Calligraphy 101 Text

Look, Learn

& Create

Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction

INCLUDED

Jeaneen Gauthier

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Photographer: Corean Komarec

Calligraphy 101

Photo Coordinator: Joanne Wawra Copyright © 2010

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for a

and

skill

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liability for

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of tools, materials, or

information in this publication. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data All rights reserved.

Calligraphy 101 / Jeaneen Gauthier.

in

cm.

for

to materials

DVD-ROM'-Provided by

ISBN-lO: 1-58923-503-7 (soft cover)

Calligraphy-Technique.

NK3600.G382010 745-6'l-dc22

2010016769

and

learning to do calligraphy. Includes publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58923-503-8 (soft cover)

1.

may be reproduced or used by any means— graphic, electronic,

any form or

taping of information on storage and retrieval

Summary: "Beginner's guide instructional

work covered by

or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,

Includes index.

techniques

part of this

the copyrights hereon

Gauthier, Jeaneen.

p.

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I.

Title.

systems— without the written permission

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publisher. However, the publisher grants to the

purchaser of this book permission to reproduce the templates in the book

for

personal use.

CONTENTS How to Use this Book

4

Tools and Supplies

Gothic Hand

7

Writing Instruments

9

Inks and Paints

14

Papers

18

Art Supplies

20

Lowercase Blackletter Alphabet

140

Uppercase Blackletter Alphabet

144

Skill Builders

145

Projects

147

Italic

Making Marks

23

The Writing Surface

Up Your Work

24 Station

Hand Alphabets

160 162

Skill Builders Italic

Setting

139

Swash Capitals

165

26 167

Projects

Trying Out Your Pens

28

Getting Started

31

Table of Basic Strokes

32

Beginner Brush Lettering

192

Using a Dipping Pen

33

Advanced Brush Lettering

193

35

Skill Builders

195

39

About Gold and

Skill

Builders

Projects

Brushwork and Gilding

Silver Leaf

Hand

51

Hand Alphabets

52

Calligraphy and

54

of

Foundational Skill

Builders

Projects

59

Modern Methods

Copying

Ornament

73

Ruled Lines and Ladders

74

Ruling Lines for Practice and Projects

76

Skill

Builders

78

Color

79

Ornament

86

Projects

89

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

The Uncial Alphabet

103

106

Versal Letters

108

Skill

Builders

Illumination Skill

Builders

Projects

219

Scanning and Inkjet Printing your Calligraphy

220

Having your Calligraphy Professionally Printed

228

Glossary

Anatomy

226

of Letterforms

231

Products Used

232

Resources

234

Dedication

236

Acknowledgments

236

About the Author

236

Index

239

104

Builders

Skill

219

Reproducing Calligraphy on a Personal

Computer Proportion, Color, and

198

201

Projects

Foundational

191

109 110 116 119

How to Use This Book Calligraphy—from the Greek word at

and a joy

to create.

Even

printing, beautifully written

for "beautiful

in today's

writing"— is lovely to look

world of text messaging and digital

words have a special place.

If you've ever

how to do calligraphy, but weren't sure how to begin, this is the book for you. Here you will learn the basics of calligraphy step by step as you create projects that are easy, satisfying, and fun! You'll also be encouraged to experiment, play, and even break the rules a little as you develop your own personal style of beautiful writing. wanted

to

learn

The materials needed to do calligraphy the right pen, and the right paper will

is

are very simple: ink, pen,

and paper. However, choosing the right

not always as simple, especially

when you

ink,

book

are just beginning. This

help you navigate the wide array of calligraphy products available and show you which tools and sup-

plies are a pleasure to er that

use and which also deliver consistent, high-quality

having good materials

In this

book you

to

work with

is

major

will also learn the essential skills

these skills are very simple, such as learning

However, these

a

skills

may

not

seem obvious

how at

to

first,

first

step on your

and techniques

results.

way to

that

all

You

will

be happy to discov-

creating beautiful calligraphy.

Most

calligraphers use.

of

hold the pen, and how to position the writing paper.

and they do require

Throughout

practice.

you

will find

book

this

suggestions

for practic-

ing the skills you learn in ways that are fun

and

relaxing,

and that

will

spark your creativity.

Many beginners when

get discouraged

starting to learn calligraphy

because their early "perfect."

inspire

The aim

efforts aren't

of this

book

is

to

you to explore and develop a

style of writing that is "personal" rather

than "perfect." You are encouraged to experiment, play, and keep an open

mind— skills essential for any artist. It's a commonly known fact that no two calligraphers can write exactly alike,

no matter how they

skilled

and experienced

you have

are. So, don't feel like

copy every project Instead, use this

in this

book as

book

to

exactly.

a guide for

developing your penmanship

skills

and

as a source of inspiration for allowing

your

4

Calligraphy 101

own beautiful

writing to flow.

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Quick reference text

The

first

section of this book introduces you

to the vast array of tools

calligraphy, explaining

and supplies used

and letting you know which items

for,

need

to get started (as well as

of

The second

in

what the various items are

used

won't).

Quick reference

you'll

which ones you

section introduces the basics

using the calligraphy pen, and encourages

you

to explore the various kinds of

can make with

it.

marks you

Each of the following sections

introduces you to a unique calligraphic alphabet, a set of projects, the skills

necessary to complete

book

more detailed suggestions

to give

help you improve your techniques.

The Quick

Reference sidebars are there to clarify words or

phrases printed

like this.

Many

of the projects

also include variations— different wording, papers, colors, etc.— and

own

you are encouraged

variations to any project

The

DVD-ROM included with this book

additional learning tool that will

essential techniques used for calligraphy.

Quicktime software. To download the

photographed

so that you can see exactly what to do at each

point along the way. Tips appear throughout the

feel

is

an

show you the

A list of necessary supplies

is

make your

inspired to do so.

PC and Mac

and every step of each project

to

whenever you

the projects, and various technical tips and tricks.

precedes each project,

that will

It is

both

compatible, and can be viewed using

sion of Quicktime for

free, visit

latest ver-

http://www.apple.

com/quicktime/download.

You can do

calligraphy!

Now,

let's

get started.

How

to

Use

this

Book

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Tools and Supplies One of the great advantages of learning the art of calligraphy is that you need only a few simple supplies to get started. This chapter

and supplies needed explaining what they are used

introduce you to the tools for calligraphy, for

and whether

getting started.

will

or not they are essential for

Basic Supplies to Get Started •

calligraphy fountain pen with a flat-tipped nib

measuring 2 to 3

mm

wide, and equipped with

refillable ink reservoir •

dipping pen nib with a

round-hand •

nib)

flat tip

(often called a

measuring 2 to 3

dipping pen nib with angled

•

•

mm

brush,

V (3 mm)

flat

book

•

agate burnisher for applying gold leaf

•

artist's

spray fixative for stabilizing metallic

pigments so they don't brush

off the

paper paper

•

bookbinder's awl for poking holes

•

brads for attaching layers of card stock together

•

brushes

in

wide

nib holder

#0 round

in this

—purchase these as you need them:

mm wide

tip (Italic nib,

Brause nib) measuring about 2

Other tools and supplies used

brush, craft brush

in

assorted shapes and sizes for

illuminating

for glue • •

black calligraphy ink (as well as red, blue, yellow,

and white calligraphy

ink,

if

self-healing cutting

when

mat

to place

under paper

cutting with a craft knife

you want •

to mix colors)

distilled

water for mixing with gouache or

pigment •

•

paper for pens/markers •

gold and silver leaf for gilding

•

gold leaf sizing liquid

•

gum

•

Vb"

(3

in

paper

inexpensive practice paper (heavy copier paper,

graph paper, heavy notebook paper) •

•

•

•

•

•

pencil

mm)

hole punch for punching holes

gray kneadable and white plastic erasers T-square, 12" (30.5

•

palette for holding several colors of ink or paint

•

polyurethane spray sealant for sealing painted

cm)

grid/lined ruler with steel edge, 12" (30.5

cm)

surfaces

craft knife •

8

arabic for use with metallic pigments

Bristol

•

scissors

•

craft glue

•

drafting tape or artist's tape

•

little

•

glass jar for rinse water

•

paper towels or cotton rags

containers for ink

Calligraphy 101

assorted ribbon, cord, and beads for binding

and decoration •

fine

sandpaper

for preparing surfaces for

painting •

scoring wheel, used with a ruler to impress

grooves into paper to make a crisp fold •

wax paper

Writing Instruments make marks, including markers, quills, and brushes.

Calligraphers use a variety of tools to fountain pens, dipping pens,

calligraphy

Pens and Nibs Calligraphy fountain pens

much

are

pens; the

like

ordinary fountain

main

difference

is

that the nib (writing edge) of a calligraphy fountain

pen

is

broader than that of an ordinary fountain pen.

The broad edge

what makes the

Calligraphy fountain pen sets

Dipping pens are the

include interchangeable nibs

traditional

pens used by

of various sizes, cartridges, and

ligraphers,

and consist of

an ink reservoir. Calligraphy

removable writing nib inserted

fountain pens for left-handed

in a

wooden, ceramic, or

handle called a nib holder.

calligraphy fountain pens

may

Many

calligraphy nibs are

equipped with reservoirs,

characteristic thick-and-thin

and precisely than

which

pen

dipping pen, they are very useful

small metal flap that

when you

or

lines of calligraphy pos-

sible.

Calligraphy fountain pens

are usually sold with

a traditional

are just starting out.

an ink

filled

with

over

amount

of

Dipping

pens give the sharpest, cleanest

Calligraphy fountain pen set

writing

pen

line,

and are capable

of producing extremely fine

Because they are more

cartridges can also be used in

details.

calligraphy fountain pens, but

delicate

the ink tends to be less dense

some getting used

and thus not as suitable

and

for cal-

it

good

ligraphy artwork.

.

'*"fao

fits

under the nib and allows the

extra ink in reserve.

ink and used over and over again. Disposable fountain

means a

in this context

nib to hold a small

reservoir— a removable tubelike device that can be

plastic

While

also

is

a

writing are also available.

tend to write a bit less cleanly

of the nib

cal-

and

takes

flexible,

more

they take

to,

however,

practice to get

results.

ii

u^fBfl

m**§ o^rfUH

Dipping pens •ft**"*

c^ir^i^

Calligraphy fountain pens, reservoirs, and cartridges

Tools

and Supplies

9

—

Round-hand nibs

Nibs

for

dipping pens are available in myriad

shapes and

sizes.

To avoid confusion when trying

know what kind

to

choose a

is

used to create the style of lettering you want:

nib,

it

helps to

Round-hand nibs chisel-tip nibs)

(also called

broad nibs or

have a writing edge that

rather than angled.

They

are

of nib

used

for

is flat

most

cal-

•Ua»£5-i

if -\

#

ligraphy styles where the lettering stands upright. For the

book

three alphabets presented in this

first

(Foundational Hand, Uncial Hand, and Gothic

Hand), round-hand nibs of various widths are used.

Slanted nibs (also called nibs) have a writing

Italic

edge that

rather than straight across.

sloped writing such as

is

nibs or angled cut at a slant

These nibs are used

Italic

Hand, and

for

for styles of

Italic

nibs

alphabets having very angular or slanting features. In this

book

Hand"

chapter. Note:

Italic

nibs are used only in the "Italic

you may come across certain

nibs,

for

handwriting

While these nibs are not used

styles.

labeled "Italic Pens"— look closely at the tip to see

projects in this book, you

the nib

pen

will

can use

is

in fact slanted— often a regular

be marketed it

broad

as an Italic pen, because

you

kinds of writing nibs other than those mentioned

A majority of these will be nibs flat

ending

in

or slanted tip

these are called "Copperplate" or "Spencerian" Calligraphy 101

Italic

for

any

to try

of the

them out

Hand, of which

the Copperplate and Spencerian Hands are more recent relatives.

to write in Italics.

a distinct point rather than a

may wish

once you have learned the

Other types of nibs and pens. There are many

here.

in the old-

fashioned Copperplate or Spencerian penmanship

calligraphy fountain pens and markers that are

if

10

and are used

Various companies ers

sell

nibs designed for post-

and other forms of lettering— for example, the

Speedball company's "A" series nibs, which can be

used is

for

monoline

lettering (lettering

no variation of thick and thin

lines)

where there and "C"

1

f.

Lite:

• ^-

Copperplate and Spencerian nibs

series,

which has larger nibs designed

of ink for

drawing

letters for signs

to hold a lot

and posters.

"Automatic" or "Coit" pens are designed to

A and C

hold very large amounts of ink for posters and large-format work.

You may

also

come

small nibs, often labeled as "crow "artist,"

or

"map"

nibs.

series

v*

Speedball nibs

across very

quill,"

"drawing,"

These nibs require a smaller

nib holder and are designed for fine lines and

cross-hatching required in tion.

You may wish

to

mapmaking and

illustra-

:>7

experiment with these nibs,

but they are not needed for any of the projects in this

book.

.UTOMATIC

Automatic pen

Pfct*

hAJH IMEflQlAK'

Automatic pen

Map and crow

quills

Tools

and Supplies

11

Markers A wide variety of calligraphy markers The others

used more

are

are available, although veiy few are really suitable for finished work.

for practice or novelty

purposes. Most calligraphy markers use inks that are dye-

based and tend to fade over time and with exposure to to

use them

The

in a piece you'd like to last for a

light,

which

is

the main reason you wouldn't want

long time.

positive aspects of cal-

igraphy markers are that they are extremely useful for trying Zig and Staedtler markers

out ideas and sketching out

rough layouts, and in circumstances

for practicing

where a

dip-

ping pen and bottled ink would be impractical. Two very good brands of calligraphy marker are the Zig Pigment-Based markers,

which use ink

that does not fade

and are available colors, ers,

more than 40

and Staedtler Duo mark-

which have

marker

a large

and small

tip at either end,

good

and well-wearing

quality ink, tips.

in

When at

all

possible, try

I

out a calligraphy marker before

you buy

marker

it,

I

as the quality of the

tips

from brand

can vary immensely to brand.

Parallel

Pens

The recently introduced

Pilot Parallel

Pen

is

a

blend of a calligraphy fountain pen and a combination-tip marker. Available in a

range of flat-tipped

nib widths, the nib can also be turned to

draw

their

thin, straight lines. Parallel

own

special ink cartridges,

of the colored inks

is

calligraphy ink: that

on

its

side

pens require

and the quality

closer to marker ink than

is.

less

dense and prone to

bleeding. However, a Parallel Pen used with a black ink cartridge lines,

12

is

capable of writing very dense, crisp

and has excellent

Calligraphy 101

Parallel

ink flow.

pens

and Reed Pens

Quills

These writing instruments made from natural materials— the

pen from a length

hardened bamboo— have enjoyed

of

quill

from a turkey feather and the reed

a long history in the art of calligraphy, as they are

durable and easily produced. Although not required for any of the projects in this book, you

may

ing them out once you've begun to master the basics of using a calligraphy pen. There are also publications available that teach you

how

to

make your own

quill

enjoy

try-

numerous

and reed pens.

Brushes Brushes play an important role in calligraphy. For brush (preferably synthetic,

used

also

details

to

which tend

make borders and

fill

to

be

stirrer

and more durable

in areas of color,

and decorations. For "Illumination" (page no) you

mark you want

this

book we use

to

make

flat

so

and lA"

(3

and 6

small (sizes 00,

brushes

mm) and

for detailing,

long-bristle liner.

0, l

brushes are

will find a description of the different types of

it's

important to

you can purchase exactly the right brush

for

know ahead

of time

what

sort

your needs. For the projects

in

brushes

(sometimes called "brights") Va"

for lettering) is ideal. Flat

bristles

while small, round-tipped brushes are used for adding

brushes and the marks that they make. Just as with nibs, of

brush with medium-long

lettering, a flat

in

widths,

Assorted brushes

round

2)

and a

brush called a

soft

script

A Chinese writing brush

(maobi) in the smallest size you

can find

is

also a fun option, fctw*. ,,,.,, artiiaj

.,

as you'll see in the chapter

on

"Brushwork and Gilding." Wider

1ft****KJ

MM.VWJ

brushes and foam brushes (as

used ors)

for painting

house

1tt Wfl

interi-

can be used for moistening

paper and laying down large

washes of to

color. You'll also

have a few inexpensive

brushes

for

V&O eJ£tf** itftfw,.*fr£- FCf.nfcAflWBWiMM

want

craft

£Q

£f~iiltr

I*

4ttt.ll

applying glue.

Tools and Supplies

13

Inks and Paints There are as

many

and paints

kinds of ink

calligraphy as there are projects. to set

out

to

first

choice

use with a dipping pen or calligraphy fountain

Make

pen.

sure the ink "

ligraphy ink

is

specifically labeled "cal-

which means the ink has a higher

density of pigment and thus a stronger,

permanent ink,

color. Calligraphy ink is

more

an all-purpose

While most calligraphy inks can be used

in

calligraphy fountain pens (check the bottle), avoid

leaving ink in the pen

A thorough

to

know what you want

when you

are not using

soaking of the nib and reservoir

remove any clinging

bits of

inked over. (For this reason, never use India

any waterproof

be washed

it.

will

pigment and reduce

out.) India ink will

is

when writing but

permanent black once it

is

cannot is

writings.

a similar permanent ink, which

appears light brown

India ink,

it

not fade and thus

documents and other important

Iron-gall ink

ink, or

ink, in a calligraphy fountain pen,

because once the ink dries inside the nib

ideal for

performing well with a variety of papers and

pens.

important

do before you buy a particular product

Calligraphy ink should always be your for

It is

that can be used in

it

is

exposed

to

turns deep, air.

Like

not suitable for use in calligraphy

fountain pens. Drafting inks can be used with

dipping pens, and certain brands also

offer

non-

waterproof formulations that can be used in

callig-

the likelihood of blockages forming. Metallic

raphy fountain pens. Drafting inks are usually very

gold and silver calligraphy inks are also available,

free-flowing and dense in color.

although these should not be used in calligraphy fountain pens since the metallic bits can clog

India ink

and

drafting ink

up the pen. Whenever possible, purchase your calligraphy ink from an art supply store or online

calligraphy supplier (see Resources) to be sure you are getting real calligraphy ink.

6

MCK ^*^ STA?

Vi-

**" fi

Acrylic inks can be found in abundance in craft

and

many

Calligraphy ink

supply stores, in a wide array of colors,

art

of

them

metallic or pearlescent.

They can be

used with dipping pens and brushes, but not with calligraphy fountain pens. Because acrylic inks are

India ink (also sometimes called "Encre de

Chine")

is

a dense, black, permanent ink suit-

able for use with dipping pens and brushes.

waterproof, which

run or bleed

14

means

the dried ink will not

when exposed

Calligraphy 101

It is

to

water or

when

it is

waterproof, they are very useful to layer

one color

when you want

of ink over another; however,

they tend to dry very quickly, sometimes right

on the

nib,

so

it is

a

good

idea to frequently rinse

and wipe your nib when using

acrylic inks.

When

ink

using acrylic inks with a brush, be sure to rinse the

is

rubbed on

a slate stone with a small

of water until the desired color

when finished, clean with comb to remove any dried

brush often in water, and

obtained. This can

soap and a fine-tooth

if

particles of ink from the bristles of the brush.

be an

With both types

and consistency

especially

you want to obtain a very

amount

good

rich, thick

is

ink to use

black ink.

of ink, use a dipping pen or brush.

Fountain pen ink

is

perhaps the most plentiful

type of bottled ink, available in a wide variety of colors,

and while

it

can be used with a dipping pen

or calligraphy fountain pen, generally these inks lack the density of color of calligraphy inks.

•<

I

bottled fountain

pen inks are sold

at gift

Some

and

statio-

nery shops and tend to be more of a novelty item, in Assorted acrylic inks

spite of

being labeled as suitable for calligraphy.

the other hand,

Sumi and Chinese

stick inks can be interesting

to use in calligraphy, especially

Sumi ink

where brushwork

Japanese liquid ink that

is

involved.

is

very dense black and can be thinned with water

to obtain delicate

is

a

that has a

shades of gray. Chinese stick

if

you

somewhat

On

are looking to create a piece

faded, romantic, old-letter-

found- in- the-attic look, fountain pen ink would be a perfect choice.

You may

also

have success increas-

ing the density of fountain pen ink by adding a

small

amount

of a similar color of calligraphy ink.

Sumi ink and Chinese stick ink with slate stone

Bottles of fountain pen ink

Waterproof vs. Non-Waterproof There are two types of inks and paints— waterproof and non-waterproof. Non-waterproof ink or paint— such as calligraphy

ink,

gouache, and watercolors— will dissolve, bleed, or run

if

touched again by water (or

ink

or paint) even after they have dried. Waterproof ink— such as acrylic ink, acrylic and latex paint, India ink, or any ink labeled "waterproof"— won't dissolve or bleed ideal for using

when you want

when

in

contact with

ink, paint,

or water, and so

is

to layer inks or colors.

Tools

and Supplies

15

and

Metallic pigments

pigments can be mixed with

distilled

water to an

inklike consistency to create metallic inks for use

with a dipping pen or brush. Often a small

gum

of liquid lic

particles

arabic

is

added

to

amount

keep the metal-

from separating. This type of ink

non-waterproof, and will dissolve or separate

good idea

also a

spraying of

Many

off

work with

It

dry.

come

"drawing

These inks are usually used

with brush or fine

nib, or in

watercolor painting.

Many

lac)

a light

is

color."

"ink,"

when

prevent the metallic

once the work

simply called

is

(check the label to see

liquid metallic inks are also available,

if

color.

density to flow well

ink," or "artist

for

drawing

conjunction with

of

them are waterproof

the ink contains shel-

and can be used successfully

backgrounds of

across ink

Many

for creating

of these inks lack the

when used with

a broad-nib

calligraphy pen, although they can work very well

with a brush.

and

widely in their amount of luster and water-

fastness, so if

artist's fixative to

from rubbing

particles

differ

to finish the

that

is

touched with water or applied to a wet surface. is

Artist colors. Often you will

Powdered metallic

inks.

possible.

it is

As

best to try them out before buying

a general rule, ink that contains

pigment should never be used

metallic

in a foun-

because the metallic particles can clog

tain pen,

Artist color inks

the inside of the nib.

Metallic pigment

powders and bottled metallic inks

'•

•

|

P

"-...

.•*

|

Inks and paints will last a long time

stored

in

when they

a cool, dry place with lids or tops tightly

screwed on. Avoid storing bottled ink

sunlight. As with

are

all art

supplies, paints

in direct

and inks should be

kept away from heat sources and out of the reach of pets or

young

16

Calligraphy 101

children.

Calligraphy gouache

mixed with for

distilled

is

packaged

in tubes

and

Tube watercolors,

is

use with dipping pens or brushes. With a basic

create dense,

gouache

paints,

permanent colors

in

shine to your color, you can add a drop or

dries to a flat finish, so

gum

watercolor will often appear somewhat washed

you want

a

two of liquid

colors are transparent, so lettering written with

any shade you

Gouache

little

used with a dipping pen or brush. Most water-

you can

desire.

if

amount

arabic or a small

gouache, can be thinned

with distilled water to an inklike consistency and

water to an inklike consistency

palette of calligraphy

like

out.

Watercolors are most useful for

and painting

details or for building

filling in

up

color

layers of

transparent color. Pan watercolors, while not very

of sugar

dissolved in hot water. Dried gouache appears a

practical for using with a dipping pen, can be used

shade or two darker than

with a brush in the same way as tube watercolors.

mix your colors to

it

does

slightly lighter

in liquid form, so

than you want them

Acrylic paint

appear on paper. Designer's gouache can be

used

in the

same way as

mention that stores,

it is

is

it

usually easier to find at art supply

of

whereas calligraphy gouache may have to be

very useful in calligraphy

when

thinned with water and used as a background

wash— once

calligraphy gouache, not to

is

dry,

you can

write on a

background

smoothly applied acrylic paint with either

waterproof or non-waterproof inks with no danger

special-ordered or ordered online.

of bleeding.

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wicHfe

m

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iliaravty OUftCHE

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O&r Trf

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idlitjraf

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DctfkwuiD

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not like

this.

Making Marks

29 .

Tips for Left-handers For most calligraphy alphabets, the strokes are written

in

downward

a

writing paper slightly to your

(pulled) direction rather

than upward (pushed). This

is

convenient for

write,

right-

handers, but presents obstacles for left-handed calligraphers. •

If

you are left-handed,

An oblique

try the following:

tip

designed so that

angled easily to 30" when held

in

can be

it

the

left

left

arm

drawn

in

too closely to

Left-hand hook position. Flex your wrist down-

ward

in

a hook shape and position your hand

your paper

hand.

isn't

so that as you

your body.

above the writing

nib (also called a left-handed nib)

has an angled

your

left

line.

It

may

help

if

you slant

slightly to the left in this position.

One drawback

of the hook position

Left-handed nibs for dipping pens are usually

hand covers the writing and makes

readily available at art supply stores; left-handed

see the work.

calligraphy fountain pens are also available,

by drawing the strokes

although you may have to place a special order

direction.

Some

left-handers in

is it

that the difficult to

overcome

this

the reverse order and

or order online (see Resources).

-FT*

Oblique nibs and left-handed pen are angled

in the opposite

direction of nibs for right-handers.

Hand

position. There are three specific left-handed

positions for calligraphy: the

hook •

position,

and the

underarm

position, the

as you comfortably can

can place the nib on the paper will

at a

until

30" angle.

help to use the slanted paper set-up for

right.

It

It

left-

left

to

might take a while to get a sense of

how your

you

handers pictured on page 25, and position your

30

with your writing lines at a 90° horizontal angle

and work from top to bottom instead of

vertical position.

Left-hand underarm position. Turn your wrist as far to the left

Left-hand vertical position. Set up your paper

position.

letters It is

should look from a vertical

a big help to practice your alpha-

bets with the example alphabets also turned to a

90

D

angle.

Calligraphy 101 .

Getting Started Start with a calligraphy fountain

pen and some paper

T-square to rule lines on your paper about

your nib

at a

cm]

desired, use a

apart). Position

30° angle and experiment making the following

Vertical lines should begin quickly,

Vz" [1.3

(if

and end with angled

moving your whole hand downward

points.

rather than

lines:

Draw moving Horizontal strokes should begin and end with angled points.

your wrist or fingers.

30" pen angle makes a thicker ner

line.

Draw

line;

a

flatter

A

angle makes a thin-

these quickly— lines will be straighter

when

you're

not concentrating too hard. Focus your eyes where you want the line to end, not

on the

line itself as

you are making

it

Try making diagonal lines that go up and down in one continuVertical lines with serifs: start with a small

get the ink flow started, then

upward movement

move the pen straight down-

The nib angle remains constant, and the change of direction in the pen determines the width of the line. If you are using a dipping pen, this is a good way to gauge how long you ous

to

Finish

with a small upward movement, maintaining the 30° nib angle.

stroke.

can write before needing

A row of dots

style of alphabet-

a very

good way

to practice

maintaining your

nib angle and establish a rhythm to your writing.

Ull Serifs can be sharply pointed, or gently curved, depending

is

to replenish the nib with ink.

on the

CC Try to make your curved strokes look

Keep the paper

straight to help

can be rounded, pointy, or

flat,

like little crescent

moons.

keep the straight lines vertical. Arches

depending on the alphabet style.

Making Marks

31

Table of Basic Strokes The following basic strokes are the essential components that make up calligraphy letterforms. Their shapes

all

and angles

will

vary somewhat

depending on the kind of alphabet, as well as on your own personal writing style. Practice these strokes, keeping your pen nib at a 30° angle and following the stroke direction indicated by the arrows.

Some

of the strokes

letters that

to

in calligraphy require steeper or flatter

have diagonal

steep pen angle

used

used

make

is

used

lines,

to

such as W, X, and, K, the pen

draw the upright stokes of the

the crossbars

on lowercase

/"and

is

pen angles— for example, when writing

angled more steeply,

capital letter N,

and often a

at

about 45°.

flatter

A very

angled line

is

f.

\ \ l

\

(left to right)

A

45" pen angle

is

used to draw strokes

very steeply for the upright strokes of the

•

TIP 32

N; a

M, W, K, A;

flatter

a 4.5

pen angle

is

also used to

make square dots;

nib angle used for the crossbar of a lowercase for

the nib

t.

•

Photocopy

"-..,

letter

for

this

vellum with a

page

3-mm

•* strokes and good

Calligraphy 101

at actual size

and practice tracing over the basic strokes on tracing paper or translucent

calligraphy fountain pen. Tracing

practice for maintaining a constant

is

a good way to get acquainted with the "feel" of the

pen angle.

is

angled

Using a Dipping Pen Calligraphy fountain pens provide smooth, clean lines and a constant

They are especially useful

flow of ink Once you

comfortable making the basic

feel

edge, you are sure to have problems easily

the basic strokes with a dipping pen and nib.

under too

Dipping pens are not always easy to use

carefully.

at first—

but with time and practice you will get the hang of

1

Here are

a few tips for using a dipping pen:

Use

Start with the right kind of nib.

nib that

you may

2 to 3

is

find

it

a broad-tip

mm wide. With a smaller nib

difficult to clearly

what you are doing. The

pressure, so handle

Nibs also become

dull

4

Use the

finish.

made

Papers

an old

nib.

Look

for

especially for calligraphy,

they tend to be expensive, look for high-quality

you

commercial papers that are reasonably priced and

are using a

will take calligraphy ink

but because

ideal,

without bleeding. Try out a

variety of these with your particular nib

hold extra ink so you won't need to load up on ink

of ink

Suggested brands are the Mitchell/Rexel Round

Round Hand nib "C" series

1.5

(sizes 1.5 or

nib, sizes

or

l),

and note which ones work best

and brand

for you.

often referred to as

a "round-hand nib" or "chisel-tip nib" (page 10).

Square-Tip nib (sizes

paper

thick with a smooth, uncoat-

reservoir— a small metal flap that allows the pen to

Hand

them

nib should be cut

and equipped with a

is

store

and worn out over

right kind of paper.

somewhat

that is

and

or put

markers, or pen-and-ink work are

straight across, not angled (unless

quite as often. This type of nib

Nibs can

later.

see the details of

tip of the

specially angled left-hand nib),

much

time, so avoid starting out with

ed

letters.

become damaged by being dropped

strokes with a calligraphy fountain pen, practice

it.

and

for practicing strokes

Leonhardt

2),

5 phy

Use the

pen, look for ink specifically labeled "calligraink."

dense

and Speedball

C-2 or C-3- The Speedball and

Mitchell nibs are also available in left-hand versions.

right ink. For learning to use a dipping

It

should be non-waterproof and provide

color.

Fountain pen ink can also be used, but

usually has a watery consistency that results in less

dense

color.

Avoid using

acrylic or waterproof inks

at first.

2

A brand-new nib sharp,

broken

in,

can be somewhat

and needs

before

also usually

it is

need

oils or shellac

to

to

be used

stiff

and

for a while, or

really at its best.

be "seasoned"

to

New nibs

remove any

remaining from the manufacturing

process (see page

6

Be

patient.

The dipping pen nib

specialized writing instrument,

time to learn write too

how

much,

to

for

handle

it.

is

and

make

sure your nib

isn't

When purchasing a nib, examine sure

it

isn't

bent or defective

closely at the tip of the nib to

takes

Don't attempt to

too long, setting up expectations

doodling and drawing and getting the

3

it

that are unrealistic for a beginner. Rather, start

34).

Check to make

a highly

make

in

damaged. it

closely to

any way. Look

sure the prongs

are perfectly aligned— if they don't form a straight

pen. Limit yourself at

first

nib held at a 30° angle

to

drawing

feel of

by

the

lines with the

and making strokes and

patterns rather than words. Learning to write with

a dipping pen

is

very

much

like learning to

play a

musical instrument.

Making Marks

33

Seasoning and Inking a Pen Nib 1.

Seasoning a

To remove any traces of

nib:

oil

or shellac remaining from the manufacturing

new

process, place a

nib in

its

holder and pass

the nib quickly through the flame of a match or

candle— one time with the time facedown. just pass

butane

Do

and one

nib faceup,

not hold the nib

in

the flame;

quickly through. (Also, never use a

it

lighter or

gas flame from a stove to heat Be careful! And

don't overdo

it.

the nib, and never hold the nib with your fingers while heating 2.

it.)

Inking a nib: Contrary to their names, dipping

pens are not dipped

into ink. Instead their nibs

are loaded with ink using a small pointed brush.

A good method until

it is

fully

is

to dip the brush into the ink

saturated (but not dripping), touch

the brush to the underside of the nib or reservoir,

and deposit

a blob of ink there.

also have a small indentation for

filling

a small

with

ink.

amount

If

Some

nibs

on top designed

needed, you can also brush

of ink onto the very tip of the nib.

For convenience, once you have loaded the

nib,

you can replenish the

ink a

few times by taking very small

dips into the ink container— just dot the surface of the ink with the very tip of the nib. After a few dips you will

need

to reload with the brush, but

longer and

you

will find

easier than dipping every time.

is

properly inked by looking at your

lines:

Be

that using a brush to ink the nib actually lets you write

careful not to over-ink your nib.

they should be crisp and

You can

when

tell

a nib

is

fine.

Dipping Pen Troubleshooting

If

the line

is

ragged on one

pressing the nib

side, try

more evenly onto the

surface of the paper.

Blobby

much

lines

ink

mean you have

on the

nib.

too

Make

properly inked.

diagonal will

34

Calligraphy 101

sure your nib

A

is

seasoned and

tiny back-and-forth

movement at

the start of stroke

often help the pen get started.

Skill Builders Exercise PATTERN PLAY WITH BASIC STROKES 1:

To learn

to

make

the basic strokes well, you will need to practice, which

However, focusing on one stroke Instead, try this

way

•

paper

3-mm

time and doing

it

over and over until

repeatedly.

perfect can be boring.

it's

of practicing:

WHAT YOU'LL NEED • lined

at a

means writing them

calligraphy

fountain pen or marker

1

Starting

on the left-hand

side of a sheet of lined paper, practice alternating

between two

2

For the second

new

line,

pick a

set of stroke pairs

going

repeat, again

way

the

all

and

you reach

to

the edge of the paper. Try not

the opposite edge of the paper.

to

spend too

The combination

one stroke—just

pairs of strokes until

you choose

is

up

of stroke pairs

let

yourself get

into a steady rhythm.

to you.

SMISSIISSIISSIISSHSMISS

much time on any

3 i

the

line,

the strokes you

first line,

line,

SSUSSHSSIISSHSMISSMSS 2

For the third

and

repeat

made on

for the fourth

repeat the strokes of the

second

line,

maintaining an

even rhythm and spacing strokes.

to

your

You can keep going

down the page this way or start the next line with a new combination of stroke pairs. Try out different

3

combinations of stroke

pairs to see

what kind

of inter-

esting patterns you can make.

SMISMISSIISMISSMSSIISS

QUICK REFERENCE Lined paper. You can draw the lines yourself,

«=u=«=«=a

about

apart, or use regular

ii

it

mvmvrt \vn vol \\

CO") COT CO) toi cc-» it

W

(1.3

cm)

notebook

paper, allowing two lines per

A

half-size sheet,

x 6" high

about 9" wide

(22.9x15.2 cm)

be easier to

line.

will

move around on

the

drawing board as you move from line to line.

^//^/n//3//vn/n/n//, Making Marks

35

Exercise Many

2:

FREEHAND

of the calligraphy projects

as text.

Taking some time

LINES, SHAPES,

you may want

to try will

have

lines, borders,

AND BOXES

boxes, and images, as well

freehand drawing will help you build your graphic

to practice

confidence with the calligraphy pen. Try out the following

(a

skills

and gain

calligraphy fountain pen or marker

is

ideal to

start out with):

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

paper

•

3-mm

calligraphy

fountain pen or marker 1

1

OIZI

Boxes from lines and L shapes. Notice

pen angle

creates

how box

the 30° lines of

different widths.

2

Lines and swooshes. Practice

quickly and at

moving the pen

freely.

Don't look

the line as you're drawing

it,

instead keep your eye on the

point where you want the line

2

to end.

3

Strokes combined to

Mi

make

shapes/icons. Practice

drawing simple shapes, keeping

U

your pen angles and avoiding

upward

strokes,

which can makes

the pen nib skip or splatter.

3

36

Calligraphy 101 H

Exercise

3:

BORDER-BUILDING

Borders can enclose a space or embellish an edge, and can be almost any shape, including asymmetrical. Practice

making

WHAT •

paper

•

3-mm

the following types of borders, substituting

any stroke or graphic element of your choice.

Band

YOU' LL NEED

Start out

1

2

by marking your

outer lines lightly in pencil,

Fill

in

next,

middle elements

using your eye to

calligraphy

then

fountain pen or marker

fill

in the center

judge placement and keep

and end

ments evenly spaced. Draw the

elements.

outer lines of the border

oQo

oO>

z&ZC®o%&&c&>

you

like

scrapbook of your

Or just cut out the parts

the best and paste those

By saving bits of your work,

2

in.

you'll

be

able to watch your progress over time

and have a store of ideas

for future

inspiration.

Box 1

Lightly pencil in your inner

and outer

lines.

Mark the

2

Add corner and

center

elements. Note that border

center points of each side in

decorations don't have to be

case you plan to put specific

confined to the inner or outer

graphic elements there.

lines of the border.

2

1

3

Fill

in the rest of the bor-

der elements. The inner

lines should

be added

last.

3

1

-s

fi

aggpyogggK

-

E3

riiraiminoK Making Marks

37

v

v.

Patterned Bookmark Here's a fun

way

to create

a handy item that makes use of the interesting

patterns you created during your basic stroke practice.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How make

•

in

paper

How

Starting at about %"

patterns,

interesting designs crafts

Begin

ICut a sheet of white paper to 6" wide * 9" high (15.2

basic strokes,

repeated for

Let's

(1.9

cm) from x

cm) apart

V2" (1.3

cm) unruled margin on each

(1.3

/z

22.9 cm).

the top of the page, use a

T-square and pencil to lightly rule 16 lines spaced across the sheet. Leave about

*

side.

to align pattern

repeats on paper •

How

to frame your

design with a precise border

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

heavy-weight (110 lb [165.5 gsm]) white text

paper •

colored card stock

•

3-mm

1

calligraphy

fountain pen or dipping

pen wrT[T-PTWi

[7|rp|n|7p|i-iji(.|r|inip|ri|

,LS^

and 30 ° angles.

4

4

Don't worry about making perfect tracings.

The point

of this exercise

to relax

is

and

n)VJ>1

feels (literally!) to

it

proper pen angle.

make

your tracing and compare sheet.

Look

the letters using the

When you have

for areas

it

WXYX?

I

3 4-5 6-7

-7? 6

remove

finished,

photocopied

to the

where your tracings don't

match up with the original— these pay extra attention

?

^ 'So

let

your pen follow the path of each stroke and learn

how

llJKLMr

r.P

thinner. Tracing

little

to

when

be areas

will

to

practicing.

Foundational Hand: Key Points •

Foundational Hand letters should stand upright and not straight on the writing surface— do not cant

left-handed, however, you •

A

broad-tip nib

find

A 2-mm

Hold the pen so that the nib

is

•

one of the key

is

Each

letter in

helpful to

nib

is

good

a

pen angle

tion

and

written

*•

T P I

down

it

you are

left.

creates the characteristic thick and thin

size to begin with.

particular thick

and

thin qualities of line,

made up of two or more separate strokes, and you lift each stroke. On the alphabet charts on pages 52 and 53,

in its

own proper

is

direc-

essential for creating

is

calligraphy.

Always check your pen angle before beginning each stroke.

When

wrong, often slightly.

the paper slightly to the

If

order. Following the correct stroke

order and direction

good

tilt

for writing in cursive.

essentials for success with calligraphy.

the Foundational Hand alphabet

is

helps to keep your paper lined up

one side as you might

what creates the

is

the pen from the surface of the paper after every stroke

It

angled at 30° and remains at that angle throughout the length of each

stroke. Maintaining a consistent

and

it

to

generally used for Foundational Hand, as

is

strokes of this alphabet. •

may

it

slant.

it's

letters

come out looking

because the pen angle shifted

Constantly checking your pen angle can slow you

at first but

soon

it

will

become second

nature,

you'll notice the strokes of your letters joining

as you maintain a constant pen angle.

and

up perfectly 30° pen angle

Foundational Hand

55

Exercise

2:

PRACTICING LETTER GROUPS

Instead of practicing writing the alphabet straight through from a to practicing groups of letters that share a ruler

and pencil

to lightly rule lines

common

and proportions. If you wish, you can use across your page about %" (1.9 cm) apart. Aim to fill each page with strokes, shapes,

repetitions of each particular letter group, concentrating

the strokes the

same way each

2-mm

1st

stroke

calligraphy 2nd stroke

fountain pen or marker •

on establishing a steady rhythm and repeating

time.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

exercise introduces the idea of

z, this

Arched Letter Group

writing paper

3rd stroke

ahlmnruy Round

Letter

Group Notice

oabcdegpq

how

stems of the

of the letters in the Foundational

alphabet echo the curves of the letter

The

letters in the

stroke practiced

round group

all

rely

o.

on the crescent moon

on page 32. Notice that the crescent moon

stroke doesn't begin at the top of a

The crescent moon letters.

56

Hand

Calligraphy 101

stroke

is

used

letter,

in

letters.

of the arch, pull the

As you come over the round pen in straight, downward

front of

serif.

Align your paper squarely

you (don't angle

it);

this helps

keep

in

vertical

strokes from leaning.

The

hrst

and second

strokes of the lowercase a

the baseline to keep the

letter

Keep

the arches the

sit slightly

from appearing cramped.

but slightly below.

most of the round group

up on the

motion, ending with a very slight upward angle to create the

Most

the arches join fairly high

same distance

apart.

below

Diagonal Letter Group

Miscellaneous Letter Group

kywxyx Sometimes with diagonal

fgiist

strokes, the 30°

pen angle makes the strokes look too wide. For example,

for the letters v, w,

more toward 45 °

and

is

angle the pen

x,

Keep the pen

at a

traditional to

use an angled dash over the lower-

case

i

and; rather than a

for these letters. It

dot.

to get a thinner line.

The lowercase

A 45° pen angle

30 ° angle

s is written slightly larger so

it

doesn't appear

cramped.

keeps the diagonal lines from splaying out

too widely.

ah Lmnruij ahmnruy

ahlmnr Uy ahmnruy kv w xyzkv w xykvwx

yzkvwxyzkvwxy For practicing

letter groups,

graph paper

is

an inexpensive option, and useful

for

helping you learn

to

keep your lines straight and

letters

uniformly sized.

QUICK REFERENCE Round group. Foundational Hand arches, with the lowercase

is

often called "Round Hand," because almost

being a nearly perfect

circle.

of other letters of the alphabet as well, which should be

m

all

the letters in this alphabet contain circles or

The width of the lowercase

more

or less the

same width

provides a guideline for the proportions as the lowercase o, with the exception of

and w, which should be about 50% wider.

Foundational Hand

57

58

Calligraphy 101

Two-Tone Place Cards Use contrasting colors of paper and black ink card. You

to

can use folded place cards available at paper shops,

your own from your choice of card

name or make

jazz up a simple

Two-tone card stock was used for

stock.

these place cards, providing lots of options for intermixing colors.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How

to determine grain

direction • •

How

How

in

Let's

1

card stock

to score card stock to write

names

Begin

Study the directions on page 63

marking out card

card paper.

Mark

How

to layer paper

out and cut 3%"

of

line,

grain direction and

Determine the grain direction * 5" (8.9 * 12.7

the shorter sides parallel to the grain direction.

pencil in the fold •

stock.

for finding

of the place

cm) rectangles, with Use

a ruler to lightly

bisecting the card. Place the card on a stack

paper and score the fold line with a scoring wheel held against a

panels steel-edge ruler. •

How

to attach brads

(continued)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

three contrasting colors of card stock pencil

T-square, ruler

scoring wheel craft knife craft glue

2- or

3-mm

calligraphy

fountain pen calligraphy ink small hole

punch or

bookbinder's awl three contrasting colors of paper brads (four

brads per card)

Foundational Hand

59

Two-Tone Place Cards

2 (8-3

Cut contrasting color panels 3%" wide

card in

5-7

*

*

2 1A"

high

cm). Write the place

names on the small panels

Foundational Hand.

3

Lay the finished panels facedown on a large sheet

of clean scrap paper.

Apply glue

back of one panel

to the

at a

time, taking care to cover

the

way

to the

edges

(a

all

it

brush

is

helpful for this).

4

Center a glued panel on the lower front panel of

an unfolded scored card in a contrasting color. Cover with a sheet of paper, smooth gently to

make

firmly,

sure the panel sticks

and then press under

heavy book minutes).

a

until dry (about 30

You can stack your

entire batch of unfolded glued

cards this way

if

you interleave

paper between each card and stack

them

neatly.

QUICK REFERENCE Interleave paper. is

Wax paper

very useful for interleaving

between glued sheets and can be pulled

away

bits of glue

60

cleanly

happen

Calligraphy 101

if

any stray

to stick to

it.

4

5 in

When the

cards are dry,

use a pencil to make a dot

each corner of the small panel

about

Vq" to

A

l

n

(3 to

6

mm)

in

from the corner, depending on the size of the brads you will use.

Use a small hand-held hole

punch or bookbinder's awl to punch holes in each corner.

6

Fold the card, lay

down on

7

face-

a clean surface,

and smooth over the

bone

it

fold with a

folder.

Position one contrasting color brad through the

hole in each corner. Bend back the prongs of the brads diagonally toward the corners of the

card so that they don't

from the

show

front. (continued)

Foundational Hand

61

Variations Choose two for

your next party. Your guests

party

62

or three bright colors of two-tone card stock so

memento.

Calligraphy 101

will appreciate

you can mix and match cards and name plates

your calligraphy

skills

and treasure

their place cards as a

How

to Find Grain Direction

Card stock bends easily parallel to the grain direction of the

You

paper (indicated by arrow).

against the grain.

IHold two parallel lightly

will feel

more

resistance

when

trying to bend the paper

edges of a sheet of card stock

between your

fingertips

up

the edges of the paper

and gently push

into a slight

the paper bends easily, that

means

U shape. If

the grain direc-

tion follows the direction of the two sides

you are

holding.

2 line for

Use a T-square and pencil of the folded card

to rule out the size

you want, aligning the

fold

with the grain direction. Mark a dashed line

the fold line exactly in the middle of the card.

3

Place card stock on a stack of several sheets

to

Align a ruler against the edge of your fold

it.

of paper, or any a surface that has a bit of give

With

a scoring

wheel or a narrow-edge bone

line.

folder,

press a groove into the paper, following the ruler

edge as a guide. Be sure Repeat as

many times

the hardness

4

to

hold the ruler firmly.

as necessary,

and thickness

depending on

of the stock.

Gently bend the paper along the fold and

smooth over the

fold

with a bone folder.

Foundational Hand

63

Floating-Layer Thank-You Notes These thank-you notes use decorated paper and layers of paper

up a simple "thank you" into something special You of papers

and embellishments

to

build

to

a myriad

will find

choose from at specialty paper and art

supply stores.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How

Let's

Begin

Measure the width and height

make paper panels seem to float

1

above the surface

and add lA"

to

of the card

when

On

folded.

the

reverse side of the decorative paper, rule out the width and height, (6

mm)

to

both sides and the bottom edge. Then cut

out.

* 1

•

How

to glue paper layers

(continued)

without making a mess "

•

How when

to prevent rippling

'1

•!

gluing paper layers "1

-,_"-!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

:*

pre-scored folded card

and envelope '

•

•

one sheet of decorative paper

'

one small sheet of card stock for text panel

•

one small sheet of contrasting color card

stock for backing panel Hin*yyyuif;

^'J'-.i

|

ii

•

embellishments of your choice

-_i

f_

n

|

|*J«*'MI f

.

HJii,

t

1

1

—«

1

,!

,,r

~T^

IIV -.

Tn-rj—

f '*— *—-

1

r L

FZu

M

i

*""* .

»

~-

M rpHl

t

T

T

,*

1*

r

:

J

foam dots

•

self-adhesive

•

scrap paper

•

steel-edge ruler

•

craft knife

•

bone folder

•

glue stick

•

2- or

3-mm

calligraphy

fountain pen •

calligraphy ink

Foundational Hand

65

Floating-Layer Thank-You Notes

2

On your work

surface, lay

two sheets of clean scrap

paper larger than the unfolded card.

Lay the card, unfolded and

on one

faceup,

Apply glue

of the sheets.

stick thoroughly

to the lower panel (card front),

taking care that glue right

up

covers to the

applied

is

to the score line

Move

edges.

all

2

'V,

and

M

the card

second sheet of scrap

paper and place the decorative /

''"J*

"'Ut

••'•"

"!P*"*'-'i

awarded to

6 Let it l\creby be known that the a

"has been Awarded to

6 for being

a really super friend/

v

Do

lines of all

one color

changing colors

at

each

first

line.

guard sheet under your hand

7

Do (3

rather than

Remember to use

to protect the paper.

the other text colors, and then use the

mm)

ders. Try to

flat

brush and red ink to

fill

Vs"

in the bor-

keep your brush strokes as smooth as

possible, drawing your

arm down the page

rather

than moving your fingers.

8

To make the

seal,

ink to paint a 2"

*

use a brush and red acrylic 2" (5.1 * 5.1

cm) square on

crack-and-peel label stock. Apply the ink in several layers so the paper

Let it hereby bekiown that the

When

SUPER-FRIEND AWARD

round object

has been awarded to

ERXJC for be (109

a.

really

super friend/

the ink

square.

is

9

densely coated with ink.

thoroughly

Use black ink and

use a compass or a

on the painted

a small nib to write or

seal.

Cut lengths

of ribbon

Use pinking shears

then peel

dry,

to lightly trace a circle

draw inside the

7

is

off the label

about

to trim

2" (5-1

cm)

around the

long. circle,

backing and stick the two

ends of the ribbon diagonally against the back of the label,

making sure the ribbon

this to the certificate

lies flat

Stick

and trim the ribbon ends with

sharp scissors.

Seaiof AFFWVAl

8

9

Proportion, Color, and

Ornament

95

!

Mosaic-Style Greeting Card For this project you to

will

use acrylic inks

and a wet-on-wet wash technique

create a colorful swirling background for your letters. The instructions

make a 5Y2" (14 cm) square

for this

design

spaces

for sixteen letters for the greeting.

Let's

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How

make

background paper calligraphy using a wet-on-wet method

for

to

top-folding note card with

colorful

•

How

to cut small squares with precision

•

How

to glue small pieces in a precise grid

(Note: cover your tabletop or

part of this project,

•

140-lb

which can be a

or watercolor paper (page

cm)

of newsprint or scrap

(300 gsm) hot-pressed printmaking

paper

down

all

wide brush with

•

medium-sized brush with

soft bristles

printmaking

cut to about

in size. Place several sheets

four sides of the paper to a

soft-bristle brush,

soft bristles

19),

messy.)

paper underneath and tape

using masking tape or

•

little

Start with a piece of hot-pressed

7" * 10" (17.8 * 25.4

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

work surface with

newsprint or scrap paper for the wet-on-wet wash

1

pattern

Begin

artist's tape.

flat

surface

With a

thoroughly saturate the taped-

down paper with water. Use

a large brush to drop

a few blobs of acrylic ink (or acrylic paint •

large,

mixed

three colors of acrylic inks (or acrylic paint)

with water to a creamy consistency) onto the wet •

water

•

paper towels

•

masking/artist's tape

•

newsprint or scrap paper

•

black calligraphy ink

•

2-mm

•

scoring tool or bone folder

•

pencil

•

T-square

a spray bottle

in

surface of the paper. (continued)

l«»fc!H iiy^n,

I

V

Jilfiii

1.

Jfa

il f

nib

• ruler • craft knife •

cutting

• 5"

mat

x 5" (12.7 x 12.7

cm) piece

^11 1

of colored

I

I

-

card stock for backing sheet •

5W

x

11"

for card •

(14 x 27.9

cm) colored card stock

Iri'i .'£

:"M*:^z.i'n iftlttf?

WEKM t

..

.itaife-.

-I

base

envelope Proportion, Color, and

Ornament

97

Mosaic-Style Greeting Card

2

Let the ink blobs spread for a few moments,

!

B1SHI.JI

II^M^'I «..^i?

i

then drop random blobs of your second color

of acrylic ink or paint. Sssf.

3

Allow some time

for the

second color blobs

to spread out, then use a medium-sized brush

to splatter a third color of acrylic ink or paint onto

1:«

the paper. After these blobs have spread out a

1

i-A

little,

use a large slightly

damp

blend the colors until there

soft-bristle

mist the paper slightly

like,

4

When

if

of colors

and pencil

across,

and four down,

I

l" (2.5

will

be used

flat

for a total of

Lr

to

24 squares. it

Do

I

1 «i*

11 T l' « 1 3 I'l 1**

cm).

rule six squares

not rule the remaining paper— instead, trim it

H

to lightly rule a grid

and

1

remove the tape

measuring approximately

Start at the top of the sheet

3

you

the paper has dried completely

a T-square

of squares

if

needed.

(allow several hours for this)

and use

to

no white space show-

is

You can keep adding blobs

ing.

brush

1

1

*

>

* *

~ *.

ri

...

I :'#

III 1

1

i-i»«^"

iH»asM»?

wt.vw k-

1

Is.

off-

u^b

later in the project.

1

.

•

2

B»mii>

s *'* I

t

1

•'

s

£****

mw

ma

.

-

_**

i

i.2S-i;£

mill

-m. i m »

III?

1

*

Mi

r

1 Im

98

*

mmmmmmmm^m*

Calligraphy 101

t

;

—

5

Use a dipping pen and ink

to write the letters

of your greeting in

all

capitals,

center each letter inside

its

square. (Note:

taking care to if

your

greeting has less than sixteen characters, you can *

also leave

5

<

A Y

/

some

of the squares blank, or

fill

them

with ornaments.)

6

Working on a cutting mat, use a edge

and a

ruler

clear steel-

each

craft knife to trim

square approximately 1£g of the pencil grid lines.

(l.6

mm)

You can

in

from each

calculate this

distance by eye while holding the edge of the ^ 1

•

*

-

ruler against the pencil line,

•

and then moving

it

»

-

in *

*

toward the

lettering.

Trim each square

this way,

*

including any blank squares you intend to use. 1

HAP

7

To glue

letter

squares to backing sheet, start

by sticking down two lengths

along the upper and

left

of artist's tape

edges of the backing

sheet, forming a 90° angle.

Use a brush

to apply

a thin layer of glue to the back of the squares,

-

placing into position. Press

down

paper to make sure the square

To ensure glue the

by the

nice,

first

first

gently with

is fully

wax

glued down.

even spacing between the squares,

two squares of the

first line,

two squares of the second

work outward from

followed

line,

and

there, alternately gluing hori-

zontal and vertical squares. (continued)

Proportion, Color, and

Ornament

99

Mosaic-Style Greeting Card *

8

Remove tape and use

a steel-edge rule and

¥

1

I

4

»

craft knife to trim the

mately

V4" (6

mm)

\

backing sheet approxi-

from the

letter blocks.

Use

another ink to add ornaments.

*

•

^L

*

*

• i

9

Trim your

on-wet wash paper to

5W §W 0-4

cut a

and use a

window

craft knife

in the 5V2"

*

(14

*

«

*

1

*

•

•

14 cm).

and steel-edge rule

5%"

*

>' *

Measure the area covered by your grid of mounted letters

a

>'*

leftover piece of printmaking wet*

*

t

.

*

L

*

p

to

1

*

*

1

*

t

1

*

1

t

»

14 cm) sheet 1 lb

just slightly larger than this

L

r^B

measurement. 1

•

.

"

1 /"\ I

\*S

Fold 5V2" n

to $¥z

x

x

11" (14

*

27.9

5V2" (14 x 14

trimmed the sheet with

cm) card stock

v v

•

.,;-l

cm) and glue the

letters to the center of

_"1

the card.

^2,

100

Calligraphy 101

1

I

I

Variations

A

simple, easy greeting.

A

block of text cut up

into squares

becomes

an abstract collage.

Proportion. Color, and

Ornament

101

Uncial Hand and Illumination Uncial is

Hand

(from the Latin word "inch")

a script with a rich history that still holds

an appeal

for calligraphers today. It

was

developed around the fourth century AD as a style of lettering

used by scribes of Christian

manuscripts and became the standard "book

hand" of the early Middle Ages. Uncial

letters

are generally written large

and

and easily lend themselves

to decoration.

The Book of Kelts, created by

fairly quickly,

Irish scribes of

some of the most famous examples of Uncial hand text combined with profusely decorated letters and Celtic ornamentation, and provides some of the the early ninth century, contains

inspiration for the projects in this chapter.

103

2

The Uncial Alphabet

A> a. j*

,€,

Ac

&

i

ft l

I

*

m n ha a

))?" i 1

2

8 ^/

>A 104

Calligraphy 101

2

'

££ 1

¥ $ s

;©

3

Milti f

T!

M

ft'

#1

?!

**S3

Hand Key Points

Uncial •

h, •

Hand

Uncial

m,

t,

u,

letters are upright

and w. Keep the spacing between

There are no capital letters p, q, y, d, h, in

•

and extremely rotund, characterized by the arched form of the letters loose to provide "breathing room."

letters in the Uncial alphabet. All of the letters are the

and

k,

letters d,

same

height, except for the

which have very short descenders and ascenders (no more than 2 nib widths

length).

Uncial hand can be written with a 30° pen angle, or Historic Uncial scripts look.

If

you choose

if

you choose you can use an angle of 20° or

were written with a pen angle of 10* or

to use a flatter

pen angle,

is

15",

creating their signature "fat and

less. flat"

very helpful to keep a separate nib or pen that you use

only for writing Uncial Hand. The flatter writing angle will

cause the edge of the nib to wear

down

make it easithe lower angle (and more difficult

differently,

er to write at

and over time

will

to use for other scripts that call for a steeper

pen angle). •

The

traditional x-height for Uncial letters

nib widths, but heights of

4 or 5

nib widths are

also acceptable, as well as being easier to

age when

it

comes

ZVi

is

to ruling Out lines.

manUncial

Hand ladder/pen angle

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

105

Skill Builders Exercise PRACTICING LETTER GROUPS 1:

In this exercise, Start

pen

you

will practice

by ruling one pencil

make

to

When the

a ladder

ink

two pencil

lines,

and

on

a sheet of paper.

2-mm

On

rule out the rest of the

1st

calligraphy

writing paper

•

pencil

the far first

left

strokes, shapes,

and proportions.

side of the page, use your calligraphy

step of the ladder precisely on the pencil

line.

page using that measurement.

Diagonal Letter Group

stroke

AkNvwxyfz

2nd stroke

fountain pen or marker •

common

share

another line at the very top stroke of the ladder. Measure the width between the

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

letters that

4 nib widths high, positioning the

rule

is dry,

line

groups of

3rd stroke

For diagonal lines, use a steeper pen angle—you 4th stroke

• ruler

want the diagonal strokes

to

be only

slightly

thicker than the upright strokes. Notice that the

Round

letter

two upright strokes of the n are written using a

group

steeper angle as well.

ocbzecpqsz

The two upright strokes are made

first

using a steeper pen

Many

Uncial letters are rounded in shape, with the

o being slightly

elliptical. If

you are using a

angle; the diagonal stroke

is

flatter slightly

pen angle, the thin strokes

of

curved

letters

start at the

^^"^^^ _

letter.

top of the

The ascender

of

the d and the descend-

^k|^^

ers of the

p and

first

and second

w are

written with a steeper

pen angle, while

q

the third

should be kept very

and fourth

strokes are slightly

s ^ ort—no

fH^

more than

nib widths in length.

O should be

written as round as possible.

r S There are several alternate versions of Uncial letterforms that can be used to add variety

Calligraphy 101

The

strokes of the

J^.

106

curved swash.

should

M

The Uncial

written as a

to

your

text.

2

curved and swashlike.

Arched Letter Group

Straight Letter

FtT

BbcnnRuiu If

you

are using a flatter

of the arch will

pen

angle, the thin part

be at the top of the

care that these strokes are not

letter,

made

but take

too thin.

Arches should be wide and generous, echoing the proportions of the letter

Group

A pen

angle that

is

less than

30 °

to the vertical strokes. Practice

curving upward

rounded

movement

will

add width

making

of the

pen

a gently

to create

serifs at the start of the vertical stroke.

o.

ik. The The

same

stroke

is

the

as for the letter

o,

and the

first

The

alternate

different feel

arches are spaced equally.

w

has a very

from

its

diagonal version.

crossbar

letter /"has a

that should

sit

just

above

The

first

slightly

stroke of the

/

rises

above the headline h and

A

the baseline, and a short

(similar to

descender, like the letters p

pen angle gives a thinner

and

line to the

q.

k).

second

flatter

stroke.

QUICK REFERENCE Rule another

line.

them. However,

if

Because Uncial Hand has only

you would

like to

do

it,

rule

a

few ascenders and descenders,

descender and ascender

lines 2 nib

it

is

not necessary to rule guidelines for

widths apart from the baseline and headline,

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

107

Versal Letters Versed letters are large capitals used

mark the start of a paragraph or line, and are an excellent way to

add decoration

to

your

to

They

text.

Q

are referred to as "built-up letters"

because the technique used

them

is to

draw

to

make

the letter line by line,

creating an outline. The letter can

be

left in

filled in

outlined form, or

can be

it

and decorated. Lombardic Lombardic Versals

Versals borrow letterforms from both

Roman and

Uncial alphabets. They were widely used to decorate pages

of medieval manuscripts,

and combine very

nicely with Uncial

Hand.

Lombardic Versals Key Points •

Use

a small nib to outline.

letter.

A

general rule

as the nib you use to •

It

is

The exact width of the nib

make the

large

you want

to

make the

outlines.

that the angles and proportions

made

depend on how

that the white space inside the vertical strokes should be about twice the width

helps to sketch out the letter lightly

the letters are

will

first

will

in

be

pencil before you start so

correct.

The inner strokes of

so that the counters (the spaces enclosed

either entirely or partly by

the lines of the letters) are

Here a l-mm

well-proportioned. The outer

nib was used to

edges of curved strokes are

added

next, followed

and decorative

by

draw the

outlines for a

serifs

letter l" (2.5

flourishes.

measuring

cm)

in

height, with

A

calligraphy pen with a fine-

tip nib

is

inside the

very useful for free-

hand drawing and embellishing—let the decorations flow!

108

the white space

Calligraphy 101

stem

about 2 nib widths wide. Notice

that

is

how

the two vertical strokes are slightly

Starting with the inner strokes ensures

adequate white space inside the

letters.

"waisted," narrower at the center than at

In this example, black strokes are drawn

the ends.

first,

followed by red and green.

Skill Builders VERSAL SKETCHING Any

style of letter

can be developed into a Versal

letter,

and often sketching with pencil

pected and exciting ideas for Versals. Take some time with a pencil and paper the technique of building

and adding

details as

any way you

like

you

up by go.

outlines.

It

You could choose one

particular alphabet to sketch, or just

When you've

version in ink: use a narrow nib to build your outlines, then

details.

like,

letters

fill

and inked-in versions

letters for inspiration

draw the

sketched a letter you really in with ink or paint.

using

and future

letters

like, try

Keep adding

allowing the ink or paint time to dry thoroughly before adding a

Save your sketches and finished

Various sketched

to sketch out letters,

helps to draw the letters large and loosely, sketching over

and see what you come up with.

decoration as you

will yield unex-

as

new round

out a

much of

projects.

B*# Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

109

Illumination The history of calligraphy

rich

is

with examples of precious metals

and pigments used to lavishly decorate and illustrate texts. In the past, the term "illumination" referred to manuscript decorations

made from gold leaf polished high shine, and

to

a

be the owner of

to

an illuminated manuscript was a sign of status

term

is

and

wealth.

used more broadly

and

decoration in gold

Today the to

mean

other colors.

Tools and Supplies for Illumination For the projects in this section, effect of shiny

you

use metallic gouaches and pigments that create the rich

gold and are more affordable and easier to use than gold

see "Brushwork and Gilding" page acrylic inks to

will learn to

add color

191.)

to your work.

You

will also learn to

Here are some basic

Metallic Pigments These are sold

in

powdered form and are made

from pulverized metal or minerals (usually bronze or mica) and a binding agent.

When mixed with

water to the right consistency, they can be used with a dipping pen or brush to create the effect of writing or painting with gold. Schminke Tro Col

Dry Gouache Bronze Powder the Rich

Gold color being

is

an excellent brand,

a near-identical

to the color of real 24-k gold.

To mix, add

match

distilled

water gradually, a few drops at a time, stirring with a brush until the powder

is

completely absorbed

by the water. Mix only small amounts, just prior to use, as the consistency of the

prolonged exposure to arabic will help

if

you

air.

Calligraphy 101

A drop or two

of

gum

find the metallic particles

separate from the water. 110

mix changes with

leaf.

(For projects with gold

leaf,

use gouache, watercolors, technical pens, and

facts you'll

need

to

know about

these materials:

in distilled water to

Metallic Watercolors

gouache These are

also sold in

powdered form and mixed

with water for use. Not

enough

for

all

brands are ground

fine

use with a dipping pen, and must be

make

it

shiny. Designer's

also available in metallic colors,

is

are useful for brushwork, but not

all

gouaches perform well when mixed

which

metallic to the inklike

consistency needed for writing with a nib.

used with a brush. Avoid using metallic watercolors in tube or cake form,

because they usually lack

Tube Watercolors

the density needed to produce rich metallic tones.

Like calligraphy gouache, watercolor paint in tubes

can be mixed with water for writing with a nib.

somewhat METALLIC WATE.RCC

The

an inklike consistency

colors tend to be

transparent, which can be used to great

advantage when you want

to create rich, built-up

layers of color. Conversely,

you can mix

amount

Copper

to

of white into

your watercolors

a small

to lighten

your color somewhat but also to increase ity.

Tube watercolors are

brush

ideal

its

opac-

when used with

for illumination to create rich jewellike

a

tones

or built-up layers of delicate color.

Calligraphy Gouache This extremely dense gouache

is

sold in tubes

and remains opaque when mixed with water inklike consistency.

Gouache

is

to

an

The Schminke Calligraphy

a very good brand, available in

many

colors as well as in a non-tarnishing metallic gold

(gold pearl) that looks really shiny.

gouache

is

a

calligraphy

not readily available, try designer's

gouache, which finish,

If

is

similar.

Gouache

which may not always be

drop or two of

gum

dries to a

desirable.

flat

Add

arabic, or sugar dissolved

Acrylic Inks Many

different

brands and colors of acrylic inks

have become available

in recent years,

many in

pearlescent colors. They can be used with a brush or with a dipping pen, but be warned: acrylic inks

dry very quickly, often right on the nib as you are writing!

If

you use

acrylic ink with a

pen, you will have to rinse and wipe

dipping

down

the nib

frequently to keep clumps of ink that can interfere

with ink

flow.

A toothbrush is very

useful for (continued)

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

111

brushing ink really

inks

off the

tends to

is

aren't overinking the nib) or

The

of particle clinging to the nib. In this case,

stick!

great advantage of acrylic

that they are waterproof, so

you can

brands of pearlescent acrylic inks are a use with a nib—warning signs are

if

bit

few drops of

layer

Some

one color over another without any bleeding.

for

you are seeing clumps

nib in this case, as acrylic ink

too thick

the serifs on

you

find

one that flows

There are many brands of

Acrylic ink

vary in quality and suitability

for

of

which

use with nibs. Try out as

ink,

and

if

that

many

well.

Never use

acrylic ink

in a calligraphy fountain pen, as the ink will start to

dry inside

many

water to the

doesn't help, try another brand of acrylic ink until

your strokes come out consistently blobby (and you

acrylic inks available,

distilled

mix a

it

is

as soon as the

useful for building

pen

up

is

not in use.

layers of colors that won't

bleed into each other.

as you can.

Safe Handling of Pigments and Paints •

When

mixing pigment

in

powder form, wear

to avoid inhaling the fine particles.

of pigment from

become •

Do

its

container. Avoid

not eat or drink

tools with a

remove •

mask or

tie a

kerchief over your nose

a small palette knife or similar object to

dumping

it

and mouth

scoop small amounts

out or making any motion that allows the pigment to

airborne. in

the area where you are working with paints, inks, or pigments, and

wash your hands and face and

Use

a surgical

all

damp

after handling.

cloth;

When you

are finished working, wipe

make

sure to

down your work

surface

water containers, brushes, and pens need to washed and rinsed well to

traces of metallic particles, which tend to cling.

Take extra care to avoid ingesting or inhaling fumes from any paints containing cadmium, barium, or

lead— these heavy metals can produce toxic side effects with prolonged exposure.

If

any

art supply

you

are working with smells noxious or gives you a headache, ventilate your work area immediately and dis-

continue using the product.

112

Calligraphy 101

brush (see Tips about Brushes on page

Brushes

it

you

For illumination

and adding

details to letters

purchasing brushes,

marks you want

money on •

need various brushes

and

a long time.

for

colored areas, painting lines and borders,

filling in

really

will

will last

114)

a

it

When

and ornaments.

helps to

know what

sort of

make, so you don't spend a

to

lot

of

brush that ends up being not what you

needed

in the

first

place.

Here are some

tips:

To make small dots: a short-handled brush with short bristles forming a rounded labeled as "round" or "spotter."

sizes— 20/0 (very small), 10/0,

2 round

is

the largest you are

usually

tip,

Look

0,

1,

for small

2— a number

likely to

need. The '**>

round

bristle

brush can also serve as a genera!

all-purpose brush, used for color,

drawing

lines,

filling in

areas of

v

shapes, etc.

To make

straight,

blocky

and borders use

lines

a

short-handled brush with short to medium-long bristles

.••:

20/Q

°Gi^*^*^

r.^

•

"flat

and

flat tip,

usually labeled as "shader,"

shader," or "lettering."

The width of the brush

should be slightly narrower than the width of the

lines

press

you intend

down

expand

slightly

to paint,

because when you

on the brush, the

to create a wider

line.

Keep

bristles will

in

mind that

you can also hold a flat-tipped brush at a 30° angle to paint letters using exactly the

same

kind

of strokes you would use with a calligraphy pen. )2/0

To paint leaves,

stars, flower petals, swirls,

b)ojn

Uuo canbjbjo^,

f

5

Add ornaments and

decorative elements to the

initials at

seonpzcp.

wee

other

helps to

the end, as needed.

first

It

pencil in the areas

for illumination

small brush to

and then use a

fill

in with color

or pigment.

6 is

If

your piece

is

going

to

be

matted or framed, a border

not generally necessary,

because a mat and frame

will

serve as borders to the piece.

Variations

Try your hand at adding small

Broadside with traditional Celtic

illustrative

more

elements to provide

visual interest to a piece.

ornament

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

125

i

;

Illuminated Initial Medallion Illuminated lettering can be really lovely when paired with jewelry, transforming your calligraphy into wearable art Look for blank

medallion pendants and dimensional adhesive at local bead and jewelry suppliers or online— be sure to get a glaze that will adhere to metal

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How

to

make

jewelry

with calligraphy letters •

•

How

to

make

a curve-

Let's

Begin

Ilf the

inside area of the medallion

that can easily tiny

smear

is

not a square or rectangle

be measured, make a template as

of glue to the center of the medallion

follows:

and allow

apply a

it

to diy

almost completely. Cut a piece of tissue paper and press the center of

shaped template using tissue paper

the paper onto the glue spot. Use a bone folder to very gently rub the

How

tissue

to use

diamond

flat,

gradually working your

way

to the edges.

When you

get to

curved or irregular edges, gently use the point of the bone folder to

glaze

work the

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

tissue along the edges,

smoothing

flat

not to poke holes in the tissue with the bone

any

folds.

Be careful

folder. (continued)

•

medallion pendant

•

water-based dimensional adhesive (often called

diamond •

glaze)

smooth-finish text-

weight (or thinner) paper • tissue

paper

•

heavy vellum

•

bone

•

glue

folder

• acrylic inks •

metallic

powdered

pigment •

calligraphy ink and nibs

•

small brushes

•

small scissors

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

127

Zodiac Accordion Book The accordion book

(also called

book-artist's format that

You

will

is

a traditional

one of the easiest kinds of books

to construct.

need a paper sheet that measures at least 32" wide and 20" high

50.8 cm). Take care to handle the long sheets gently so they don't

x

(76.2

is

a "concertina book")

get scuffed or dented.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How and

•

•

to

make mountain

valley folds

•

blue,

making an accordion book

inks

to protect finished

How

to

make

designs for the zodiac

all

•

medium-size brush

• soft-bristle

medium-weight

100% cotton

text

•

metal-edge

•

bone folder

ruler

• craft knife

cut to •

5V*"

round-hand

polyvinyl adhesive

(PVA

cm) foam brush

or soft bristle brush for applying glue

tear-bar •

2-mm

glue)

long metal T-square or

two pieces

flat

calligraphy nibs

paper

artist's

and

• 1" (2.5

•

V (6 mm)

#0 pointed round brush

• 1-

printmaking paper, 80 to 110 lb (131 to 161 gsm) •

soft bristle

brush

WHAT YOU'LL NEED or

and aqua calligraphy

white calligraphy gouache

illuminated

the signs of

olive green, sky

•

•

•

pearlescent blue acrylic ink

Basic instructions for

How

tape

• red, blue,

pages while working •

• artist's

•

24" (61 cm) length of %" (6 mm) or Vs" (1 cm) ribbon

•

scissors

book board (13.3 cm) square of

80- to 100-lb (131 to 150.5 gsm) text-weight colored paper for cover

(continued)

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

131

— Zodiac Accordion Book Let's

Begin

IOn a large work surface, position your paper so that the widest

edge faces the top and

refer to

the diagram below. Cut (or use a long T-square or tear-bar to tear) three sheets that (78.7

*

measure

31" * 5"

cm). Use a T-square and pencil to lightly

12.7

where the diagram shows

rule vertical lines

light-

gray dashed

lines: the first line is ruled Vz" (1.3

from the

edge

left

of the paper, followed

by

cm)

six lines

ruled 5" (12.7 cm) apart, and ending with a final line rule

2

y-i

(1.3

cm) from the

right edge.

Refer to the diagram below for

how

to fold

each section. Heavy dashed lines represent

"mountain

folds,"

where the

fold points

up toward

you; light dashed lines represent "valley folds,"

where the

fold points

folder to fold

all

5 inches

la

2a

132

Calligraphy 101

away from you. Use

a

bone

three sheets in this pattern.

5 inches

5

inches

-5

inches

-5

inches

-

-5

inches

-

3

For inking in the pages, work on two open

panels at a time, keeping remaining panels

folded together and loosely tucked into an

envelope. Use

tape to secure the tops and

artist's

bottoms of the panels you are working onto your

work

surface. In this example, panel

blank. For panel

2,

use the %"

(6

l

mm)

remains

brush

flat

to paint a square of pearlescent blue acrylic ink

and allow

to dry.

Do

the lettering next, and

that has dried, use white calligraphy

the #0 brush to paint the stars.

when

gouache and

When

remove

dry,

the tape, slip a piece of paper in between the two

panels to act as a guard sheet, then

flip

and turn

to

the next two panels.

4

The next two panels sequence: tape

follow the

down

same

edges, paint the blue

pearlescent ink square, follow with calligraphy inks,

then do the white gouache

dry, insert

stars.

When

ink

is

guard sheet, fold the page, and tuck into

envelope with previously finished panels.

5

When you first

lightly all

finish the last

section, fold

under a book

two panels

of the

up the entire page and press

until

you are ready to attach

the pages together. (continued)

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

133

Zodiac Accordion Book

6

For the rest of the

you

will follow

book

the

same

sequence, creating different text

on each page. The fourth panel is

where you can write your dedi-

cation, signature, date, or

CAl)C€R

L€0

THE CRAB

THE LION A> 25 JULY -23 AUGUST

22JUNE-22JULY

any

other special marks of your own.

7

To assemble the three

indi-

vidual sections of the book

do the following: with the

first

section folded and facedown,

VIRCO

place a sheet of scrap paper

underneath the ed

Vz" (1.3

strip at the far left

cm)

fold-

THE VIRGIN

and coat 24 AUGUST- 22SEPTEMBER

the strip with a light layer of

PVA or craft glue, making sure way

to get all the

THE SCALES

*

23SEPTEMBER-250CT0BER.

*

to the edges,

but not going over the fold line

on the

left.

Remove

the scrap

paper from underneath, and lay the

first

%"

(1.3

cm)

flap of the

second section, folded under,

on top

of the glue, lining

CAPRICOR1)

up the

two sections evenly. Cover with a sheet of

THE SEA-GOAT

THE WATER-BEARER.

22D6CEMBER-20JANUARY

21JANUARY-18 FEBRUARY

wax paper and press

under a book

until dry.

*'* *

SCORPIO THE SCORPION 24

0CTOBER-22N0VEMBER

SAQICCARIUS THE ARCHER, 23 AJOVEMBEJUlDECEMBEJt

6d *

134

Calligraphy 101

*

8

Flip over the glued-together sections

glue

down

and

the strip to the back of one of the

pages. To glue the strips between the end of section two

and the beginning of section

steps 7 and

9

8.

Trim two pieces (13.3

of

book board

to

5%"

cm) square and cut two sheets

ored cover paper to a 6V2"

foam brush or front of the

layer of

three, repeat

l"

(2.5

cm) square. Use the

cm)-wide brush to cover the

one piece

PVA

(16.5

of col-

of

book board with

a thin

glue. (continued)

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

135

Zodiac Accordion Book

g\ \J

"1 I

Lay a cut sheet of cover paper facedown

on your work

surface,

and place the book

board, glue-side-down, onto the paper,

making sure

it

is

centered on the sheet. Flip the board over so

it

is

faceup,

and use

a

bone

folder to

smooth over

the cover paper, working from the center outward,

making sure the paper *1

1

I

I

Trim

is

glued

down

flat.

corners of the decorative

off the

paper diagonally, about

14" (6

mm)

from

the corners of the board. Flip the board over and,

working one side of cover

at a time,

paper and fold

apply

PVA to

a flap

up and over the edge

it

using the bone folder to press the

of the board,

paper firmly against the edge of the board. Use the pointed tip of the

bone

folder to press the

little

corner folds of paper tightly against the edges of the board. Repeat steps 9 to 11 to

make the

cover

and place the two glued boards between sheets of

wax paper and

hours (overnight

at least 8

1 ^\ ^I

very

press under several heavy books for

To mount the pages trim

left

away the %"

of the

first

the

and lay

first

cm)

strips

Use

from the

panel and from the very right

page facedown on the

a clean sheet of scrap

panel.

11

to the covers, first

(l-3

of the last panel. Place the table

best).

is

a

paper beneath

foam brush and PVA glue

to

quickly apply a thin but thorough layer of glue to the back of the

136

Calligraphy 101

first

panel.

*1

X

I

vJ

Gently hold the page by the edges and it

over, positioning the

flip

glued back of the

panel centered on the back side of the book board.

Use a bone folder

to

smooth any bubbles, working

from the center outward. Cover with waxed paper

and press under

a

heavy book

MFor mounting cut two

Mark halfway cover,

end

until dry.

the back cover of the book,

12" (30.5

cm) pieces

of ribbon.

points on each side of the inside back

and use

a few

drops of

PVA to

glue each

of the ribbon to the sides of the book.

Cover

with wax paper and press until dry, then follow the

same procedure described last

in step 12 to

mount the

panel of the pages to the back cover. Press the

entire

book between two

layers of

several heavy

books and allow

When

the ribbons in a

dry, tie

wax papers under

to dry overnight.

bow

at

the front of

the book and trim the ends diagonally.

Uncial

Hand and

Illumination

137

^Botu it bob come to paf& that tfee king orbaineb afeetivai t6at

$bou£b Ust for three bay*, avfo to lubic ad the young women, of that country were bibben, £o t6at tfo ftingfeeon migfet cfeoo^e ^ tribe fromamon$ them. 'CH6m t6e ttuo Hepbaxi$kter$ kearb that thi\j, too, were 6i^cnto

appear, they felt very pteazeh

anb tfeeti

cartel

fto&mputttf,

" Ccnvt our Jxtlr, 6ru&b our *fc>t£, anfc makf our fcucMe* fast-, uw ctr £3011*5 to tfce uted&xwj-

fea*tatthekm$$

entitle."

Lowercase Blackletter Alphabet This particular Gothic alphabet

is

known as

"Blackletter" due to

its

and overall dark appearance. Notice how in some of (such as d, h, and Is) you can see remnants of the Uncial style.

broad, heavy strokes the letters

Pen angle

for Blackletter

alphabet

/jS

A

£

v.

/.

/ '

/

/.

z*y

a\

*

S\S

/O

140

Calligraphy 101

«,

Arched with Ascenders/Descenders

The

letters in this

group combine arches, which are kept narrow and pointed, with ascenders or descenders, which are

relatively short

in length.

The pointed arch of this letter brings dows of a Gothic cathedral.

to

mind the arched win-

It will

take a bit of practice to get the shape of this letter

correct— think of circular letter

o.

Counters (the white space

in

it

as constructing

an arched oval rather than a

Arched Group

The

letters in this

a solid, rectangular quality.

Each color shows

The m

the change in pen

the hrst one starting with a slight

direction for this

upward movement.

stroke.

142

group have

Calligraphy 101

is

comprised of

many strokes,

This

letter,

between strokes) are kept narrow.

as do

many

directional stroke

in this group, starts with the

shown

for the letter

m.

same

multi-

Vertical

Group *

The vertical group has

relatively short

i

ascenders and descenders. Cross-strokes on the f and

For the crossbar, turn your pen to a slightly steeper angle to

This

keep the stroke from becoming too wide.

sible to

letter also

has

f

appear on the top edge of the baseline.

many strokes,

combine several strokes

although you

into

may

find

it

pos-

one movement of the pen.

Miscellaneous Group

During the Gothic period several variation of the

letters

x and z

evolved,

no doubt due

to the increase of scribes

and manuscripts being

produced during that time.

Gothic Hand

143

Uppercase Blackletter Alphabet Originally no capitals existed in Gothic alphabets; instead a decorative

Versal or Uncial letter would be used. This can

your work. Avoid using

an

issue.

The

little

all

flags

added as

-^V

^-^3

^6

^7

letters,

the last strokes of a

©;m

Calligraphy 101

in

Gothic capitals in a word, as legibility becomes

is5

144

be a good option

appearing on the stems of the

the fine vertical lines, are

5

still

letter.

m 2

as well as

Magnetic Alphabet Set Here

is

a fun project that pairs the serious look of the Blackletter

alphabet with a splashy modern background. The process these magnetic letters

is

and when you

entertaining,

for

finish,

making

you can play

with them!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How

to layer translucent

colors •

How

in

a

background

work with paintable vinyl magnetic to

small spray-mist bottle

#2 round brush small metal

tin

two self-adhesive magnets

circular

sheet

WHAT YOU'LL NEED • 12"

x 24" (30.5 x 61

cm)

paintable magnetic sheet (with a vinyl not a paper

Let's

Begin

IUse a T-square and pencil to measure the section of your magnetic sheet that will lay

flat

on the bottom

of the tray.

with pencil, and trim with scissors (as close to

l" [2.5

Mark

lines

cm] increments

surface) as possible).

baking or tea tray with a flat bottom, at

• steel

least 6" x 6" (15.2 x 15.2

•

to press too hard,

acrylic ink for • •

pencil

• fine

sheet. Let

to

it

work

sandpaper

more

of a

all

the

damp paper

Mix yellow

to swirl slightly

scissors

and

sheet with a

the sandpaper.

T-square

fine

to

sand each sheet,

between swirling and diagonal motions. Make sure not

alternating

Wipe each

cm)

Use 220-grade

way

to the

edges of the sheets.

towel to remove any grit from

acrylic ink (add a small

mustard color) and use a

amount l" (2.5

of black

cm) brush

watered-down ink across the surface of the magnetic

sit for 5

minutes.

sandpaper, 220

grade •

yellow, black,

and white

acrylic inks •

metallic gold acrylic paint

• 1" (2.5

bristle

cm) wide

soft

brush

•

paper towels

•

2-mm

chisel-tip

calligraphy nib •

black calligraphy ink

•

steel-edge ruler

• craft knife

(continued)

Gothic Hand

147

Magnetic Alphabet Set

2

1

paper towel, removing a

little (If

.*..-«•

Blot the ink lightly with a

of the yellow, but not

all.

the ink has dried too quickly,

mist the paper towel with water.)

Allow

to

dry thoroughly.

remove too much can repeat

yellow,

this step.

If

you

you

Repeat

process and steps 3 to 6 on

this all

of

the sanded magnetic sheets.

3

Mix gold

acrylic paint to 4 f4

a watery wash consistency

and use swirl

it

l" (2.5

to 10 minutes,

desired.

You can add as many

smooth

layers of color as

you

choose. Load a small brush

with gray acrylic ink. Hold your outstretched index finger well

above the work, and

hit the

brush firmly against your finger to spatter the ink.

you hold your

The higher up

finger, the

wider

finer the splatter will be.

You can

blot off the drops with

paper towel

148

*

cm) brush to

then blot or swirl some more as

if

V

over the yellow layer.

Wait about 5

and

:;.:

to

necessaiy.

Calligraphy 101

tone them

down

id xepzauiuioo/sreura a

,

« — ***

ti

x

_.

4

1

9

When

sheets are com-

pletely dry, use a T-square

and

ruler to

(1.9

*

1.9

mark

off

%"

* 3

A"

cm) squares across the

surface of the sheets. Pencil in

a

two complete lowercase alphabets,

and two complete

capital

alphabets, using extra squares

i

for vowels,

%

numerals,

4

commonly used

con-

sonants, etc. Use a steel-edge ruler

c

punctuation marks,

(1.9

and

cm)

sheets.

craft knife to trim 3A"

vertical strips

from your

Use the 2-mm broad nib

and black calligraphy ink

to

write over your pencil marks.

5

Use sharp scissors letters apart

on the

to trim

hori-

J

zontal pencil lines.

6

If

desired, put the letters in

a metal tin with magnets

affixed to the

back and

stick

it

to

the fridge or other metal surface.

Adults and children alike will

have a

lot of

fun with

this!

5

QUICK REFERENCE Vertical strips. Working on a verti-

1

cal strip will help

m letter

you keeping each

centered within

its

square.

6

Gothic Hand

149

——*»•*1.M,

i

_A

-\

h

.

*

*

«

t

.

% %

;^»*. -

1^

fc

Spooky Signs Every now and then you need a spooky sign for Halloween decorations, or just to lend a sense of darkness

A

craft or

hobby shop

decorate with

all

How

to "age"

wood

with

How to a

to apply calligraphy

wood

Let's

ITo

needed.

sign blanks that you can

to find

Begin

give an aged look to your sign, brew a pot of strong black tea

(5 or

coffee and tea •

a good place

it's

kinds of spooky sayings.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

is

and foreboding wherever

enough

6 teabags), steep well, then pour the tea into a bowl large to

accommodate your blank

sign.

Next add several cups of

very strong coffee. Submerse your sign in this mix, weighting with a

surface

heavy cup or bowl

to

keep

it

submerged

for at least

4 hours. (continued)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

approximately 6" wide 2" high (15.2 x 5.1 cm)

x

V

(6

mm) plywood

die-cut

sign blank •

black tea

•

brewed coffee

•

brown water-based

• fine

ink

(220 grade)

sandpaper • acrylic • 1" (2.5

matte medium

cm)

craft

brush

•

pencil

•

eraser

•

white Saral transfer

paper • •

2 or

3mm

M

f

jM-i

calligraphy nib

black calligraphy ink

FiilfiiR

APTS&OOHD0S 1

Gothic Hand

151

Spooky Sign

2

Remove sign blank and place

it

on

news-

a stack of

JOBS SENT TO YOUR EMAIL

bimlll|Hlfl-''^

letUnny

Klip your

litters

spaced well apart so you can really seo ike shapes.

Renumber that

hi rounded, like sfiapi %$m CAP //.w-

ayia

whin written

or

or "d' art

in Italic

a(so try fs awd- oikcy small v\mcw$el p**i

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164

Calligraphy 101

/pencil

a,

before,

tr^no

Swash Capitals

Italic Italic letters

can be easily orna-

mented with swashes,

especially

C

the capitals. Try adding a swash capital letter to

your text every

so often, especially at the start of a paragraph.

As you develop

your

Italic

with

skills

can develop your

S\

- j

lb

Hand, you

own swashes

and make them as ornate as you please.

• *

A calligraphy fountain pen

'TIP **•..

is

very useful

how

••'

because

and

is

it

to

when

do swash

learning

capitals,

provides a constant ink flow

especially easy to manipulate

through curved or looped strokes.

The Italic/Cursive Connection Italic script

of is

Italic

is

script

make a

the forerunner of our present-clay cursive handwriting. The quickly written, flowing qualities

can

easily

point to use

be adapted to everyday writing

Italics

ing envelopes, writing letters

as often as you can

in

tasks.

A good way

your everyday writing— for

and notes, signing your name, and so on. This

opportunities to develop your

skills for

to practice your

writing Italic letters,

and

it

also

filling

will

makes

Italic

script

out forms, address-

provide you with plenty of

a nice surprise for the

person

on the receiving end of your communications!

Italic

Hand

165

Informal Invitation Here's a simple project that uses just one size of Italic lettering that

is

understated and perfect for a casual get-together.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

How

to plan and lay out

the text on a long, narrow

How

to ink text

in

more

How

to

ICut two pieces of text paper to 3%" piece, use a

mount

fold line

bone

cm)

folder

sides.

and angling

in,

and

Use

*

10V2" (7.9

ruler to fold a

*

26.9 cm). For each

l" (2.5

cm)

flap

on each

scissors to snip corners, starting at the

on each corner

of the sheet. (continued)

than one color •

Begin

of the 3Ve" (7-9

invitation •

Let's

a text

panel using slot and tab

method

WHAT YOU'LL NEED •

warm

white text-weight

paper •

light-gray 80-lb (218

gsm) cover stock •

dark-gray 80-lb (218

gsm) cover stock •

matching gray #10 (4!4" " [10.5 x 24.1 cm]) x 9 /2 envelope 1

gray and green calligraphy ink

1-mm

Italic

nib

ruler

T-square pencil

eraser scissors craft knife

glue

wax paper optional: white label stock, decorative

paper

talic

Hand

167

5

Following the dots you marked as a guide,

between the top two

align a steel-edge ruler

dots and use a craft knife to cut a

two

dots.

6

slits

bottom two

dots.

cut into the decorated paper. Apply a dot

under each of the

flaps

and press down.

Turn faceup and use a steel-edge clear grid ruler to trim the

down

8

for the

between the

Slip the folded flaps of the top sheet into the

of glue

7

Repeat

slit

to Va" (3

edges

mm) wide on

Cut base paper

to

3%"

paper

of the decorated all

*

four sides.

9%"

(9.9 * 23.6

Turn upper panel facedown and apply

cm).

few

a

small dots of glue to the top, bottom, and side

edges

of the decorated paper.

and place

wax

carefully

Then turn faceup

on top of base

sheet, cover with

paper, and press until dry.

I

'

—

-) I-

'

.

_ i" 1

It

?H

7m h

O-J talic

Hand

169

Stationery with Cross-Writing

Borders and Lined Envelopes Back

in the

days when people corresponded solely by writing

letters,

was often used as a way to fit as much information on a sheet of paper as possible. This project uses cross-writing as an "cross-writing"

ornamental pattern

for

a border and envelope Let's

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN •

A

way

fun

How

to

to use calligraphy as a design

ments

How

to

make

a calligraphy-embellished

liner

liner,

place the envelope on a

make

truly personal stationery

flat

A6

•

several sheets of matching 9"

4 3/a"

object under the lower

[16.5

x

12.1

flap.

Use

a gentle

back-and-forth sawing motion, keeping the blade against the envelope. (continued)

•

x

flat

corner of the envelope's glued

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

30.5

the

opener, or similar thin

flat

(614"

for

surface and slip the blade of a palette knife, letter

envelope •

Begin

ITo deconstruct your envelope to take measure-

element •

liner.

cm]) envelopes x

12" (22.9

x

cm) text-weight paper

•

palette knife

•

one 11" x 14" (279 x 35.6 cm) sheet of heavy-weight vellum

•

pencil

•

eraser

•

drafting tape

• grid ruler • craft knife •

glue stick

•

bone

•

two colors

•

metallic gold

•

small (approximately

•

#0 round brush

• Vb"

(3

folder

mm)

of calligraphy ink

gouache

flat

1

mm)

italic

brush or #1 script

nib

liner

Italic

Hand

171

.

Lined Envelope

2

Use drafting tape

tape

to

the unfolded envelope to

a flat surface (don't tape over

you

the corners of the flaps, as

need

will

make

to see these to

your template). Use a clear grid

mark lines

ruler to Vb" (3

*

as follows:

mm) below the

3

glue line

on the top

flap, 3/a" (l

from other

flap edges. For the

cm)

in

side flaps, have the two lines

meet

in a gentle curve. For the

corners of the envelope, draw a gentle concave curve as shown.

3

Trim along the pencil

lines

and use as a template,

tracing the outlines onto a sheet of 11"

*

14" (27.9

35-6

*

cm)

text-

0^0 -per Ct*nfce*3o ^chA*'*-, C rtyi>U*uU,

ho, €s

weight paper. Align your grid ruler along the angle of the flap

and

lightly rule pencil lines that

follow this angle at XA" (6

mm)

intervals until the template

is

covered. (Note: Extend the lines

only about

Va" [6

mm] beyond

the template outline.)

4 the

Use the guideline

to

fill

the template with text in

first color.

Leave gaps from

time to time where gold orna-

ments

5

will

be drawn

later.

When the

ink

is

dry, align

your ruler

to the

opposite

side of the top flap and rule lines Va" (6

mm)

apart across the

template, creating a lattice pattern of lines. Ink in text using

your second to leave

172

color,

making sure

open the gaps you

Calligraphy 101

left

in, **.*tt,j>tt4,

dUi co$e, cUt c£c

ttieiro

U,

rtdiv*

n£j+*£i**

mtrticr-t'tt,

nen.

U

eki di

ftt*2> irc-

(15.9

*

22.9 cm).

Use gold calligraphy gouache and

brush

to paint

round

a #1

borders along the

Keep

inside edges of the box.

your strokes long and even, and focus your eyes on the point

gar

where you want the

Mi

#1 SgraT

6

Use a #0 round ornaments

with gouache.

gouache ruler

line to end.

and a

••

TIP

If

in the corners

When

is dry,

to paint

the

use a steel-edge

craft knife to trim.

you are planning to

produce multiple copies of envelope

liners

and lettered

paper, prepare one liner and ter sheet, omitting the gold

one

let-

gouache.

These can be scanned and printed, or taken to a printer, and gold gouache VvVvT

can be added by hand

later.

talic

Hand

175

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