing – in which the pen is not raised between each character – has been dropped from the school syllabus in countries such as the US. Since 2013 American children have been required to learn how to use a keyboard and write in print. But they will no longer need to worry about the up and down strokes involved in “joined-up” writing, less still the ornamental loops on capitals!

Ever since writing was most likely first invented, in Mesopotamia in about 4000BC, it has been through plenty of technological upheavals. The tools and media used for writing have changed many times: from Sumerian tablets to the Phoenician alphabet of the first millennium BC; from the invention of paper in China about 1,000 years later to the first codex, with its handwritten sheets bound together to make a book; from the invention of printing in the 15th century to the appearance of ballpoint pens in the 1940s. So at first sight the battle between keyboards and pens might seem to be no more than the latest twist in a very long story, yet another new tool that we will end up getting used to. What really matters is not how we produce a text but its quality, we are often told. When we are reading, few of us wonder whether a text was written by hand or word-processed.

But we at Penkraft do not agree: pens and keyboards bring into play very different cognitive processes. Handwriting is a complex task which requires various skills – feeling the pen and paper, moving the writing implement, and directing movement by thought. Children take several years to master this precise motor exercise: you need to hold the scripting tool firmly while moving it in such a way as to leave a different mark for each letter.

Operating a keyboard is not the same at all: all you have to do is press the right key. It is easy enough for children to learn very fast, but above all the movement is exactly the same whatever the letter. Handwriting is the result of a singular movement of the body, typing is not. Drawing each letter by hand substantially improves subsequent recognition. Drawing each letter by hand improves our grasp of the alphabet because we really have a “body memory”

Do we express ourselves more freely and clearly with a pen than with a keyboard? Does it make any difference to the way the brain works? Some studies suggest this may indeed be the case. Note-taking with a pen, rather than a laptop, gives students a better grasp of the subject. A study focused on more than 300 students at Princeton and the University of California, Los Angeles suggested that students who took longhand notes were better able to answer questions on the lecture than those using a laptop. For the scientists, the reason is clear: those working on paper rephrased information as they took notes, which required them to carry out a preliminary process of summarizing and comprehension; in contrast, those working on a keyboard tended to take a lot of notes, sometimes even making a literal transcript, but avoided what is known as “desirable difficulty”.

Furthermore pens and keyboards use very different media. Obviously you can change the page layout and switch fonts on a PC or laptop, but you cannot invent a form not foreseen by the software. Paper allows much greater graphic freedom: you can write on either side, keep to set margins or not, superimpose lines or distort them. There is nothing to make you follow a set pattern. It has three dimensions too, so it can be folded, cut out, stapled or glued!

Penkraft conducts classes, course, online courses, live courses, workshops, teachers’ training & online teachers’ training in Handwriting Improvement, Calligraphy, Abacus Maths, Vedic Maths, Phonics and various Craft & Artforms — Madhubani, Mandala, Warli, Gond, Lippan Art, Kalighat, Kalamkari, Pichwai, Cheriyal, Kerala Mural, Pattachitra, Tanjore Painting, One Stroke Painting, Decoupage, Image Transfer, Resin Art, Fluid Art, Alcohol Ink Art, Pop Art, Knife Painting, Scandinavian Art, Water Colors, Coffee Painting, Pencil Shading, Resin Art Advanced etc. at pan-India locations. With our mission to inspire, educate, empower & uplift people through our endeavours, we have trained & operationally supported (and continue to support) 1500+ home-makers to become Penkraft Certified Teachers? in various disciplines.

Calligraphy is beauty beyond mere writing

In a world that screams for your attention, where we are increasingly expecting instant gratification and cannot wait for anything at all, calligraphy hones our concentration, focus, and patience. It can be very calming to sit down with a pot of tea, your favorite music, your Penkraft nibs and ink, and just fill pages and pages with letters. The personal connection to the materials and the haptic effect is very fulfilling. When you practice, you don’t have to achieve something particular, you’re just there in the moment, and that’s good how it is.

Apart from saying “I really want to learn calligraphy, it sounds fun” here are a few reasons to get you motivated.

1. Quicker way of Thinking

Embracing the art of drawing the letterform by hand enacts a particular way of thinking unique to using the hand! Milton Glaser used to say that he couldn’t think without a pencil. With a pencil or pen, you can design a quick sketch of a customized word mark in less than a minute.

2. Calligraphy Helps You Slow Down and Think

As many calligraphers would put it – calligraphy isn’t like regular handwriting. You don’t blitz through it like a doctor would, or like when you’re trying to finish up that final sentence in your essay before time’s up. Calligraphy requires you to slow down and observe every single letter form you create. Some people say calligraphy is an art. We say, calligraphy is drawing with letters.

3. Keeps you connected with the roots

Thousands of years ago, cavemen scratched crude drawings and symbols on walls with stones. For eons, the cumulative history and culture of mankind has been passed down through writings and stories. Yes, some were told orally down the ages, but by and large, history is recorded by paper and ink, persisting through the years. Like it or not, even with the growth of technology, we will always have very distinct roots in the pen and pencil, and you know what? Some things, like traditions and culture, are worth preserving.

4. Calligraphy and Writing can be Therapeutic

Studies have shown that writing, and by extension calligraphy, has a positive psychological effect on the writer. Especially in the cases of patients suffering from life-threatening or terminal illnesses, people struggling with psychological problems or even just stressed out people.

5. Calligraphy is Beautiful

All of us appreciate art in many ways. Whether it’s in the form of Picasso paintings, David Beckham taking a free kick, a blood-red sky as the sun sets over the horizon, or calligraphy. A large majority of society, while they may not have a personal interest in calligraphy, can appreciate it as an art form. There’s no need to seek out a hobby simply because of societal approval, but if you have an interest in it, well, what are you waiting for? You too, can create beautiful calligraphy.

Penkraft conducts classes, course, online courses, live courses, workshops, teachers’ training & online teachers’ training in Handwriting Improvement, Calligraphy, Abacus Maths, Vedic Maths, Phonics and various Craft & Artforms — Madhubani, Mandala, Warli, Gond, Lippan Art, Kalighat, Kalamkari, Pichwai, Cheriyal, Kerala Mural, Pattachitra, Tanjore Painting, One Stroke Painting, Decoupage, Image Transfer, Resin Art, Fluid Art, Alcohol Ink Art, Pop Art, Knife Painting, Scandinavian Art, Water Colors, Coffee Painting, Pencil Shading, Resin Art Advanced etc. at pan-India locations. With our mission to inspire, educate, empower & uplift people through our endeavours, we have trained & operationally supported (and continue to support) 1500+ home-makers to become Penkraft Certified Teachers? in various disciplines.

Do something Creative everyday

Creativity is important in whatever field you are in. But how do you start thinking more out of the box when you work in a very “uncreative” career? Look no further — we’ve scoured the web for some of the best advice on how to think more like the designers and innovators of the world, and how that thinking can help you out in all aspects of life. I’m a research analyst, so the most creative I typically get in my day-to-day work is, well, that’s all!

5 ways to be more creative in a “no- creative” job:

1. A tiny notebook for your personal use: Not for planning out things or for a scratch. But solely reserved for jotting down quotes, stories, experiences, or anything that will make you stand still and read.

2. Schedule some time to be creative: It is just like scheduling time to meditate or gym. In other words, schedule it into your week maybe 15 minutes in an entire day! But carve out some time when you allow yourself to think wildly and freely, do some handiwork, or wander around somewhere especially inspirational.

3. Surround yourself with inspiration: If you’re feeling a lull in your creativity, maybe it’s time to get offline and create a physical space for inspiration. Just drab cubicle walls are a great canvas for this. By creating an environment that’s full of ideas, you’ll find it easier to come up with your own, without having to spend more time staring at a screen.

4. It’s time to change your routine: You remember commuting by train today morning, why not take a bus up a bus today. By creating an environment that’s full of ideas, you’ll find it easier to come up with your own, without having to spend more time staring at a screen.

5. Quell out the word “NO” from your thoughts: Next time your boss asks you to do something you’re not sure about, avoid the temptation to say no. Instead, push yourself to fake it until you make it and give it a try. Putting yourself outside your comfort zone will force you to get creative with tackling new challenges, and it may just open up doors that you would never have thought possible. Not to mention opportunities for promotion!

You don’t need to be an Artist to be creative. Just try out these simple ways to be more creative and see how your life takes a turn around.

Penkraft conducts classes, course, online courses, live courses, workshops, teachers’ training & online teachers’ training in Handwriting Improvement, Calligraphy, Abacus Maths, Vedic Maths, Phonics and various Craft & Artforms — Madhubani, Mandala, Warli, Gond, Lippan Art, Kalighat, Kalamkari, Pichwai, Cheriyal, Kerala Mural, Pattachitra, Tanjore Painting, One Stroke Painting, Decoupage, Image Transfer, Resin Art, Fluid Art, Alcohol Ink Art, Pop Art, Knife Painting, Scandinavian Art, Water Colors, Coffee Painting, Pencil Shading, Resin Art Advanced etc. at pan-India locations. With our mission to inspire, educate, empower & uplift people through our endeavours, we have trained & operationally supported (and continue to support) 1500+ home-makers to become Penkraft Certified Teachers? in various disciplines.

4 Steps to keep Your Mind sharp

4 STEPS TO KEEP YOUR MIND SHARP

Regular physical activity helps keep your heart, lungs, and muscles in condition and can stave off the effects of aging. In much the same manner, exercising your brain can help keep your mind sharp and your memory intact. Here are two ways to activate your brain.

Keep learning and growing

A higher stage of teaching is linked to better mental performance in old years. Experts think that advanced education may help keep memory strong by getting a person into the habit of being mentally active. Challenging your mind with mental practice is thought to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells and stimulate communication among them. Many people have jobs that keep them mentally active, but pursuing a hobby, learning a new skill, or volunteering for a project at work that involves a skill you don’t usually use can function the same way.

Engage yourself in some Art

Many of us learn about the benefits of meditation but sometimes find it difficult to make out.  Fewer of us know about the profound benefits of artistic expression. Creating art, however, is another way to access a meditative state of mind and the profound healing it brings. “Art is a guarantee to sanity,” said Louise Bourgeois, a French-American artist

An Apple a Day

It’s self-evident, that a fit and healthy individual won’t spend as much money for health care as the average unfit person. But being fit doesn’t only save your money today, it will likely do so in the future as well. A 2012 study by the University of Texas-South western and the Cooper Institute examined the health care costs of 20,000 middle-age men and women over a 10-year period. The study concluded that the healthiest participants had 38 percent lower medical costs later in life than participants who were not fit.

Strengthen your memory

Memory is our most vital mental faculty. Strengthening memory is an important component.

Learn a new word every day

Learning new words not only enriches one’s understanding of the world but also enhances the brain’s language centres and the prefrontal lobes where judgment and executive function are mediated.

Penkraft conducts classes, course, online courses, live courses, workshops, teachers’ training & online teachers’ training in Handwriting Improvement, Calligraphy, Abacus Maths, Vedic Maths, Phonics and various Craft & Artforms — Madhubani, Mandala, Warli, Gond, Lippan Art, Kalighat, Kalamkari, Pichwai, Cheriyal, Kerala Mural, Pattachitra, Tanjore Painting, One Stroke Painting, Decoupage, Image Transfer, Resin Art, Fluid Art, Alcohol Ink Art, Pop Art, Knife Painting, Scandinavian Art, Water Colors, Coffee Painting, Pencil Shading, Resin Art Advanced etc. at pan-India locations. With our mission to inspire, educate, empower & uplift people through our endeavours, we have trained & operationally supported (and continue to support) 1500+ home-makers to become Penkraft Certified Teachers? in various disciplines.

 

BEAUTY BEYOND WRITING- CALLIGRAPHY

A part from saying “I really want to learn calligraphy, it sounds fun” here are a few reasons to get you motivated.

To me, it is almost like meditation. It can be very calming to sit down with a pot of tea, your favorite music, your nibs and ink, and just fill pages and pages with letters. The personal connection to the materials and the haptic effect is very fulfilling. Also, repetition can actually be calming to the nerves. When you practice, you don’t have to achieve something particular, you’re just there in the moment, and that’s good how it is. It’s very soothing at the beginning.

In a world that screams for your attention, where we are increasingly expecting instant gratification and cannot wait for anything at all, calligraphy hones our concentration, focus, and patience. Ever had a moment when Facebook took more than 2 seconds to load and you sighed in exasperation?

5 benefits of learning Calligraphy

1. Quicker way of Thinking

Embracing the art of drawing the letterform by hand enacts a particular way of thinking unique to using the hand! Milton Glaser used to say that he couldn’t think without a pencil. With a pencil or pen you can design a quick sketch of a customized word mark in less than a minute.

2. Calligraphy Helps You Slow Down and Think

As many calligraphers would put it — calligraphy isn’t like regular handwriting. You don’t blitz through it like a doctor would, or like when you’re trying to finish up that final sentence in your essay before time’s up. Calligraphy requires you to slow down and observe every single letter form you create. Some people say calligraphy is an art, I say, calligraphy is drawing with letters.

3. Keeps you connected with the roots

Thousands of years ago, cavemen scratched crude drawings and symbols on walls with stones. For eons, the cumulative history and culture of mankind had been passed down through writings and stories. Yes, some were told orally down the ages, but by and large, history is recorded by paper and ink, persisting through the years. Like it or not, even with the growth of technology, we will always have very distinct roots in the pen and pencil, and you know what? Some things, like traditions and culture, are worth preserving.

4. Calligraphy and Writing can be Therapeutic

There’s a reason why people keep diaries. Studies have shown that writing, and by extension calligraphy, has a positive psychological effect on the writer. Especially in the cases of patients suffering from life-threatening or terminal illnesses, people struggling with psychological problems or even just stressed out people. Are you stressed out today?

5. Calligraphy is Beautiful

All of us appreciate art in many ways. Whether it’s in the form of Picasso paintings, David Beckham taking a free kick, a blood-red sky as the sun sets over the horizon, or calligraphy. I think it’s safe to say that a large majority of society, while they may not have a personal interest in calligraphy, can appreciate it as an art form. There’s no need to seek out a hobby simply because of societal approval, but if you have an interest in it, well, what are you waiting for? You too can create beautiful calligraphy.

Penkraft conducts classes, course, online courses, live courses, workshops, teachers’ training & online teachers’ training in Handwriting Improvement, Calligraphy, Abacus Maths, Vedic Maths, Phonics and various Craft & Artforms — Madhubani, Mandala, Warli, Gond, Lippan Art, Kalighat, Kalamkari, Pichwai, Cheriyal, Kerala Mural, Pattachitra, Tanjore Painting, One Stroke Painting, Decoupage, Image Transfer, Resin Art, Fluid Art, Alcohol Ink Art, Pop Art, Knife Painting, Scandinavian Art, Water Colors, Coffee Painting, Pencil Shading, Resin Art Advanced etc. at pan-India locations. With our mission to inspire, educate, empower & uplift people through our endeavours, we have trained & operationally supported (and continue to support) 1500+ home-makers to become Penkraft Certified Teachers? in various disciplines.