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

Friends of Calligraphy is pleased to present
Cut It Out
with Dorothy Yuki
Transforming the alphabet from 2D to 3D!

Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, 2026
Two 6-hour sessions with lunch break
10:00am – 4:00pm
All levels of experience welcome but some background knowledge of calligraphy will be helpful.

Letterform Archive
2325 Third St. Floor - 4R, San Francisco, CA 94107
$175 for members | $200 for non-members
An additional $20 fee will be paid to Dorothy on the first day for materials she provides. *A material list will be provided to participants who sign up.
This is an in-person workshop

We are accepting online payments only. You may join Friends of Calligraphy, through the website for $40 annually. Workshop fees are refundable until October 19, 2026.
Download the PDF flyer here

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During this two-day workshop, calligrapher and artist Dorothy Yuki will guide you in cutting out letters and manipulating paper using the Roman alphabet as pure form. We will make letters without using nibs or ink. Our aim will be to create recognizable letterforms and explore the alphabet with paper, blade, and folding. We will make books, boxes, cards, luminaries, pop-ups, pop-ins and more!

Dorothy Yuki is the owner of In Good Company (1964 – 1976) and recipient of a Woman in Business award (1974) from NOW and Wells Fargo. Currently a design and production consultant to the fashion industry (1977 – present) and past president of Friends of Calligraphy, she has earned three Honorable Mention awards from Marin Museum of Contemporary Arts Altered Books Exhibit and Fundraiser. Dorothy was a Master Educator for the San Francisco Fashion Incubator (2011 – 2018) and has been teaching arts and crafts continually since 2010. At San Francisco Center for the Book, she leads various bookmaking and botanical printing workshops. She has led workshops in California, Florida and internationally.

Questions? Contact coordinator Claudia Kruse at clk141@sonic.net.

FRIENDS OF CALLIGRAPHY FOC Classes

Open to the public, these classes are meant for beginners and for scribes who wish to continue improving their skills.

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, 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 FOC Classes brochure. (Download pdf brochure for 2026)

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, Building C
2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123
Free parking outside the gate and metered parking within.
Albany Senior Center
846 Masonic Ave., Albany, CA 94706

Beginning Calligraphy
Judy Detrick, instructor
4 Sat. mornings • 10 AM–Noon • Online
Oct 3, 10, 17, 24
$100 non-members / $90 FOC members

Class Description
In this calligraphy class for beginners, you will be learning a foundational hand, which is likely familiar to you, but when written with a broad-edge pen it takes on an elegant and exotic quality that both the reader and writer can appreciate. You will learn about the best tools, materials, and techniques to get top results right from the start, and the things you learn in this class will carry over to many other calligraphic styles of writing. Come experience the magic that lies at the tip of your pen!

Supplies: Basic Supplies*, plus a layout bond paper pad (14 x 17"), and a t-square.

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Friends of Calligraphy Memorial Scholarship

The Friends of Calligraphy has a scholarship fund honoring beloved members.
To apply, click here.

Friends of Calligraphy Lecture

FOC has scheduled several lectures. They will be posted as soon as more information is available.

MEMBERS WHO TEACH

San Francisco:

Katie Leavens
Calligraphy & Illumination classes

East 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.

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

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, CA

Santa Cruz/Monterey/Carmel:

Ruth Korch
Art and calligraphy classes in the Santa Cruz area

Kern County:

Chris Paschke • Call 661 821-2188
Ongoing classes at all levels in Tehachapi

Riverside County:

Risa Gettler • Call 951-520-3010

Reno/Tahoe:

Carol Pallesen • Call 775 329-6983
Ongoing classes in calligraphy and book arts

New Mexico:

Bill Kemp • Call 505 235-4983
Teaching and tutoring in Albuquerque

Online:

Nancy Hills
Email Nancy for information about current classes.

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