City Lit calligraphy

What is the course about?

During this course you will study traditional and contemporary calligraphy through in-depth, practical and creative activities. Your experienced instructor will guide you through step-by-step processes, working letter-by-letter to develop your skills and carry out a script analysis. You will learn through practical exercises, by looking at historical models, by completing worksheets devised by the tutors and by following demonstrations. The course will cover all tools, materials, and techniques necessary for calligraphy practice. The course will also help to develop your creativity and will give you a lot of ideas for future personal projects. Over the three terms you will build a rapport with fellow enthusiastic students and experienced calligraphy tutors, sharing your discoveries and improvements along the way.

What will we cover?

The main objective for this course is to develop visual and calligraphic awareness through writing, the study of colour theory, and visits to museums. Over the course of your studies, you will examine the use of calligraphy design and lettering in a variety of contexts, and across a range of materials, and you will experiment with different techniques. Skills and understanding will be reinforced through the production of a small personal project inspired by these studies.
You will examine six historical handwriting styles and make a deep study of Roman capitals, and you will also learn to identify key related forms, structures, and spatial relationships between capital letters. In the later stages of the course, you will choose a preferred hand for further study.
Upon completion of the first part of the course, we will continue with deep analysis of your preferred script and will focus on understanding the origins of the script and its purpose. After analysing the structure of a script, its key characteristics and how it was written, you will then produce your own personal alphabet based on your studies which can be used in your future projects.
This course will also develop your basic skills and understanding of calligraphy through the study and writing of lower-case letters. You will learn to identify key related forms, structures, and spatial relationships between these smaller letters. Attention is given to developing rhythm and flow in writing and as the course progresses, emphasis will move from analysing structure, towards developing personal rhythm and patterns in writing through sustained practice. The aim is, that over time and with sustained practice, your handwriting will become more fluent and you will be able to develop your own interpretation of calligraphy. Group critiques and demonstrations will set these skills in a broad historical and contemporary context.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- complete at least one in-depth script analysis to a good standard
- be aware of how to manipulate and use calligraphic materials with different media to expand your work
- select and use design methods and elements in your calligraphy work
- gain some understanding of what it means to be calligrapher today and how to make connections with other like-minded individuals, groups, and communities
- recognise contemporary fonts, historical writing styles, and be able to identify well-known calligraphy artists by their handwriting style.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is aimed at beginners or those who wish to revise their calligraphy skills and build up their knowledge of handwriting. You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions in English to support demonstrations, read hand-outs, and understand health and safety information. Students will be invited to take part in group discussions, but participation is voluntary. Please note however, that you will be asked to take part in small group collaborations.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will receive one-to-one and group tuition via tutorials, assignments, and practical research. There will be demonstrations, opportunities for discussion, skills swaps, and peer evaluation. You will be working as part of a group but also individually, and you will be expected to maintain personal projects throughout the course.
Because of the ambitions of the course there is an expectation that you will commit to additional study outside the session hours for research and professional development.
You may occasionally find it helpful to complete or revise work at home during the course.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Some basic materials are included in the cost of the course. Other personal tools and professional materials such as penholders, nibs, special inks, and paper can be purchased from the teacher in the classroom. Alternatively, you may have to supply them yourself, but you will receive guidance from the teacher on ways to do this.
As the course progresses you will need to provide your own set of tools and you should allow at least £50 for this. You will be advised on this during the first weeks and nothing needs to be purchased before the class starts. Please bring a sharp pencil and notebook to each class. You will be expected to make your own notes to supplement the course handouts and supply them with your portfolio during assessments.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

There are a number of short courses that may be of interest as additions to your calligraphy practice:
VE264 Modern copperplate for beginners and improvers
VE211 Calligraphy: Spencarian scripts
VE210 Calligraphy: Decorated letterforms