Friends of Calligraphy offers classes and workshops
that meet the needs of those beginning calligraphy as well as those who are ready for more advanced techniques. FOC workshops are open to current FOC members. Basic calligraphy classes at Fort Mason are open to the public. They are sponsored by FOC, and taught by FOC members. Also listed below are classes by FOC members who teach in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. They are not sponsored by FOC, but are listed here as a courtesy to our members. Please contact individual instructors for details.
FRIENDS OF CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
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Drawn and Built-Up Minuscule
study of works by Hermann Kilian
(download the pdf flyer)
days, times and location
May 4, 2024, 9 – 11:30 am will be virtual with zoom.
May 11 – 12, 2024, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm will be in person
at the Letterform Archive, 2325 Third St., floor 4R, San Francisco.
Cost $185 (for FOC members only)
The class is initially limited to 16 FOC members. To join FOC, go to: www.friendsofcalligraphy.org/pages/join.html.
Complete registration instructions are in the PDF flyer
Hermann Kilian (1929 – 2004) was a German calligrapher, typographer and book designer whose work was epitomized by classical simplicity with an underlying tension within every letter. I have been studying his works and sharing my study of his built-up Capitals during the last five years, and I have never gotten tired of it. This time, I will share my study of his minuscules that has been lifting my calligraphy study.
Yukimi Annand is a Japanese born calligrapher, living in California. Raised on a flower farm in rural Japan she developed a great appreciation of nature. Studies in visual communication design in Tokyo led to work in the graphic design field, mostly in corporate design. Yukimi was director of Takenobu Igarashi, a highly regarded design studio, before moving to the USA in the 1990s. Introduced to Western calligraphy in 2000, Yukimi discovered a great passion for it that has remained with her to this day.
Questions? Please contact Dena Sneider at denasneider@gmail.com or call 925.286.3781.
FRIENDS OF CALLIGRAPHY Fort Mason Classes
Open to the public, these classes are meant for beginners and for scribes who wish to continue improving their skills.
(Download Fort Mason pdf brochure for 2024)
Basic Supplies: Non-waterproof black ink (i.e., Pelikan 4001, Higgins Eternal, or Dr Ph Martin’s Hydrus Carbon Black), all sizes Brause pen nibs, one or two pen holders, pencil and eraser, 18 or 24 inch metal ruler, notebook, cotton rag, a small water jar.
If other pens, nibs or holders are specified for a class (e.g., Engrosser’s Script), then it is not necessary to buy the Brause pen nibs on the Basic Supplies list.
There may be additional supplies specified by each instructor that are listed after each class description in the Fort Mason brochure. (Download pdf brochure for 2024)
Calligraphy supplies, especially Brause pen nibs, can be difficult to find. Call or visit your local art supply stores, such as Arch, Dick Blick and Flax. If they don’t have what you need, contact the calligraphy mail order vendors:
John Neal Bookseller, 1-800-369-9598 • www.johnnealbooks.com/
or
Paper & Ink Arts, 1-800-736-7772 • www.paperinkarts.com
Please register for any class at least six weeks in advance. Class size is limited to 16. You will be notified by the Fort Mason Class Registrar if you have a place in the class or are on the wait list. Payment of tuition is necessary to hold your place on a wait list. If you need to withdraw, a full refund will be issued 14 days before the class begins. Otherwise the tuition fee is forfeited unless a wait-listed student can take your place.
Classes will be held at:
- Online via Zoom
-
Fort Mason
2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123
Free parking outside the gate and metered parking within.
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Bâtarde
Raoul Martinez, instructor
7 Tues. nights • 6:30 – 9 PM • Online
May 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, 18, * July 2 *Date skipped for Bâtarde class, on purpose
$205 non-members / $185 FOC members
This class is full and a waiting list has begun. You must register to be put on the waiting list. If no space becomes available, you will receive a refund.
In the second half of the 14th century, a new calligraphic hand emerged in northern France and the Netherlands – bâtarde or littera bastarda. It was a hybrid of gothic cursive and textura.
This hybrid script, with its flourishes and its curved strokes that lean slightly to the right, retains the cursive look of its ancestors, yet is elegant enough to be a book hand. It was the last blackletter script to make its appearance before the Humanist movement. We will study manuscripts from various countries and periods, learning the minuscules and majuscules.
All levels of lettering experience are welcome.
Supplies: Basic supplies (We will work with Brause 3 mm. pen nibs. Experienced calligraphers may use the more flexible 3 mm Tape nib.), plus a pad of 9 x12" marker layout paper.
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Italic
Meredith Klein, instructor
7 Tues. nights • 6:30 – 9 PM • In Person
September 17, 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
$205 non-members / $185 FOC members
Arising from Humanist cursive writing during the Italian Renaissance, italic has come down through the centuries as one of our most versatile calligraphy hands. This elegant, graceful, and practical script can be used for nearly anything: poems, envelopes, certificates, signs, books—the list is endless. In this class, you will learn the minuscule and majuscule alphabets, focusing on the letterforms, rhythm and spacing. We will also cover layout and ways to create variations.
All levels of lettering experience are welcome.
Supplies: Basic Supplies, plus a 14 x 17" pad of layout bond paper, a protractor, a drawing board and an 18" or 24" T-square. An 18" C-Thru ruler is suggested in place of the metal ruler.
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Introduction to Engrosser’s Script
Rick Paulus, instructor
4 Sat. mornings • 10:00AM–1:00PM • Online
November 2, 9, 16, 23
$150 non-members / $135 FOC members
Among the pointed pen hands, Engrosser’s Script stands out for its elegant strength and formality; it has been used to inscribe presidential appointments for over 100 years, and is the primary script hand used in White House entertaining.
Inspired by the Zanarian School’s “Roundhand” or “Engrosser’s Script,” we will begin by practicing the surprisingly few basic strokes required to create a minuscule alphabet. After a series of exercises designed to familiarize the eyes and the hand to these new shapes, we will move on to majuscule letter forms and numbers, thus laying a solid foundation to developing an elegant script hand.
All levels of lettering experience are welcome.
Supplies: Basic supplies, plus an oblique pen holder with brass flange, flexible pointed pen nibs (Leonardt Principal EF, Nikko G, Gillotte 303, Zebra, etc.), and a 9 x 12" marker layout paper.
Friends of Calligraphy Memorial Scholarship
The Friends of Calligraphy has a scholarship fund honoring beloved members.
To apply, click here.
Friends of Calligraphy Lecture
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AGM Lecture
7 Decades of Collecting for the Harrison Collection of Calligraphy & Lettering
A conversation with Andrea Grimes and Judy Detrick
Sunday, May 5, 2024 // 1—2 pm*
*immediately preceding the business meeting
Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin // San Francisco, CA 94102
Download the PDF flyer.
Questions? Contact Evelyn Eldridge
MEMBERS WHO TEACH
San Francisco:
- Katie Leavens
Calligraphy & Illumination classesEast Bay:
- Patricia Coltrin • Call 510 524-5208
- Meredith Klein • Call 510.205.1119
- Raoul Martinez
Copperplate and blackletter classes for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.
- Carla Tenret • Call 510.526.1214
South Bay:
- Melissa Dinwiddie • Call 650.938.3939
Calligraphy, book arts, and illumination- Sara Loesch Frank • Call 408.446.3397
Ongoing calligraphy classes for beginners and intermediates.- Ann Thompson • Call 408.378.6965
Marin County:
- JoAnn Burchfiel Brand • Call 415.924.2625
Mendocino:
- Judy Detrick • Call 707.964.9276
Ongoing classes at all levels.Sonoma County:
- Christine Renden Haggarty
Ongoing classes in Asian calligraphy for beginners and intermediates.- Sherrie Lovler • Call 707.528.1723.
Calligraphic Abstract Painting.Yolo County:
- Sumner Stone
Type design workshops in Rumsey, CASanta Cruz/Monterey/Carmel:
- Ruth Korch
Art and calligraphy classes in the Santa Cruz areaKern County:
- Chris Paschke •Call 661 821-2188
Ongoing classes at all levels in TehachapiReno/Tahoe:
- Carol Pallesen • Call 775 329-6983
Ongoing classes in calligraphy and book artsNew Mexico:
- Bill Kemp • Call 505 235-4983
Teaching and tutoring in AlbuquerqueOnline:
- Harvest Crittenden • Call 517 545-3031
Online classes in Spencerian, Flourishing, Copperplate and Photoshop for Calligraphers.- Elizabeth McKee
Ongoing classes in pointed brush- Ann Miller • Email, or call 650 558-8270
Art 50 and Art 53: Two zoom courses at Stanford Continuing Studies
- Kestrel Montes
Pointed Pen Calligraphy and Engraving- Rick Paulus • Call 774.323.0050
- Sally Penley
Email Sally for a list of current Zoom classes- Jacqueline Sullivan