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LUCYEDMONDSofQUILLLONDON
CONTENTS
TITLEPAGEINTRODUCTION
1THEMATERIALS2GETTINGSTARTED3EXERCISES4THELETTERFORMS5JOININGITALLTOGETHER6GETTINGCREATIVEWITHWORDS7EXPLORINGCOLOUR8BRUSHCALLIGRAPHY9LEARNINGTOFAKEIT10PUTTINGITINTOPRACTICE
FAQS,RESOURCES&SUPPLIERSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSCOPYRIGHTYoucandownloadaprintablepdfofadottedpracticepagehereandalinedpracticepagehere
INTRODUCTION
Congratulationsifthisisyourfirststeponyourmoderncalligraphyjourney–I’mdelightedthatyouhavedecidedtojointhisincrediblecommunityofletteringlovers!
ModerncalligraphyhastakentheworldbystorminthelastdecadeandI’mthrilledtohavehelpedkickstarttheUK’sobsessionwithit.Ifoundedandrunastationeryboutique,QuillLondon,andwehostedLondon’sfirstmoderncalligraphyworkshopsin2014.Sincethenourworkshopshavebeenfeaturedinallkindsofnationalpress,andwe’veseenseveralthousandeagerstudentscomefromallovertheworldtobepartofthissuper-hottrend.Ratherexcitingly,manyhavegoneon,throughourimproversclassprogramme,toturntheirnewskillsintoabusinessortoenhancetheirexistingcareers.I’vemetallkindsofinspiringpeoplewhohaveabsorbedmoderncalligraphyintotheirjobs–graphicdesigners,tattooartists,florists,cakemakers,embroiderersandstationerydesigners.Whoknowswherethiscouldtakeyou!
Butequally,Imeethundredsofpeoplewhoareseekinganopportunitysimplytolearnanewlifeskill,cruciallysomethingthattakesthemawayfromascreenforafewhours.It’ssurprisingthatinthisageofdigitalcommunication,moderncalligraphycouldhaveprovokedquitethislevelofobsession.Butperhapsit’sbecausewefindourselvesaddictedtoourphonesandlaptopsnowadays–calligraphyoffersawonderfulantidote.
Moderncalligraphyisastyleofpointedpencalligraphythat’sbasedlooselyontheCopperplatestyle,whichoriginatedinEnglandasfarbackastheseventeenthcenturybutwasprolificallyusedbyeighteenth-centurypenmen,andthentravelledacrosstheworldviatheclerksoftheBritishEmpire.Whenframedwithincalligraphy’srich2,000-plus-year-oldhistory,it’sabrandnewphenomenon,havingonlyemergedinthelasttenyearsorso.It’ssometimescondemnedasmerely‘fancywriting’,andadmittedlymoderncalligraphyislessdemandinginitsapproachthantherigoroustraditionalscriptsoftheMiddle
AgesandRenaissance,soit’swidelypractisedatacomparativelymoreamateurlevel.Butthisissurelywhyit’sbecomesowildlypopular.It’saccessible,anyonecandoit,andyoucancreateyourveryownletteringstylefromit.JustlikeCopperplate,whichhasasetofrulesthatmakeitrecognisable,moderncalligraphyhasitsownsetofcharacteristicsthatmakeitso.Thisbookwillshowyouwhymoderncalligraphyismorethanjust‘fancyhandwriting’.Infact,itwon’tnecessarilyevenimproveyourhandwriting.
Everymoderncalligrapherhastheirownsignatureletteringstyle–sometimesseveral.Asyouimmerseyourselfinthisnewworld,you’llsoonbeabletorecognisetheworkofyourfavouritemoderncalligraphers.SomestylesrevealhintsofaformalCopperplateeducation;othersarequitetheopposite:loose,wild,organic.Myletteringstyleisonthelatterhalfofthespectrum.IamnottrainedinCopperplatebutIhighlyrecommendgivingyourselfabasicunderstandingofCopperplateletterforms,asit’sbeneficialtograspthefundamentalconceptsthatunderpinmoderncalligraphyifyouwanttoproducethebestwork.Naturally,inthisbookyou’llbelearningmystylebutIwillshowyouwaystodevelopyourown.
Icametocalligraphyquitebyaccident.AfewyearsagoIbegantonoticethisstylishwritingappearonmyPinterestandInstagramfeeds,anddiscoveredthatithadaname:moderncalligraphy.Afterbecomingcompletelycaptivated,IrealisedthatitwasalmostallcomingfromtheUSAandconsequently,thattherewasnowherehereintheUKwhereyoucouldlearnit.IthoughtitcouldbefuntoputonaworkshopeventinLondonforourstationery-lovingcustomers,soIfoundafabulousBritishcalligrapherandimploredhertoteachittous.Thatclasswasmeanttobeaone-offbutQuillhasneverlookedback!SincepickingupapenforthefirsttimeinthatclassIwashooked.Butlikeanyskill–learningtodrive,speakinganewlanguageorplayingamusicalinstrument–ittakestimeandpracticetomaster.IhavetoadmitIdidn’ttaketoitveryeasily,andI’veprogressedonlythroughsheerdetermination.Iamalivingexampleofthatage-oldmantra‘Practicemakesperfect!’(Well,there’salwaysroomforimprovement…)
Moderncalligraphyhasbeenanunexpectedbutexcitingtwistinmycareer.I’vebeenluckyenoughtoworkwithsomeincrediblebrandsandpeople,whohavecommissionedmyletteringstyleforallkindsofprojects,fromfashionweekinvitationsandeventstopersonalisingluxurygoods,andfrombespokestationerytotattoos.I’mhumbledthatQuill,alongwithalltheinspirational
stationerytotattoos.I’mhumbledthatQuill,alongwithalltheinspirationalcalligraphersthatwehavehadthepleasureofworkingwith,hasbeenattheforefrontofthisrevivalintheUK.
Thisbookisdesignedforcompletebeginnerstomoderncalligraphyandpresentsastep-by-stepguidetohelpgetyoustarted.It’stemptingtodivestraightintowords,buttrynottojumpaheadtooquickly.It’simportanttogetthebasicsright.Ifyoucanlearntohavepatience,it’sthebestwaytoprogressandIpromiseyouwillseeimprovementquickly.
TowardstheendofthebookIhaveincludedsomecreativeideasforyoutoputyournewskillsintouse.Yourmoderncalligraphyendeavoursdon’tneedtobeambitiousatfirst–whynottryaddressingyournextletterorbirthdaycardusingyournewtalent?
Practisingmoderncalligraphyisaperfectwaytounlockyourcreativity.Absolutelyanyonecanlearn–it’sirrelevantifyouhaveterriblehandwritinganditdoesn’tmatterifyouthinkyouaren’tcreative.Inthelasthalf-century,scientistshaveincreasinglystudiedcreativityandwenowknowthatcreativityissomethingweallhave.It’samyththatsomepeoplejustaren’tcreative.Beingcreativeisahabitthatyoucangetinto.Moderncalligraphyisafantasticexerciseforyourcreativemuscle:itrequiresregularpracticetounlockthecreativepathwaysinyourbrain,andthepracticeinitselfdemandsyourfullattention,whichinturnrewardsyouwithanalmosttherapeuticsenseofrelaxationandmindfulnessasyouwrite.
AsyoustartyourcalligraphyjourneyIreallyrecommendyoutosurroundyourselfwithinspiration.Makeuseofallthosedigitalresourcesatyourfingertips:calligraphyvideosonInstagramandYouTube,learnfromblogssuchasthoseI’vesuggestedatthebackofthisbook,andengageyourselfwiththeworldwidemoderncalligraphycommunityonline.
Moderncalligraphyisahobbythatyoucandipinandoutofasandwhenlifeandtimeallows.Justhaveagoandwithalittlepatience,perseveranceandpracticeyouwillbecreatingbeautifulletteringinnotimeatall.Bewareitcanbecomequiteaddictive!IhopeyouenjoyitasmuchasIdo.
1
BEGINNERS’KITLISTTHENIB
PREPARINGYOURNIBTHEPENHOLDER
THEOBLIQUEPENHOLDERINK
MYFAVOURITEINKSPAPER
CARINGFORYOURTOOLS
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•••••••••••••••
Let’sbeginwiththeessentialmaterialsyou’regoingtoneed.Belowaremyfavouritetoolsforbeginners,whichIgivetoourworkshopstudents.There’sawholeworldofdifferenttoolsoutthere,whichIencourageyoutoexplore,butsomearemoredifficulttousethanothers,sostartwiththeeasiestmaterials!Youcanfindmyrecommendedsuppliershere.
BEGINNERS’KITLIST
NikkoGnibHigginsEternalinkSpeedballstraightpenholderRhodiadotPad
Asyourconfidenceandexperiencegrow,you’llwanttobranchoutandexperimentwithdifferenttools.Herearesomeadditionalmaterialsyoumightwanttoaddtoyourmoderncalligraphyarmoury:
ObliquepenholderSumiinkDrPhMartin’sBleedproofWhiteinkFinetecmetallicinksTombowbrushpensArangeofnibs,suchasBrauseSteno,Gillott404,LeonardtPrincipalLayoutpaperBristolboardWatercolourpaperApipetteGouachepaintsinprimarycoloursGumarabicinliquidformCanfordblackpaperBlackwingpencilsFaber-Castelldust-freewhiteeraser
THENIB
Inmoderncalligraphyweusedippensratherthanfountainpens.Theadvantage
Inmoderncalligraphyweusedippensratherthanfountainpens.Theadvantagewithdippensisthattheycanbeusedwithamuchwidervarietyofinks,manyofwhichwoulddestroyafountainpenbycloggingitup.Pointeddippennibsaredesignedtobeflexible,respondingtopressuretocreateavarietyoflinewidthsonthepage–theycanmakeafinerlinethananyfountainpen.
Moderncalligraphyrequiresnibsthatcometoasharppoint,ratherthannibsthathaveabroad-edgedtip.Thegoodnewsisthatitmeansmoderncalligraphyisjustaseasyforleftiesasrighties.NikkoGnibsareexcellent.Theyaresturdy,flexibleandreliable.MadeintheirnativeJapan(butwidelystockedallovertheworld),theyarecommonlyusedfortheJapanese‘manga’comicillustrations.
PREPARINGYOURNIB
Newnibshaveanoilycoatingonthem,residualfromthemanufacturingprocess,whichpreventsthemfromrustingorstickingtogether.You’llneedtoremovethisbeforeusingyourbrandnewnibforthefirsttime.Thereareseveral
removethisbeforeusingyourbrandnewnibforthefirsttime.Thereareseveralwaystodothisandyou’llfindyourfavouritemethod,butpassingthewritingendofthenibquicklythroughaflame(fromamatchorlighter)orcleaningitwithtoothpastebothwork–youcaneventryleavingitstickingintothefleshofapotatofortenminutesorso!
Onceyou’vegainedconfidencewiththeNikkoGnib,thereisaplethoraofpointednibsthatyoucanexperimentwith(thenameisminutelyetchedintothenib’sshank;youhavetolookclosely!).Chooseanibaccordingtowhatyou’relookingtoachieveonthepage.Differentnibssuitdifferentinks,penholdersandpapertypes.Aswithanythingnew,it’strialanderror,buthereisaquickcribsheetforsomeotherpointednibsthatI’drecommendexperimentingwith.Eachnibhasitsownpersonalityandrequiresauniqueapproach;fromthelevelofpressurerequiredtohowmuchinkitcantake.
NIB PERSONALITY
Brause‘Rose’nib
Anibforamoreadvancedcalligrapherasit’snoteasytousebut,well-lovedforitsflexibletines.Suitsviscousinksbest.
Brause‘Steno’(‘bluepumpkin’)nib
So-calledforitscolourandbulbousshape.Super-flexiblebutnotthefinestupstroke.Versatilewithallkindsofinkconsistencies.Bestmatchedwithastraightpenholder.Leonardt’sSteno40nibissimilar.
Brause‘EF66’nib
Anothercalligraphers’favouriteduetoitsflexibilityandsuper-finehairlinestrokes.Suitsthinnerinksbest.
Leonardt111nib
Rigidflex,suitsacontemporaryfree-and-wildstyleoflettering.Toughandlong-lasting.
Leonardt‘EFPrincipal’nib
Alsotrickytousebutabletomakefinehairlines.Usewiththininks.Verydelicateandlikelytowearoutquickly.
Gillott404nib
Delicatebutwonderfulonsmoothpapersandeasy-ishtouseifyou’relight-handed.
DIDYOUKNOW?//TheRomanswerethefirsttoadoptametalstylus,whichtheyusedtoscratchlettersintowaxtablets.From600AD,Europeansdiscoveredthatusingafeatherquillenabledthemtowritemorequicklythanwithareedpen.Butitwasnotuntilthe1830sthatmetalpenpointscameintocommonuseandreplacedquillpensalmostentirely.ThejewelleryquarterinBirmingham,Englandwashometomanyoftheworld’sfirstpenmanufacturers,includingJohnMitchell,JosephGillottandD.Leonardt&Co.
THEPENHOLDER
Tokeepthingssimple,Irecommendstartingwithastraightpenholderandmovingontoanobliquepenholder(theonethathasafunny-lookingattachmentonthesideofit)afteryouhavegotthehangoftheletterforms.Ifyou’vecometothisbookalreadyusinganobliquepenholder,andit’sworkingforyou,docontinuewithit.Theobliqueholdergenerallyhelpsyoutowriteatmoreofanangle,buttheslantofyourwritingisnotsomethingyouneedtoworrytoomuchaboutasyoustartout.Thereareotherimportantthingstogetrightfirst!
TheSpeedballstraightpenholderisnotparticularlyglamorous-lookinginblackplasticbutit’sinexpensive,fitstheNikkoGnibperfectly,andisergonomicallydesignedtohelpyougripitinthecorrectplace.
Mostotherbasicstraightpenholdershaveametalclawintheend.Theadvantageoftheseisthattheywilluniversallyfitprettymuchallsizesandshapesofnib.
TachikawaisaJapanesebrandthatmakesaratherniftystraightpenholderthatcomeswithaclearlid,toprotectyournib.It’snotaswidelyavailablebutaverygoodidea,Ithink.
Theweight,styleofgripandcomfortofyourpenholdercomesdowntopersonalpreferencethatwilldevelopovertime.Ilikethecushioningofmycork-tippedpenholder.
THEOBLIQUEPENHOLDER
Whenyou’remoreconfidentwithyourlettering,youmightliketobranchoutandtrysomenewtools.Theobliqueholderisdesignedtoenableyoutowriteconsistentlyataslant.Agood-qualityobliquepenholderwithanadjustablemetalflangewouldbepreferable,buttheycanbeaninvestmentbuy.YoucouldstartwithaninexpensiveSpeedballobliqueholderinstead.Onceyougetthehangoftheobliqueholderyoumaypreferittothestraightpenholder.MycurrentfavouriteismyTom’sStudioobliquepenholder(illustratedhere).
Whenusinganobliquepenholder,thelongpartofthepenshouldremaininasimilarpositionasyourstraightholder,becauseyouareallowingtheangleoftheflangetohelpyouachieveyourdesiredslant.Wheninthisposition,theangleofyourdownstrokeshouldbeinlinewithyournib.Itcantakealittlewhiletogetusedto,butdopersevere.
INK
Findinganinkyouloveisaverypersonalchoiceandeveryonehastheirownfavouriteforeverydaypractice.Whenweighingupthemeritsofaparticularink,youmightliketoconsiderthefollowing:
Viscosity:Someinkscanbethickerthanothers.Tothindownink,addadropofwaterandkeeptestingit.Tothicken,leavethepotopenforafewhoursorovernight(dependingonthevolumeofink)andthewatercontentwillreduce.
Opacity:Testaninktoseehowitdries–doesitfadeintothepaperasitdries?Absorbentpapersmayencouragetheinktosinkinandthereforelosethestrengthofcolour,butthatcanalsobealovelylook!
Finish:Doyouwantamattorshinyfinishwhenit’sdry?Indiainktendstodryshiny,andSumiinkcanhaveasilk-likefinishtoit.Theshinyfinishisoftenproducedbyshellacintheink.Shellacisaresinextractedfromaparticularbeetle,sovegansshouldavoidthis.
Acidcontent:Someinkshaveahigheracidcontent,whichmeansthattheywillnotbesuitableforarchivalworkandcanalsocorrodeyournibswithlong-termuse.
Lightfastness:Willtheinkfadeinsunlight?Checkthemanufacturer’sadvice.
Waterproofness:Doyouneedtheinktobewaterproofwhendry?Thisisimportantifyouplantoapplyasecondarylayer,forexampleawatercolourwash,overyourwriting.Alwaysmakesuretotestthisfirstifso.
TIP//Inksstainsobesuretoprotectyourclothingandnearbyfurnishingwhenpractising,incaseofaspillage.Don’tallowinknearanybare,unvarnishedwood.
TIP//Whenusinganinkforthefirsttime,testtoseehowitdriesonyourpapertomakesureitgivesthelookyouwanted.
MYFAVOURITEINKS
HigginsEternalinkisgreatforbeginnersandIhighlyrecommendit.It’sfairlythinwhichmakesiteasytouse,butthereforehasatendencyto‘bleed’onthinpaperlikecheapcopypaper.Butit’sacid-freeandshellac-free,andworksperfectlywiththeNikkoGnib.
Indiaink,alsoknownasChinaink,isthicker,andhistoricallymadewithafinesootpigmentcalledlampblack.Itdrieswithasheenduetoitsshellaccontent,andiswaterproofoncedry.
Irongallink(alsocallednutinkoroakgallink)iscommonlyfoundinmanuscriptsfromtheMiddleAges.It’straditionallymadefromgallnuts,the
manuscriptsfromtheMiddleAges.It’straditionallymadefromgallnuts,thebobblygrowthsfoundonoaktrees.Theinkisnaturallyacidicanddriesslightlytranslucent.
Ifyouhaveinksathomethathaven’tseenthelightofdaysinceartschool,whynotgetthemoutandtrythem?Theymayneedreviving,oradjustingtotherightconsistency,withadroporsoofwaterbutit’swellworthatrybeforeyougooutandspendmoney.
PAPER
Onceyou’veenjoyedfillingthepracticesheetsinthisbook,paperpadsfromabrandcalledRhodiaareexcellent;theydonotbleedeasilyandaregorgeouslysmoothtowriteon.Thepaperisalsojustaboutthinenoughthatyoucanputguidesunderneathitwhenpractising.IparticularlyloveRhodia’sdotPads,whichhaveafaintgridofdotsoneachpagetohelpyoustayonastraightlinebutwithoutbeingtooprescriptive.
Ingeneralyouwanttochoosepaperthatissmoothbutnotshiny.Coated,shinypapersarelesslikelytoholdtheink–itwillformpuddlesandwon’tbeabsorbed.
Recommendingstandardprinterpapercanbechallengingastherearesomanydifferentonesoutthere.I’dforgocheapinkjetprinterpaperasitwillalmostcertainlygiveyouhassle.Mostinkswill‘bleed’onlower-qualitypaper(thisisthefurryeffectthatappearsaroundtheedgesofyourcalligraphy.)Butyoucouldalsotrygood-qualitylaserprinterpaper.Besuretotestitbeforestockingup.
Bristolboardisasmoothwhitecardthat’sgreatforcalligraphy–butit’snotcheapsokeepitforyourfinalpiecesratherthanforeverydaypractice.
Watercolourpaperisbynaturenotveryabsorbent,sothinnerinksshouldn’tbleed.Butitisfibroussoyou’llneedtobecarefulofyournibcatchingasyouwrite.Avoidusingverysharpnibs.
Layoutpaperisakindoftracingpaperthat’snotessentialwhenyou’restartingoutbuthandytohaveasyoustarttocreateartwork.
TIP//Paperqualitycanusuallybedeterminedbyweight,whichismeasuredingramspersquaremetreintheUKandinpoundsintheUSA.Ingeneralterms,a‘good-quality’paperintheUKwouldweighatleast
120g/m2(orupwardsof30lb).
TIP//Notethatdifferentpaperspreferdifferentinkviscosities,sodon’tdiscardaninkbecauseithasbled;itmightworkperfectlyonanalternativepaper.Itcanbeacomplexalchemy.
CARINGFORYOURTOOLS
Keepyournibscleananddry.Onceyou’vecleanedoffthatoilylayeronyournewnib,itissusceptibletorust.Eventhemoistureintheaircouldrustyournibovertime,sostoretheminanairtightcontainerifpossibleandtrynottoleavetheminwaterforanylengthoftime.
Haveapotofwaterandalint-freecloth(papercocktailserviettesalsoworkwellasthey’renottoofibrous)onhandtoremovedried-oninkorthepaperfibresthatsometimesbecomecaughtinthenib.Agood-qualitysoftpencilliketheBlackwingpencilandadust-freeeraserwillalsobehandytohaveinyourtoolkit.
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PUTTINGYOURPENTOGETHERHOWTOHOLDTHEPENHOWTHENIBWORKS
LOADINGYOURNIBWITHINKYOURGUIDELINES
HOWTOSITNOTESFORLEFTIES
•
PUTTINGYOURPENTOGETHER
Onceyournewnibisprepared,thebodyofthenibslotsintothepenholder.Ifyou’reusingaSpeedballstraightpenholder,itwillslotinanywherearoundthering-shapedopeningatthetop.Ifyouareusingapenholderwithametalclawinsideoneend,thenyournibwillneedtositbetweentherimandtheclaw(notwithinthegripoftheclawitself).Pushinthenibuntilitfeelssnug.Roughly2cmofnibshouldpokeout.
ToassembletheSpeedballobliquepenholder,thenibslotsintotheringattheendoftheflange,sothatitleanstotheright.
HOWTOHOLDTHEPEN
Inorderforyournibtooperateefficientlyandavoidanyscratchiness,you’llneedtomakesureyou’reholdingthepeninacertainway:Holdthepeninafirmbutrelaxedgripbetweenyourthumb,indexandthirdfingers,withyourwristandforearmrestinggentlyonthetable.Yourthumbshouldn’ttuckoveryourfingers.Yourfingersshouldberelaxedandneithertightlycurledup,norcompletelystraight.
Whenusingastraightpenholder,thenibshouldalwayspointstraightuptothetopofthepage,withthelengthofthepeninlinewithyourarm,i.e.perpendiculartoyourlineofwriting.Feelfreetopositionyourpracticepaperatananglethat’scomfortableforyou.Asaright-hander,Itiltmypaperalittletotheleft.
TIP//It’shardtochangehabitsofalifetimebutthecorrectpositionforcalligraphyisprobablyverydifferentfromhowyouholdabiroorfountainpen.Stopandcheckyourgripoften,asyouwillreverttoyournaturalhandwritingpositionwithoutrealising.
Whenyoumovetoanobliquepenholder,thelongpartofthepenshouldremaininasimilarpositionasyourstraightholder,butallowtheangleoftheflangetohelpyouachieveyourdesiredslant.Wheninthisposition,theangleofyour
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downstrokeshouldbeinlinewithyournib.Itcantakealittlewhiletogetusedto,butpersevereandyou’llsoongetthehangofit.
Applypressureintothecentreofthenib,ratherthanpushingthetipdownintothepaper.Avoidwritingononesideofthenib–don’trollitinwardsoroutwards.Applyequalpressuretobothsidesofthenib.Thepenshouldbeata45degreeangletothepage.Positionedtoouprightandthenibwillscratchandcatchonthepaper.Toolowandyouwillfindithardtoachieveultra-finelines.Relax!Yourneck,shoulders,arm,wristandfingersshouldn’tholdanytension.Ifyougriptoohardortenseyourneckandshoulders,youwon’tbeabletoachievefluidstrokesanditwillstarttohurtveryquickly!
HOWTHENIBWORKS
Gentlytouchthetipofthenibwithyourfingerandyou’llfeelinstantlythatit
comestoasharppoint.Takeyourpeninyourwritinghandandpressdownonanyflatsurfaceinfrontofyou.Observethetipofthenibandyou’llseethatthetinessplitapartunderpressure.Thisisexactlyhow‘pointedpen’calligraphyworks:themorepressureyouapplytothenib,thewiderthosetineswillsplit.Thewidthofthatsplitwilldeterminethewidthofthelineyou’llmake.So,bypressingonthenibyou’llseeathicklineonthepage,and–byhardlyapplyinganypressureatall,you’llmakeafine,‘hairline’strokeusingtheclosedtines.It’sthiscontrastbetweenheavyandlightlinesthatyou’restrivingfor,andwhichwillcreatethelovelyribbon-effectyouwanttoseeinyourwriting.
TIP//Thewayyouapplypressuretopointednibstocreatedifferentlinewidthsisvastlydifferentfromthewayyouusebroad-edgednibs,soalwaysbesuretobuypointednibsifyouwanttopursuemoderncalligraphy.
LOADINGYOURNIBWITHINK
Inthecentreofthenibyou’llseethereisahole,calledthe‘venthole’,or‘breatherhole’.You’llneedtosubmergethisintheink.Whenyouapproachthepage,theholeshouldbefullofink.Releaseanyexcessinkbydabbingthenibontherimofthejar.Avoidshakingofftheinkasyou’llriskflickingiteverywhere!
YOURGUIDELINES
Thesketchbelowshowsyouhowtopositionyourlettersontheguidelinesinthisbook.
HOWTOSIT
Sitatadesk-heighttablesothatyourpaperisflatandclosetoyou,andyour
Sitatadesk-heighttablesothatyourpaperisflatandclosetoyou,andyourwristandarmsaresupported,ratherthanreachingforwardsoveracoffeetableorworkingonyourknees.Trytositup,ideallyinachairwithsomebacksupport.Keepyourshouldersandneckrelaxed.Ioftencatchmyselfhunchedovermywritingandhavetokeepremindingmyselftositupstraight!
TIP//Whenusingloosesheetsofpracticepaper,cushionyourwritingpageagainstthehardsurfaceofatablewithafewsheetsofpaperunderneath.
NOTESFORLEFTIES
Asaleft-hander,thereisnoreasonthatyoushouldbeatanydisadvantage.Youwillholdthestraightpeninexactlythesameposition.Thereareleft-handedobliqueholdersbutIknowsomeleftieswhoalsopreferusingaright-handedobliqueholder.Essentially,you’llhavetodiscoverwhat’smostcomfortableforyou.TheSpeedballobliqueholderisdual-handedsothiswillbeaninexpensivewaytofindoutwhichyouprefer.Infact,whenyouwanttowriteatmoreofaslant,leftiesshouldn’tnecessarilyneedanobliqueholderasyourhandnaturallyfallstowardstheright.
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UPS&DOWNSPERFECTLINES
GOOD&BADLINESBASICEXERCISESMOREEXERCISES
FLOURISHEDEXERCISES
UPS&DOWNS
Nowyou’rereadytostartmakingsomemarksonthepage.Themovementshouldcomefromyourwristandelbow.Yourfingerswillmovealittlebutlargelyshouldremainstill,allowingyourwristandelbowtodothework.Practisethismovementwithadrynibonthepaper’ssurfaceuntilyougetthehangofit.
Thereisoneruleyouneedtoobserve:applypressuretothenibonlywhenyou’repullingdownwardsonthepage.Thenibdoesnotlikebeingpushedupwards,whichmeansyouruplinesmustbeverylight.
DOWNSTROKES=HEAVYUPSTROKES=FINE
Whereveryouseeathicklineintheexercisesbelow,theexamplesintherestofthebookorinanyothercalligraphyexamplesyoulookat,itwillalwaysbemadeinadownwardsdirection.
Youshouldseeacleardistinctionbetweenyourdownstrokesandupstrokes.TheNikkoGnibissturdy,soyoucanapplyagoodamountofpressurewithoutfearofsnappingit.However,you’llfindthatifyourupstrokesareasfineastheycanbe,youdon’tactuallyneedtoworkveryhardonyourdownstrokestocreateagoodcontrastbetweenthetwo.Sofindyourowncomfortablelevelofpressure,andremembertobeaslightaspossiblewithyourhand.
TIP//Thinkaboutthepressuretoyourdownstrokesas‘pulling’downonthepage,ratherthan‘pressing’downonthepage.Thiswillhelpyoumaintainalightgrip.
PERFECTLINES
Don’tworrytoomuchifyourupstrokesarewobblyatfirst:thisisnormal!Thosewobbleswillquicklyironoutwithtimeandpractice.It’sbettertoaimforafine,albeitshaky,lineratherthantrytosteadyitbypressingharder.
AvoidanyV-shaped‘tails’thatsometimesappearattheendsofyourlines,mostoftenatthebottomedgeofyourdownstrokes.Achievingacleanfinishaddsafinessetoyourworkthat’sworthperfectingfromthestart.Liftyournibcleanlyoffthepagewhenyoufinishtheline,ratherthanallowingthetinestoclosetogetheragainasyoufinish,therebycreatingthosetriangulartails.
Aimforaconsistentlineweightfromstarttofinish,too.
TIP//Remember,keepchecking:Isyourpenstraight?Isitatroughly45degreestothepage?Areyouapplyingpressureintothecentreofthenib?Areyourhandandshouldersrelaxed?
TIP//You’llneedtogomuchslowerthanyou’reusedtoinyourhandwriting.Yourlinesorshapesshouldbeslowandcontrolledfromstarttofinish.
GOOD&BADLINES
BASICEXERCISES
Haveagoattheseexercisestopractiseachievingacontrastinlineweightforyourup-anddownstrokes:
MOREEXERCISES
Whenyou’rehappywithyourlineweights,haveagoattheseexercises.Here,theaimistopractisesmoothlychangingfromanupstroketoadownstroke,orviceversa.
FLOURISHEDEXERCISES
Thisfinalsetofexercisesarelarger,looserandmoreopeninshape.Now,you’llneedtomovefromyourshoulder,keepingyourfingersandwriststatic,toachieveawiderscopeofmovement.Keeptheseshapeslight,movemuchquickerandwithabitofconfidence.Goforit!
You’reprobablyitchingtostartwritingprettylettersnowbutthemoretimeyouspendpractisingtheseexercises,thebetteryourletterformswillbe.Sowhenyoudomoveontothenextchapter,don’tforgetaboutthese.Usethemaswarm-upexerciseswheneveryousitdowntopractise.
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INTRODUCINGTHELETTERFORMSUPPER-CASELETTERSLOWER-CASELETTERSNUMBERS&SYMBOLS
ACLOSERLOOKKEEPITLOOSETHECURSIVER
ENTRY&EXITSTROKES
•••
INTRODUCINGTHELETTERFORMS
Approachyourletterformsinexactlythesamewayastheexercisesyou’vejustbeenpractising,applyingpressureonthedownstrokesandrelievingthepressureontheupstrokes.
Iwanttoemphasiseagainhowimportantitistothinkofcalligraphyasseparateanddifferenttohandwriting.Insteadof‘writing’lettersandwordsasyoudowhenhandwriting,youwillbe‘drawing’theminstead.
Threepointersonformingyourletters:Drawthemfromlefttoright.Aimtobeslantedalittletotherightratherthanvertical.Keepthemontheslimside,ratherthansolidandroundedlikehandwrittenletterscanbe.Thiswilllendanelegancetoyourletters.
Nowit’sovertoyou.Remember,practicemakesperfect,sofeelfreetorunontosheetsofplainpaperoraRhodiadotPadoncethesepagesarefilled.
UPPER-CASELETTERS
LOWER-CASELETTERS
NUMBERS&SYMBOLS
ACLOSERLOOK
KEEPITLOOSE
Lookingattheselower-caselettersbelow,notethattheyhaveasenseof
loosenesstothem:
THECURSIVE‘R’
Ifyou’renotfamiliarwiththecursive‘r’,especiallyifyoudidn’tlearncursive(joined-up)handwritingatschool,youmayhavelookedatthelowercase‘r’andthoughttoyourself,‘That’snotan“r”!’Doperseverethough,asitlooksbeautifulincalligraphy.Ipromiseyou’llgrowtoloveit!Notethatthetoppartofthe‘r’sitshigherthantheheaderline.
ENTRY&EXITSTROKES
Noticethelittlelinesthatsweepinandoutofsomeofthelower-caselettershere.Thesearecalledentryandexitstrokes.Theentrystrokesactasa
decorativeflourishwhentheletterispositionedatthestartofaword.Theexitstrokesareparticularlyimportantastheyactasconnectorstolinkonelettertothenexttomakewords.
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BREAKINGTHERULESTHEILLUSIONOFJOINING
BREAKINGTHERULES
Asyoustartputtingeverythingtogetherandcreatingwords,considerhowyoucanchallengetheunspoken‘rules’ofhandwriting.Inmoderncalligraphywehaveanopportunitytoaddexpression,excitementandpersonalitytoourlettersandwords,veeringawayfromtheuniformityandorderlystructureoftraditionalscripts,andindeedhandwriting.Thinkcreatively–forexample,notallthelettershavetositononeline,nordotheyhavetobeexactlythesamesizeorheight.Approachingwordsinmoderncalligraphyrequiresaverydifferentwayofthinkingthanhandwritingwords.Youarebuildingupacompositionofshapesonebyonetocreateabeautifulandbalancedpieceoflettering:
–CLAUDEMONET
THEILLUSIONOFJOINING
Tomakewords,youmustcreatetheillusionofjoining,butinrealityyou’regoingtobewritingjustoneorafewlettersatatime.Thekeytothisisinthoseexitstrokes,whichshouldendexactlywhereyouwantyournextlettertostart.Thiscreatesaseamlessconnectionfromonelettertothenext.
Atfirst,you’llneedtoretrainyourbraintostopwritingwordswithouttakingyourpenoffthepage,whichisreallyhardwhenyou’vebeenwritinginacertainwayforyears!Butit’ssoimportant:slowingdownandwritingjustoneorafewlettersatatimeallowsyoutomoveyourhandalong,keepingyourpeninthecorrectpositiondirectlyunderneathyourwriting;itmeansyouhavegood
correctpositiondirectlyunderneathyourwriting;itmeansyouhavegoodstoppingpointstorefuelyournibwhenwritinglongerwords;anditallowsyoutofocusoncreatingeachindividualletterbeautifully.
Withexperience,andasyoustarttodevelopyourstyleandexperiment,youmayfeelthatawilderandmoreorganicletteringstylerequiresyoutospeedupandjoinmoreofyourletterstogether.
Let’sstartwithsomesmallwords.
First,breakdownthewordintopartssoyoucanseehowtheywilljointogether:
Nowputthoseletterstogethertomakewords,rememberingtowriteoneletteratatime,butcreatingtheillusionthatthewordwaswrittenjoinedup:
Nowhaveagoatmakinglongerwordsbyextendingthewordsyou’vejustpractised:
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SCALE&POSITIONJOININGCAPITALS...ORNOT
DOUBLELETTERSSPACING
BEGINNINGS&ENDINGSFILLINGSPACE
DEVELOPINGYOUROWNALPHABETCHALLENGE
NOTESABOUTPRACTISING
Nowlet’slookatotherwayswecanputthe‘modern’inmoderncalligraphy.It’stimeforyoutogetcreative!Everymoderncalligrapherhastheirownstyleandnowthatyou’reonetoo,youareverymuchencouragedtodevelopyourowntakeonthisbeautifulartform.Ofcoursethereareafewrulestostickto,suchasretainingthemoderncalligraphyletterforms–slantedovals,loosenessofyourlettersandsoon.Butit’sdowntoyouto‘design’yourwordsandtexts,developingaconsistentsetof‘guidelines’astohowyourlettersareformed,joined,slantedandpresentedonthepage.Thekeyisincreatingasenseofbalance.It’salltrialanderror,andyoucandecidewhatyoulikeandwhatyoudon’t.Yourownstylewilldevelopsimplyfromplayingaroundandtryingdifferentthings.Overtimeyourmoderncalligraphystylewillcometogether.
TIP//Don’tgethunguponmakingthecapitalletterextrafancy,ignoringtherestoftheword.Everyletterhasitsparttoplay.
SCALE&POSITION
Considerthescaleandpositionofyourletters.Yourlettersdon’tneedtobeallthesamesize,orsittingononeline.It’sallaboutbalance.Introducea‘bounce’toyourbaselinebydroppingsomeexitstrokesbelowthebaseline.Theyshouldstarttodeveloparhythm.Ittakesaconsciouseffortinitiallybutithelpscontributeacontemporarylooktoyourcalligraphystyle.
JOININGCAPITALS...ORNOT
There’snorulethatsaysyoushouldn’tjoinyourcapitallettertoyoursecondletter.Italldependsonhowyouchoosetodesigntheword.Somecapitalslike‘I’don’tjoinquiteasstylishlyasothers,soI’drecommendkeepingthemseparate.Herearesomeexamples:
DOUBLELETTERS
Whenyouhaveadoubleletter,thinkabouthowyoucanpresentoneofthemslightlydifferentlyfromtheothertoaddinterest.
SPACING
Theexitstrokesdeterminethespacingbetweeneachletter.Withoutnoticing,you’llreverttohandwriting-influencedspacingbutwhenyoubreakfreeofthismould,youcangetinterestingresults!Thekeyistokeepthespacingregular,regardlessofhowwideornarrowyougo.
BEGINNINGS&ENDINGS
Again,experimentusingtheentryandexitstrokestobeginandendyourwordinamoreexpressiveway.
FILLINGSPACE
Thinkaboutthespacesbetweenyourascendersanddescenders(knownas‘negativespace’)andhowyoucanusetheletterstofillthosespacesinmorecreativeways.Itcouldbeassimpleaselongatingthecrossbarofa‘t’tofilloutthespace,oracleverlyjoinedsetofletters,orexploitingtheloopsofa‘y’.
DEVELOPINGYOUROWNALPHABET
Justasthere’snosinglewayofwritingawordinmoderncalligraphy,therearealsomany,manywaysyoucanpresenteachcapitalletter.Herearesomeexamples;seeifyoucandesignyourown!
Nowit’sovertoyou.Tryouttheabove,useallthetechniquesandseeifyoucanputthe‘modern’intoyourmoderncalligraphy...
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CHALLENGE
Howmanydifferentwayscanyoupresentyourownname?
NOTESABOUTPRACTISING
Practisingcanhaveameditativeeffectandyou’llfindyoulosemanyhoursabsorbedinyourwork.Butpracticeisanartinitself.It’stemptingtositdownandwriteeverywordyoucanthinkof,butit’seasyforyourhandwritingbraintotakeoverthisway.Tackleonewordonestepatatime.Breakitdown:letters,thensmallgroupsofletters,thenbuilditupuntilyouhaveperfectedanddevelopedeachword.Herearemytoptipsforpractising:Writenonsense!Trywritinglettercombinationsthatareunfamiliartohelpyoufocusononeletteratatime.
Practiselittleandoften,perhapsthirtyminutestwoorthreetimesaweekifyoucan.Yourmaterialsshouldn’ttakeupmuchroom,socreateadedicatedareaathomewhereyoucansetupyourpenandpapersothatwheneveryouhaveaquietfewminutesyoucangetsomepracticein.Giveyourselfacleargoalforeachsession.Thiscouldbeperfectingacertainletter,gettingcomfortablewiththosejoins,justpractisingflourishing,orworkingonthecompositionofaspecificword.You’llseemuchquickerresultswithfocusedpractice.Learntocritiqueyourownwork.Takeastepbackandlookatit.Howcouldyouimproveit?Howcoulditbemorebalanced?Howcouldyouimproveconsistency?Howcouldyoumakeitmoreinteresting?Practisingcalligraphyshouldbefun,socreateanenvironmentthatmakesyoucomfortableandhappy.Putmusiconandhaveacupofteatohand(butkeepitontheoppositesideofyourwritinghand,otherwiseyoumightdipyourpenintoitbymistake!).
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GETCREATIVEWITHCOLOURMETALLICINKSWATERCOLOURS
MAKEYOUROWNCOLOUREDINKSWHITEINKS
Nowthatyou’rebecomingconfidentwithyourlettering,it’stimetobranchout,trysomethingnewandintroducecolourintoyourcalligraphy.
GETCREATIVEWITHCOLOUR
Experimentingwithcolouriswheremoderncalligraphygetsreallyfun.Therearesomanyexcitingmediumsyoucanexperimentwith.Basicallyanythingthatisinliquidformandleavesamarkonyourpapercanbeusedforcalligraphy,sogetcreative...youcouldeventryusingstrongcoffeeontea-stainedpaperforanold-worldparchmenteffect.
METALLICINKS
Thereareseveralready-to-goliquidmetallicinks,someofwhicharebetterthanothers.Thedownsidetoliquidmetallicinksisthatyouhavetokeepshakingthebottleormixingduringuse,astheheavymetallicpigmentsettlesquickly,andtheyarenotalwaysquiteasshimmerywhentheydry.MyalltimefavouritemetallicinksarethepalettesfromFinetec.Theycomeasasoliddiscofpigmentmadefrommica,atypeofnaturallyformingmineral,sotheyneedalittleeffortfromyoutomakethemintotheliquidinkthatyouneed,butonceyoutrythemyouwon’tlookback!
Addafewdropsofwaterontothediscandwaitaminuteorsoforittosoften.Withasmallpaintbrush,workmorewaterintothepigmentuntilyouhavecreatedaliquidinktheconsistencyofmilk.Loadyourbrushwiththewetinkandbrushitontotheundersideofthenib.Becarefulnottooverloadthenib–youwanttoavoidalargeblobofinkfallingoffthenibontothepage.
WATERCOLOURS
Usingwatercolourpaintforcalligraphylendsalovelywishy-washyeffect.AswiththeFineticinks,workwaterontothesolidwatercolourdiscwithapaintbrushtogeneratetheliquidpaint,andthenbrushitontothenib.
MAKEYOUROWNCOLOUREDINKS
Mixingyourowncolouredinksiseasy!You’llneedgouachepaint,whichyoucanfindinlittletubesinanyartshop,distilledwater(orbottledwaterifyou’restuck),andliquidgumarabic.Stockupongouachepaintsinprimaryred,primaryyellow,primaryblue,blackandwhite.Withtheseyoucancreateanycolourunderthesun.
Red+yellow=orangeYellow+blue=greenBlue+red=purpleTIP//Gumarabicisanatural(andedible!)substanceformedfromthesapofanacaciatree.It’sahandyadditiontoyourcalligraphytoolbox–youcanbuythehardenedcrystalsbutit’smucheasiertobuyitalreadyinliquidform–andisanessentialingredientinmakingyourowninksfromgouache.Ifyoudon’tuseit,justbeawarethedriedgouache-basedinksmaycrackandflakeoffthepage.
Squeezealittlepaintintoasmalljarandmixtoyourperfecthue,makingsureallthepigmentisthoroughlyblendedtogether.Adddistilledwateradropatatime,usingapipetteifyouhaveone,untilit’sasrunnyassinglecream.Keeptestingitonpaperasyougo,makingsuretorinseanddryyournibeachtime.Ifyouaddtoomuchwater,leavetheinkopenforacoupleofhourstoallowsomeofthewatertoevaporate.Onceyouhaveyourperfectink,addadropofgum
ofthewatertoevaporate.Onceyouhaveyourperfectink,addadropofgumarabictohelpthepigmenttobindtogether.Popthelidonthejarbetweenusestostopitfromdryingout.
TIP//Gouacherarelybleedsasit’ssoviscous.Youcouldevenmakeyourownblackinkwithblackgouache,soifintroubleusegouache!
Theadvantageofmixingyourowninksisthatyoucanmakethemtheperfectconsistencyforyour‘hand’.Forexample,ifyouwritequiteslowlyyou’llwantaninkthat’salittlethicker,whilespeediermoderncalligraphersorthosewhohaveawilderletteringstylewillfindthatarunnierinkispreferable.
WHITEINKS
Whitecalligraphyonblackpaperisaclassiccombinationthatneverfailstoplease.Iusewhiteinkalotforeventprojects,contrastingitagainstmidnightblueorrichgreyenvelopesforformaloccasions.Whiteinkalsolookseffectiveonkraftbrownpaperforavintage-inspiredlook.AndofcoursewhiteinkonredcardsandenvelopesisalwaysawinneratChristmastime.
OneofmyfavouriteandmostusedwhiteinksisDrPhMartin’sBleedproofWhite.Itdriestoachalkymattfinishandisopaqueonblackordarkcolouredpaper.Itneedsdiluting,soscoopalittleoutintoacleanliddedjarandaddadropofwateratatimeuntilyouhaveaconsistencylikesinglecream.Alwaystestthatyou’rehappywiththeconsistency,addingadropmorewaterifneeded.Youmaywanttokeepaseparatenibforwhitework,asanyblackinkresidueonyournibwilldirtythewhiteinkandmightturnitgrey.
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BRUSHPENBRUSH&INK
BRUSHCALLIGRAPHYWITHBRUSH&INKBRUSHCALLIGRAPHYWITHBRUSHPENS
EXERCISESTHEUPPER-CASEALPHABETTHELOWER-CASEALPHABET
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Brushcalligraphyhasgainedinpopularityinthelastfewyearsasmoderncalligrapherspushboundarieswithmaterialsandtools.Butactuallyit’saneasyin-roadforbeginnerstotrycalligraphyandhand-lettering.Theeffectofbrushcalligraphytendstobeheavierandlessdelicatethannibwork,whichmeansitcanlookfantasticlaidoverdigitalphotos,inlogosorforsignage.
Theprinciplesofbrushcalligraphyremainthesameasdippen–thinupstrokes,heavydownstrokes–butyou’llutilisedifferentpartsofthebrushtiptocreatethosedifferentlinewidths.
Youcanuseeitherabrushdippedintoink,orabrushpen.Tombow’sFudenosukeorDualBrushpensarefantastic.I’maddictedtothemandtheyaregreatforbeginners.TheDualBrushpen’stipismuchfattersocancreatechunkylettering.TheFudenosukepenisbetterforsmallerwriting,andcomeswitheitherasofttiporahardtip.Botharegreatforbrushcalligraphy.
Thereareadvantagestobothmethods:
BRUSHPEN
Mess-freeQuickertouse(nodipping!)CreatelinesthataremoreuniformMoreportableTheDualBrushpencomesinawiderangeoffuncolours,andyoucanchopandchangebetweendifferentpensandcolourseasilywithinonepieceofworkEasiertocorrectmistakes!
BRUSH&INK
Organic-lookingwithtextureandcharacterCanbeusedwithinks,watercoloursandacrylicpaints,soyoucancreateadiverserangeofeffects
BRUSHCALLIGRAPHYWITHBRUSH&INK
Irecommendasize2paintbrush,andeitherindiainkorgouachepaintinyourfavouritecolourformoreopaquelettering,orathinnerinkorwatercolourfortexture.
TIP//Youcanbemorefreewithyourletteringwithabrushthanwithanib.Playwithmixingtexturesandlineweightsandseewhatresultsyoucanget.
Gripthebrushlightly,neartothetip,andholditatroughlya45-degreeangletothepage.Takeadvantageofthebristlycoarsenessinthelinesthatappearwhenyoustarttorunoutofinkandincorporatethemintothe‘look’–or,bywettingyournewlyloadedbrush,youcanmaketheinklastlonger.
Thebrushheadislikelytosplayasyouchangefromanupstroketoadownstroke.Youmayhavetodrawcirclesintwohalves,startingatthetopandpausingatthebase,torepositionyourbrushreadyfortheupstroke.
BRUSHCALLIGRAPHYWITHBRUSHPENS
Holdthepenlightlybetweenyourthumbandtwofingersasyouwouldapencil.Gripitwherethecasingmeetsthetip,andholditatroughlya45-degreeangletothepage.Unlikewithanibwherethepenshouldremainstraight,holdthebrush
thepage.Unlikewithanibwherethepenshouldremainstraight,holdthebrushpenslightlyouttooneside.Whenyouapplypressuretoit,thebrushtipwillbendtoonesidesothatmoreofitisonthepage,andwhenyoupullthebrushdown,itshouldmakeawideline.Maintainthesameangleandpositionforconsistencyoflineweight.
Thinlinesareharderasthebrushissosensitivetopressure.Angleyourbrushhighandverylightlyuseonlythetipofthebrush.Thecloseryouholdthepentothenib,themorecontrolyou’llhave.
TIP//Ifthepenisatamoreuprightanglewhenyouapplypressuretoit,itcandamagethetipovertime,causingittosplayorruiningitssharppoint.
TIP//Avoidstoppinghalfwaythroughadownstrokeasitwillleaveanirreparablejoinmark.
EXERCISES
Practisetheseexercisesslowlywithabrushpenfirst,andthenwithbrushandink.
TIP//You’llneedtogoslowlytogainthecontrolneededtomaintainconsistencyinyourbrushletterforms.Thatsaid,speedingupwillhelpcreateawilder,morefreestyle,contemporarylook.
THEUPPER-CASEALPHABET
THELOWER-CASEALPHABET
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Ifyou’dliketorecreateyourcalligraphyonalargerscale,orifthesurfaceistootexturedorrequiresaspecifictypeofpen,youwon’tbeabletouseacalligraphyniborbrush.Soyou’llneedtolearnto‘fakeit’bycreatingthesameeffectwithdifferentmaterials.Theimportantthingisknowingtheoutlinesofyourmoderncalligraphyletterforms,andthenit’sjustacaseoffillinginyourthickerlineswheretheyshouldbe.
Non-poroussurfacessuchasglassorceramicmayneedeitheraspecialistglassorenamelpaint,whichyouwouldapplywithapaintbrush,orafibre-tippedpermanentinkmarker.Notethatbotharesolvent-based,whichmeanstheywon’twashoffwithwater.You’llneedtocleanyourbrusheswithmethylatedspirits,andmaynotbeabletotidyupanymistakeseasily.
You’llprobablyneedto‘fakeit’whenwritingon:ChalkboardsGlassormirrorsTimberMetalLeather
Whenmakingyour‘downstrokes’,drawtheouteredgesfirsttodeterminethelineweight,thenfillinthemiddle.
Onthepracticepagesthatfollow,drawyourcalligraphyletterformsinpencil,orwithafinelinerpenthathasnoflex,andthenmanuallycreatethedownstrokes.
Whenapplyingfauxdownstrokestowords,makesurethatthelineweightsareeitherconsistent,ordeliberatelyinconsistentforaplayfullook.
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TOPTIPSPROJECT:THEARTOFTHEENVELOPE
CREATIVEENVELOPEIDEASFORMSOFADDRESS
PROJECT:TABLESTYLINGPROJECT:WAXSEALS
DIGITISINGYOURMONOGRAMPROJECT:CHALKBOARDSIGNAGE
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TOPTIPS
Whetheryou’recreatingyourowneventstationery,writingmenusandnamecardsforyournextdinnerparty,creatingapieceofwallartforyourhome,oryou’vebeencommissionedforyournewletteringskills,herearemytoptipsforputtingitintopractice.Assoonasyourfriendsandfamilystarttoseewhatyoucando,you’llbeinundatedwithrequeststohelpwithweddingsandallsortsofbitsandpieces.Beforeyouknowit,anewcareercouldbeborn!
Alwaysallowagoodtenminutesforexercisesandalphabetpracticesoyoucanwarmup.Thisisespeciallyimportantifyou’reworkingonsomethingyouonlyhaveonechancetogetright.Yourmusclememoryinyourhandneedsachancetogetingear.Asacalligrapherworkingoncommissions,youwon’talwayshaveasayinwhatpaperyouwillbewritingon.Ifyoucan,testasamplesoyoucanmakesureyouuseaninkthatdoesn’tbleed,thatitdriesasyou’dplanned(sometimesthinnerinkscanlosetheiropacityonmoreabsorbentpapers),andthatyouareusinganibthatdoesn’tcatchonortearthepaper.Ifyouneedtodrawfaintpencillines,checkyoucanerasethemcleanlyandwithoutdamagingthepaperorsmearingtheink.Mockupyourphraseonpracticepaperfirstsoyoucanworkoutyourlayout,spacinganddesign.Keepyourhandandarmrelaxed!It’seasytotenseupwhenfacedwiththeblankpageofanimportantpiecebutitwillbecounterproductive.Createarelaxingenvironmentwithyourfavouritemusicandacupoftea.Keepyourhandsclean.Youwillbetouchingthepaperoftenandovertimethenaturaloilsonyourfingerswillbuildup,whichcouldleavegrubbymarksonyourpaper.Avoideatingoilysnacksorfingerfood!Needlesstosay,ifcaffeineorsugarmakeyoushaky,avoidthembeforeabigjob!
TIP//Keepyouroldpracticeworksoyoucanseeyourdevelopment.Beproudofwhatyou’veachieved!Youwillbeyourownworstcriticandwearealwayslearning–IknowIam–butallowyourselftotakea
stepbackonceinawhileandseehowfaryou’vecome.
PROJECT:THEARTOFTHEENVELOPE
Creatingapieceofmailartisalovelywayofsharingyournewlylearntskills.Whynotmakesomeone’sdaybysendingthemsomebeautifullyaddressedsnailmail?
Yourenvelopeswilllooklovelieriftheyarecentre-alignedbutittakestimetomeasureupeachlinewitharule,andalotofpracticetodoitbyeye.Foraquickjob,youmaywanttoconsiderleft-aligningtheaddresses.
Envelopesalwaystakealotlongerthanyouthinktheywill,sofactorthatintoyour/yourclient’sexpectations.Theenvelopesyoudotowardstheendofthejobwillbethebestasyouwillbewarmedupandinagoodrhythm,soleaveanyVIPsuntillast.Forevery100envelopesIalwaysallowfor15–20spares,incaseofspellingmistakes,inksplatters,orI’mjusthavingabadcalligraphyday.OnceIwasconcentratingsohardonthecalligraphythatIdidn’tthinktocheckmypileofblankenvelopeswastherightwayupuntilI’dwrittenabout20ofthem!
Ifyouaregoingtobewritingawedding’s-worthofwhiteorpaleenvelopes,youcanbuyalightboxfromartshopstohelpyou.Createasingletemplatetoslipinsidetheenvelope,whichwillbeilluminatedbythelightshiningfromunderneathit,soyounolongerneedtomeasureupeachenvelopeinpencil.
CREATIVEENVELOPEIDEAS
AtQuillwestockaniftylittletoolcalled‘TheLettermate’,whichreallyismyfriendwhenitcomestoeverydayenvelopeaddressing.It’sdesignedespeciallyforthiswithpre-madeslotsforeachline,aswellashandymarkingstohelpcentretheaddress.Iusetheseasquickandeasyguidelines,whichImarkinpencilbeforewritingtheenvelopeinpenandink.
TIP//Whencomposingyourenvelopedesign,don’tforgetthereneedstobeapostagestamp!Thelastthingyouwantistohavetoplaceastampontopofyourbeautifulscript.
Toaddsomewow-factortoyourenvelopes,it’stimetogetcreativeagain.
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Toaddsomewow-factortoyourenvelopes,it’stimetogetcreativeagain.
Considertheangleorshapeofyourbaseline–itdoesn’thavetobestraight.Howaboutpresentingtheaddressasymmetricallyorinundulatingwaves?Canyouaddinterestandsurprisebyplayingwithscaleandpositioning?Perhapssplittingtheenvelopeintocolumns,ormakingafeatureofthename?Itcanbefuntoaddalittlemotiforglyphintothedesign.Maybealeafywreath,orafloralmotifforagardenpartyinvitation?Ifyou’reshortoftime,contrastingacursivestylewithsimpleblockcapitalscanstilllookeffective.
TIP//Bekindtothepostmanorpostwoman.Thepostofficemustbeabletoreadthepostcode(orzipcode)andthehouseorbuildingnameornumbertoprocessyourmail,sokeeptheselegible.Everythingelsecanbeasflourishedasyoulike!
FORMSOFADDRESS
Whenitcomestoformaleventstationery,aplayfulenvelopelayoutmaybeunsuitabledependingonthetoneoftheevent.Wherecasualorcontemporaryeventenvelopesmaybeabletogetawaywithfirstnamesonly,atraditionaldomayrequireaformaladdress:
Toamarriedcouple(withthesamesurname):RobertandDeborahMrandMrsR.LorimerMrandMrsRobertLorimerMrRobertandMrsDeborahLorimer
Toacouplewithdifferentsurnames:DavidandAlexaMrD.EdwardsandMissA.PearceMrDavidEdwardsandMissAlexaPearce
Othercommontitles:DrPeterandMrsAnnabelKingDrAnnabelandMrPeterKingDrPeterandtheReverendAnnabelKingTheRtHonPeterandAnnabelKingMrPeterandLadyAnnabelKing
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DIDYOUKNOW?//Invitationstoprivateeventsweretraditionallyaddressedonlytotheladyofthehouse,andbothnameswereinscribedinside.
Somenotesonaddressingenvelopes:
Youmightchoosetosubstitutethe‘and’for‘&’foramorecasualevent.IntheUSAafullstopisusedafterMr.andMrs.Theyareabbreviationsoftheold-fashionedtitles‘Master’and‘Mistress’.Particularlyforformalweddings,theremaybeanouterenvelopeandaninnerenvelope,inwhichcasetheouterenvelopeshouldfeaturethefulladdress,e.g.‘MrRobertandMrsDeborahLorimer’or‘MrandMrsR.Lorimer’andtheinnerenvelope’saddresswillbeshortenedto,‘MrandMrsLorimer’or‘RobertandDeborah’.It’scustomarytoaddressallinviteesontheenvelope,includingyoungchildren.Olderchildrennolongerlivingathomeshouldreceivetheirowninvitations.AnoteonusingMiss,MrsandMs:Missforanunmarriedwoman,Mrsforamarriedwoman,butdefertoMsifyou’reunsureofhermaritalstatus.AlsosafesttouseMsifsheismarriedbutkepthermaidenname.
PROJECT:TABLESTYLINGWITHMENUSANDPLACENAMES
Whetherit’sforyourowndinnerpartyoraclientevent,stylingthedinnertablewithalittlemoderncalligraphymagicisguaranteedtowowyourguests.
Ilovecreatingpersonalisedmenus,whichmeansyoucanforgoaseparateplacecard.Dependingonthestyleyouwanttoachieve,youcouldtypesetandthenprintsomeelementsofyourmenu,addinginsomehandwrittentouchesafterwards.Orhandwritethefullmenuforawilder,organiclook.
Therearelotsofwaystogetcreativewithyourplacenamestoo.Whynotthinkbeyondpaper?Withabrushoramarkerpenyoucouldinscribeguests’namesonleaves,pebbles,driftwood,wineglasses,napkinrings...
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PROJECT:WAXSEALS
IlovethecharmofwaxsealsandhaveanentirePinterestboarddedicatedtocontemporarystampsandseals.Iespeciallylovetheideathatyoucanturnyournewcalligraphyletterformsintoapersonalisedmonogramthatyoucankeepforlife.IuseStamptitude.comastheirsealsareexpertlycraftedandbeautifullypackagedtoo(soimportant!).
Tomakethemonogramyou’llneed:PencilandprecisioneraserRhodiadotPad,orplainpracticepaperLayoutpaper(optional)FinelinerpenAgoodcameraorscanner
TIP//Itwillbeeasiertokeepthedesignonthesmallside–lessthan8cm(3”)overall.
First,sketchouteachcalligraphyletterformseparatelyinpencilonpaperandkeepreworkingthemuntilyouhavetwocomplementaryshapesthatyoulike.(Don’tworryatthisstageaboutthelineweights.)Considerhowtheshapescouldintertwine.Nowbeginsketchingupyourmonogram.Howflourishedwouldyouliketheletterstobe–swirlyandcurly,orcontemporaryandminimal?Onceyouhaveadesignthat’s‘nearlythere’,youcoulduselayoutpapertotraceoverit,makinganytinyadjustmentsneededtoperfectit.
Designcompleted,you’llneedtoaddsomeweighttoyourdownstrokes,whichyoucandojustbytracingoveryourdesignwithablackfinelinerandthickeninguptherelevantlines.
Usethepracticepagesthatfollowtodesignyourownstylishmonogram.Forexample:
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DIGITISINGYOURMONOGRAM
Nowyouhaveamonogram!Scanitinhigh-resolutionformat300dpi+).
IfyouhaveaccesstoAdobeCreativeSuite,youcanuseittoturnyourmonogramintoavectorgraphic,whichisthetypeofdigitisedfilethatprintersneedtoreproduceyourwork:
CreateanewIllustratordocumentandimportthescannedimageusingthe‘Place’command.Openthe‘ImageTrace’tabandclickonyourimage.SetthemodetoBlack&Whiteandmakesureyouhave‘Preview’modeselected.Youwillnowseeyourimagebecomeavector.Ifthisdoesnotwork,tryrasterizingyourimagefirstbygoingto‘Object’then‘Rasterize’.Changethethresholdaccordinglytopickupmoreorlessdetail.Withpreviewmodeon,thesewillupdateasyoumakechangessoyoucaneasilymakeasmanyorfewamendsasyouneed.Whenyou’rehappywithwhatyousee,select‘Expand’inthetoptoolbar.Thenselect‘Ungroup’anddeletethewhitebackgroundandanythingelsethat
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isn’tpartofthedesign.Usethe‘SmoothTool’tosmoothoutandcorrectanywobblylines.SaveasanEPSfile.
Ifyoudon’thaveaccesstoAdobeCreativeSuite,Stamptitude.comhaveanonlinetoolwhereyoucanuploadyourscannedimageforasmallfeeandtheywillworktheirmagiconitbeforehandcraftingyourseal.
Ofcourse,onceyouhaveyourmonogramdesign,youcanuseitforallsortsofthings–alogoforyoureventinvitations,aheaderforpersonalisedstationery,etchedintoapieceofjewelleryoryourownwaxseal...
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PROJECT:CHALKBOARDSIGNAGE
Whenyou’reworkingonalarge-scalepieceofwork,evenonpaper,youcan’tusenibandinkbecausethecontrastbetweenthiskandthinlineswillbehardlynoticeable.Thereforewhenattemptingchalkboardsignage,weneedneedtodrawtheletteringandthenaddthethicknesstothedownstrokesafterwards.
You’llneed:AboardpaintedinchalkboardpaintChalkorchalkpen–IusepascapensWhitepencilDampclothandwetcottonbudsA4paperandpencil
Youcanbuyonlinepre-paintedplywoodchalkboardsanysizeorpaintawoodenboardyourselfwithchalkboardpaint(nottobeconfusedwithChalkPaint),whichisavailableatmosthardwarestores.
Youcanusegoodold-fashionedchalksticks–easybecausetheyarewipe-clean–orchalkpens,whicharewidelyavailabletoo,butpermanent.You’llneedtorepainttheboardifyoumakeamistakewiththese.
TIP//Sharpenyourchalksticksfirstwithawidemake-uppencilsharpener.
Mockupyourdesigninpencilonpaperfirst–A4paperisfine;itdoesn’tneedtobethesamesizeastheactualboard.Introduceavarietyofletteringstylesandsizesforthevariouspartsofyourcontenttokeepitinteresting.Refineyourdesigninpencilbeforestartingontheboard!
Whenyou’rehappywiththemock-up–includingtheplacementofyourfauxthicklines–sketchthedesignverylightlyontothechalkboardinwhitepencil.Whitepencilisdifficulttowashoff,sogoeasyandkeepitlight.Finally,gooveryourpencilmarkingswithchalkorchalkpen.Ifusingchalk,youcanrefineanyerrantlineswithadampcottonbud.
Whenaddingthicknesstothe‘downstrokes’,keepthemconsistent,whateverthicknessyouchoose(I’dnormallygoforthreetimesthethicknessofthethin‘upstrokes’).Markintheouteredgesofyourthickline,thenfillinthegap.
Propyourboardonaneaselorchairandwowyourguests!
TIP//Sealyourchalkletteringwithsprayfixative,whichyoucanfindinartshopsorevenhairspray!Makesuretospraylightlyinfinelayersfromadistance.
FAQS
Iscalligraphymessy?Likeanyartformitcanbe,butinday-to-daypracticethemessisusuallylimitedtoyourfingersunlessyouhaveamajorinkspillage.Sobesensiblewhenitcomestotheclothesyou’rewearingwhenpractising,andmakesuretoprotectyourfurniture.I’dadvisekeepingawetclothhandyandcoveringanybare,unvarnishedwoodsurfaces.Trytoavoidtheinkcomingintocontactwithyournails,astheinkmightstainyourskinforadayorsobuttakeslongertocomeoffyournails.
Canyougetamoderncalligraphypenwithinkinsidesoyoudon’thavetodip?TheonlyinkpenIhavefoundwithapointednibsuitableformoderncalligraphyisNoodler’sCreaperFlexfountainpen.
Howlongdothenibslast?Thisdependsonsomanyfactors:howmuchyou’veusedthem,howtexturedthepaperyou’veusedis,howacidicyourinkis...Sometelltalesignsthatyouneedtobinyournibarewhenitgetsscratchier,orwhenyoucannolongerachievefinehairlinestrokes.Thisisusuallycausedbythetinesnotspringingbacktogethertightly,orthetipbecomingbluntwithwear.
WhyamIgettinglinesthatlooklikethis?
Thisjustmeansyourinkhasrunoutandyouneedtore-dip.Whenyournibisbrandnewitmaydothismoreregularlyforthefirstpageorso.Butpreparingyournibcorrectly(seechapter2)willimproveinkflow.
Whyismynibnotworkingproperly?Haveyouprepareditthoroughly?Seechapter2forfullinstructions.Allnewnibsneedpreparingbeforeusingthemfortheveryfirsttime.Alsosomenibsjusttakeabitoftaming,patienceandgettingusedto.Youmayneedtoexperimentwithyourpressure,orseeingifitworksbetterwithadifferentconsistencyoradifferentpapersurface,especiallywhenyoutryanibtypethatyouhaven’tusedbefore.
HowdoIstopashakyhand?Shakinessgenerallyhasnothingtodowithyourskilllevelorexperience.Weallexperienceshakinessatsomepoint,althoughit’smorecommonwhenyou’restartingout.Tryexperimentingwithdifferentlettersizesasyou’llprobablyfindthatwritingalittlebiggerorsmallermayhelpyou.Findyoursweetspot.
Ratherthanstartingcoldonanimportantpieceofcalligraphy,makesureyou’vewarmedupyourhandwithsomeexercisesfor10–15minutes,asyourlineswillbemuchsmootherafterabitofpractice,nomatterhowmuchofaproyouare.
Whyismyhandhurting?Youareprobablygrippingtoohard.Remembertorelaxallyourmusclesfromyourneckdowntoyourshoulders.Ifyouarehunchedoveracomputeratworkalldayyoumightcarryalotoftensioninyourneckandback.Orifyouknowthatyougripanormalwritingpenhard,bepreparedtokeepforcingyourselftositback,stretchoutyourhandandrelaxyourgripeveryfewminutesuntilitbecomesmorenatural.
HowshouldIlookaftermymaterials?Pleasealwayscleananddryyournibsaftereverypracticesession.Youcandothiswithwatermostofthetimebutyoumayhavetorelyonaspecialistpen-cleaningfluidtoremovesomeofthestubbornstainsthatbuildupoveralongperiodoftime.Dryingyournibsaftercleaningwillstopthemfromrusting.Storeyournibsinaclean,airtightcontainer,andideallydon’tleavetheminsideyourpenholderafterpractising.
CanIuseanytypeofink/paint?Anywater-basedmediumshouldworktoagreaterorlesserdegree.Justmakesureit’snotoil-based(i.e.solvent-based).Differentnibsworkbetterwiththickerorthinnerinkssoifyoufinditdoesn’tworkwithonenib,don’tgiveupjustyet–tryadifferentnibtype.Ifyou’veboughtanewinkandfoundittobetoothick,
–tryadifferentnibtype.Ifyou’veboughtanewinkandfoundittobetoothick,ormixedyourownanddiscovereditdoesn’tdescendyournib,allisnotlost.Justaddwater!Youcouldalsotryaddingadroportwoofgumarabicwhichshouldhelpincreaseitsviscosity.Andifit’stoothin,tryleavingitoutwiththelidoffovernight.
WhyamIgettingbitsofpaperstuckinmynib?Itmightbebecauseyou’repressingtoohard,orbecauseyou’resketchingoverawetline,forinstanceifyou’retryingtofillinthegapbetweenthe‘tramlines’whereyouranoutofink.Alwaysavoidwritingoverawetline.Removeanyfibresbyswillingthenibinwaterthenopenthenibbyapplyingpressuretoitstineswhileremovingthefibreswithacloth.
RESOURCESANDSUPPLIERS
AtQuillwestockallourfavouriteandmost-usedcalligraphysupplies,bothonlineatQuilllondon.com–weshipworldwide–andinourIslingtonstore,includingmostthingsrecommendedhereinthisbook(alongsideallofourlovelystationeryofcourse!)
37AmwellStreetLondonEC1R1URQuilllondon.com
TherearealsootherfantasticstockistsinLondonandbeyond.Artshopsarethebestplacestofindpaintsandpigmentsfromwhichtomakeyourowninksandmediums,aswellasusefulpaperssuchasBristolboard,layoutpaperandCanfordblack.Unfortunately,sincemoderncalligraphyisafairlynewphenomenon,mostcalligraphy‘departments’ofartshopstendtorelyheavilyonsuppliesmoresuitedtotraditionalcalligraphyscripts,suchasbroad-edgednibsthatareuselessforus!Herearesomeofmymust-visitLondonsuppliers:
L.Cornelissen&SonThisisawonderfulold-worldartshopinBloomsbury,worthvisitingaloneforitsapothecary-styleglassjarsofpigmentsandbeautifulwoodpanelling.Itscalligraphynibs–albeitmostlybroad-edgedones–arestashedawayinoldwoodendrawers,whichyou’llloveriflingthrough.105AGreatRussellSt,LondonWC1B3RYCornelissen.com
LondonGraphicCentre
AbrillianthubincentralLondonforartistsandstationeryaddictsalike.16–18SheltonSt,LondonWC2H9JLLondongraphics.co.uk
Paperchase
ThetopfloorofPaperchase’sginormousflagshipstoreisahiddengemwhereyoucanfindstacksofspecialitypapersinlargesheets.213–215TottenhamCourtRd,LondonW1T7PSPaperchase.co.uk
Shepherds
Abook-bindingspecialistwhichstocksatreasuretroveofpapersinVictoria.You’llfallinlovewiththeirextensiveselectionofparchment,marbledpapersandJapanesedecorativepapers.30GillinghamSt,LondonSW1V1HUBookbinding.co.uk
OnlineScribblers.co.ukBlotspens.co.ukPaperinkarts.comJohnnealbooks.comJetpens.com
Stamptitude
Mygo-tomakerofbeautifulwaxseals.Stamptitude.com
Withmoderncalligraphygaininganever-increasingfollowingworldwide,it’sanexcitingtimetojointhiswonderfulcommunityofcreatives.Therearetonsofblogsandonlineforumsthatcanhelpyou.
TheFlourishForum
Aphenomenallyhelpfulresource,whereyoucanlearn,shareexperiencesandaskquestions.Theflourishforum.com
ModernCalligraphySummit
Offersawealthofresourcestoitsonlinecommunity,andayearlyintensiveonlinecourse.Moderncalligraphysummit.com
BesottedBlog
IparticularlylovethecalligrapherinterviewfeatureonTristanandMichelle’sblog–it’sreassuringandinspiringtoreadthestoriesofthegreatandtalentedcalligraphersIadmire,andberemindedthattheystartedfromscratchtoo.Besottedblog.com
ThePostman’sKnockLindsey’sblogisahugelyhelpfulresourceforanyonestartingoutorneedingahelpinghandastheygoalong.Therearetonsofvideosandclearinstructions,andLindseyalsooffersinexpensiveguidesheetsforherownmoderncalligraphyletteringstyles.Thepostmansknock.com
Calligrafile
MollySuberThorpe,authorofModernCalligraphy,abookthathashelpedmoderncalligraphyreachsomanypeopleworldwide,haslaunchedanextensiveonlineresourceforletterers.Atthetimeofwritingithasonlyrecentlygonelive,butlookstobeanessentialbookmark.Calligrafile.com
Pinterest,Instagram&YouTubeSocialmediaissurelyresponsibleforthespreadofmoderncalligraphyfever!ThesedaysyoucanlearnthebasicsjustfromInstagramvideos.Themoderncalligraphycommunityisfulloflovelypeoplethatarehappytoshareinformationandanswerquestions.Beinspired...IlovethatthebeautifulworkofmyfavouritecalligraphersaroundtheworldpopsuponmyInstagramfeedeveryday.Findheapsofinspirationat#moderncalligraphy
Tomymumanddad.Youtaughtmetheartofpractice.
ToAlex,forsupportingmeunfailingly.IamindebtedtomysisterJen,andtoAlexaandeveryoneonourteam,whoworkveryhardforthesuccessofQuill.Youarethegluethatholdsitalltogether.
SpecialthankstoHannahHornigoldandLisaMavianwhosegenerosityandinputhasbeeninvaluable.
IamprofoundlygratefultomyeditorOliviaMorris,LoulouClark,whodesignedthisbook,andthewonderfulteamatOrionwhohavechampioneditandmadethewritingofitsuchagratifyingchallenge.Iambowledoverbyyoursupport:thankyouall.
Andfinally,toourfantasticcommunityofcalligraphyenthusiasts,whoinspiremeeverydaywiththeirpassion.
COPYRIGHT
ANORIONEBOOK
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2017byOrionPublishingGroupLtdThiseBookfirstpublishedin2017byOrionPublishingGroupLtd
CarmeliteHouse50VictoriaEmbankmentLondonEC4Y0DZ
ISBN:9781409172567
Copyright©LucyEdmonds2017
Illustrations:LaurenMortimerTherightofLucyEdmondstobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeenassertedinaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthepriorpermissioninwritingofthepublisher.
