Learning Foundational

This would be for people wanting to do formal calligraphy  such as certificates and citations and also people who are interested in drawn lettering for typography or letter design.

You may ask why I'm so adamant about this classical training?

Times Roman and other classical fonts have their origins in Carolingian, Foundational Hand or Bookhand as it is also called.

This is a good moment to chat about other historical scripts. Mostly, they are frozen in a time warp, so Gothic may be used for a Bierfest or Ye Olde Inn or anything with badde spellinye. Of course it also has fabulous potential if you think of its design qualities of Rudolf Koch's blackletter.  Uncials is cute and fat and too spaced out to be very useful – name tags would be loooong! But then it is breathtaking in its Book of Kells context and I really love Greek Uncials. (And I'm using the understanding of it a lot in my graphite cartouches)

But Uncials and Gothic are excellent starting points and can be revisited and refined. Other styles can also be useful and fun. But, for the moment, get one classical style "under the belt".

Capitals and minuscules:  Weekly, 3-4 hours for 6 months – 1 year

My Ideal Foundational Course – Minuscules

Tutor to supply an excellent exemplar or Pen Lettering by Ann Camp

i)  family groups

ii)  n-necklace – anbncndnen etc. Short alphabetical word-list: ant, bat, cat etc.

iii) long-word alphabetical list: anthurium, buttercup, calendular, dandelion etc.

iv) moving down nib sizes
v) begin using gouache or good quality stick ink and good quality paper (variety)

vi) layout of a block of prose

vii) as a historical base students would analyse the Ramsey Psalter, Harley M/S 2904.*

viii) to get rhythm: Scriptorium or Continuous writing – lay out a pamphlet book of 3 folios of A3 to make an A4 pamphlet with classical margins. Write form left to right filling wach line and breaking words at the end of the line even if its not logical.

ix) for inspiration: Edward Johnston*

viii) for artwork an introduction to fine detail painting – perhaps an illuminated capitals copied from a manuscript, including flat transfer gold on gum ammoniac. (This would need a generous time allowance)

x) various small projects, including some backgrounds


* Knight, Stan  Historical Scripts, Oak Knoll Press 1998

Copying a miniature from the Ashmole Bestiary (a postcard of it)
Everyone's art experience is at a different level, but there is so much to choose from.
Anyway, it was traced to start with!

My Ideal Foundational Course - Capitals

i) refresher course on monoline Trajan capitals

ii) refresher course on spacing

iii) edged pen alphabet in width groups.

iv) sentences in capital letters. (Not too much at this stage as it could be disheartening)

v) alphabet lists: Alberti, Beethoven, Chopin

vi) Scriptorium or continuous writing – lay out a pamphlet book of three folios of A3 paper. this time observe paragraph breaks and don't break words illogically, but still try for solid prose to get text blocks for rhythm.

vii) for artwork a modern stylised design such a lino printing

viii) Piece of work using at least three nib sizes.

*Edward Johnston, the Father of modern calligraphy. It is very interesting to study EJ's work. He had such fabulous rhythm and lettering charisma that there was an overall consistency, but a hard act to follow or learn from. So read and enjoy, but learn from Ann Camp who taught in his tradition.

(Whoops - for the first early readers, & subscribers, they sneaked a peek at tomorrow's blog & some beautiful work!!)