Calligraphy and Lettering

A Focus on the Sacred

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A Focus on the Sacred_Page_1

Click here for Detailed PDF: A Focus on the Sacred

Lettering of the 20s and 30s

2 to 5 days
12 – 20 participants
Space requirements- 2 students per table.
$15 materials fee

The bent nib has amazing possibilities! For a weekend workshop, participants will explore tools and techniques that created distinctive lettering styles and characteristics of commercial letterers in the 1920s and 30s. Using pen nibs developed with square, round and oval shaped points as well as our familiar broad edged tools, we will translate the traditional techniques of calligraphy and adapt them to lettering of all types, from elegant monoline scripts and italics to blunt-edged and playful roman forms. We’ll look at the construction of characteristic early 20’s drawn alphabets and bold faced display lettering using multiple strokes.

MichaelClark-AngledAngels-g For participants in the longer sessions (3 to 5 days) we will use these nibs to create contemporary and inventive letterforms. By using pen lifts and pen manipulation, participants can create a number of unique effects including scripts that mock brush lettering, give unique effects, and create both bold and delicate abstract forms.

Participants should come away from this workshop with the ability to add to their repertoire new lettering techniques, vintage styles and new lettering styles that are accomplished with a variety of historical tools.

The Personality of Letterform – Journal techniques

2 to 5 days
12 – 15 students
Space requirements- one table per student (or 2 students per 8′ table).
$15 materials fee

A fabulous journal to work on, we will use as our grounds the 11 X 16 Mahara watercolor journal (optional), heavy watercolor papers, primed and unprimed canvas.
Using these grounds we will explore the textural appearance of writing systems, primarily non western and non recognizable to the traditional western sensibility.

NonLatinJournal8Web Each participant will choose an alphabet that they don’t recognize which could be ancient, archaic or modern. An analysis of the forms of the writing system will follow along with experimentation using a variety of tools in order to give letterforms a personality of their own. Some of these results will be legible words or text, and other results can be representations of letterform that may or may not be legible. Experimentation and invention are the key words here and the intent will be to develop the calligraphic marks based on the personality of the participant.

A variety of surfaces or grounds can be explored, including heavy papers and canvas. Because many of the techniques for texture can translate to either, students can work on both. Participants may work in a large journal (optional), creating textures from early experimental letterforms as the class progresses, and others will be able to focus more primarily on loose sheets of paper or on canvas as a ground. Techniques using acrylic paints and mediums to prepare these surfaces and achieve texture and painterly effects will be explored.

Levels: All.

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The Shape and Texture of Calligraphy

Understanding Letterforms and Calligraphy – Analysis from an Artist’s Perspective

Lettering and Calligraphy
1, 2 or 3 days
12 – 25 students – more as space allows

Levels: All
Space requirements- 2 students per 6′ table.
Materials fee – $15 Full color bound handout

NOTE: This is an excellent workshop to add on before the “Layered Journal: Text and Texture” below to give your participants options to attend one, two or three days of study. Students can work in the journal and then use the work for texture in the journal class.

Shape and Texture Booklet-PRINT-pages 6 This workshop is designed to use shapes and textures to create an individual lettering style that is unique to the participant. It will give the beginner basic principles to facilitate learning any style of lettering they come across, and an adventure in exploration for the intermediate or advanced participant.

The goal of this course is to use the artist’s eye to identify the basic shapes, texture and characteristics of lettering. The class will begin with gestural exercises in making marks. We will then move to class discussions, looking at the characteristics of these marks to analyze the size, shape, weight, direction and overall texture. We will begin to create unique letterforms, and then experiment with seeing how they change with alternate tools. Finally we will create a recognizable alphabet in either a more traditional or abstract form.

Formal Calligraphy:

Lettering and Calligraphy
1 or 2 days
12 – 25 students (more as space allows)
Space requirements: 2 students per 6ft. table
Materials Fee – TBD

Levels: beginning or beginning/intermediate.

Randall Hasson - Lettering Demo

A variety of hands are offered in more formal calligraphy including Foundational and variations, Gothic Littera Bastarda, Uncial, Textura and Italic.

There is a special class in a split script derived from Silent Movie Titling.

Applications for Lettering

Text and Image: Infusing the Sacred

AngelProgressJune2014-5WebDetail

2 to 5 days
Up to 12 students
Space requirements- one table per student (or 2 students per 8′ table).
$15 – 25 materials fee depending on class length

Man-in-the-Arena-DetailBalzac This class will explore the theory and practice of creating artwork with a spiritual foundation. Using imagery combined with text, participants will learn a painterly approach to reach a goal of visually articulating a thought or theme into a painting or series of paintings. This class will present a simplified theme for calligraphic paintings, born out of a combination of Randall’s complex, multiple-text Paintings that Inspire Conversation, a traditional approach for an illuminated manuscript, icon paintings, and the theory and practice of poster art.

Participants will choose their own text, associated imagery, and style. The symbols associated with the spiritual focus being interpreted will have a strong visual influence in the creation of the artwork. These symbols and intent of the artist will then be discussed, and both modern and historical interpretations will be used as examples to provide inspiration. The goal is to create a visual representation of the theology or belief system of the artist, while creating a contemporary piece of artwork that has its roots in an ancient tradition. Participants should be prepared for lively and deep discussions that will be used to create a foundation for the artwork and that allows other participants to gain understanding of the process of working out layout, composition and symbolism for a finished work of art.

Calligraphic Paintings on Canvas

5 days
Up to 12 students
Space requirements- one table per student (or 2 students per 8′ table).
$25 materials fee

WebHisThoughtsFull copy This class will explore the theory and practice of creating theme-based artwork with text as a major element. Using imagery combined with text, participants will learn a painterly approach to reach a goal of visually articulating a thought or theme into a painting or series of paintings, born out of a combination of Randall’s complex, multiple-text Paintings that Inspire Conversation.

Participants will choose their own text, associated imagery, and style. The use of symbols and intent of the artist will be discussed. The goal is to create a visual representation of the theme of the artist in a contemporary piece of artwork. Participants should be prepared for lively and deep discussions that will be used to create a foundation for the artwork and that allows other participants to gain understanding of the process of working out layout, composition and symbolism for a finished work of art.

The Layered Journal: Text and Texture

Calligraphy/ Journals with Heavy Papers/ Traditional Painting
2 or 3 days
12 – 18 students
Space requirements- one table per student or 2 students per 8′ table.
$15 Materials fee

A fabulous journal to work on, we will use as our ground the Mahara Watercolor Journal, heavy watercolor papers, primed and un-primed canvas.

The goal of this class is to experiment with acrylic paints and mediums to achieve textural effects. These techniques can cross over on both heavy watercolor papers and canvas.

We will use a variety of media (including Sumi, walnut and acrylic inks, acrylic paint, acrylic mediums, and permanent markers) to achieve coloration and textural effects. For watercolorists, this journal has large enough pages to paint watercolor vignettes to create a travel-style journal.

Mostly abstractions, we will move from page to page to create a cohesive and progressive composition. We will discuss the reasons behind the design decisions, color choices, and textural effects and how they relate to the text(s) or subject matter.

We will also explore working with primed canvas. This ground gives the artist the ability to layer lettering, achieve staining effects, experiment with color layering and texture to achieve a depth within the artwork that is difficult to achieve on paper.

This portion of the workshop will encompass the preparation of unprimed canvas and testing different textures from rough to smooth.

As with the heavy papers, we will experiment with a variety of media (including gel mediums, acrylic paint, acrylic ink, and colored pencil) to achieve coloration and textural effects, and discuss the uses of medium and how they would apply to one substrate or another.

Levels: All.

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Text and Texture: Working with Artists Canvas for Calligraphers

Calligraphy/ Canvas / Traditional Painting
2 or 3 days
12 – 18 students
Space requirements- one table per student or 2 students per 8′ table.
$15 Materials fee

In a more specifically focused workshop, participants are invited to explore the versatility of working on artist’s canvas. This ground gives the artist the ability to layer lettering, achieve staining effects, experiment with color layering and texture to achieve a depth within the artwork that is difficult to achieve on paper.

This workshop will encompass the preparation of unprimed canvas and testing different textures from rough to smooth. We will also work with primed canvas and explore painting techniques to incorporate with our calligraphy.

We will experiment with a variety of media (including a selection of acrylic mediums, acrylic paint and acrylic ink) to achieve coloration and textural effects, and discuss the uses of differing mediums and how they would apply to achieve a variety of textural effects.

Levels: All.
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The Illuminated Manuscript Page

2 to 5 days
Up to 12 students
Space requirements- one table per student (or 2 students per 8′ table).
$15 materials fee

The workshop teaches a calligraphic hand and the principles of medieval page design with techniques for illumination of letters and decoration. Beginning with a look at traditional examples of two illuminated manuscript styles,students will choose one example to study for the workshop. Working with traditional tools, we will commence a study of the chosen letterform and work with the lettering itself to understand and refine forms as the week progresses. An overview of the characteristics of this hand will be discussed including an analysis of form, shape, rhythm of writing and the texture of the text on the page as well as historical context and the evolution of the letter form. As the week progresses, we will discuss the techniques for layout and design of the page and the incorporation of illuminations. Canons of page construction and the design of illuminated letters and decorations will end the week to tie both calligraphy and illumination together.

Taking the mystery out of acrylics – for Calligraphers

Traditional Painting/Calligraphy

1 day
12 – 25 students
Space requirements- one table per student or 2 students per 8′ table.
$15 Materials fee

A one day course with a focus on the materials and techniques for using acrylic paints, inks, mediums, gels and pastes. Using one of the most versatile and durable mediums available today, we will concentrate on techniques for adapting calligraphy to a variety of textures and surfaces. This session will give detailed information with the goal of understanding the materials we paint with and why they perform in certain ways on canvas and heavy papers. Calligraphers will be introduced to techniques that will allow them to create layers using marks and letterforms in traditional and non-traditional ways. Participants should expect a wealth of information and are encouraged to take detailed notes.

Levels: All.
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