2023: Calligraphic fundamentals in depth, 2 month course.

Open for registration. 8 weeks, 2+ days a week (Mondays & Tuesdays plus two Wednesdays)

Cost: £1100

Foundations of calligraphy, roman-upper and lower-case letterforms, introduction to materials and tools, project assignments. Taught by Ewan to the depth that it used be at Roehampton. Students are expected to complete up to two days home-work during the week. Limited places. The course is suitable for beginners as well as those with considerable experience. The benefit of a course such as this comes from having a concentrated period of time devoted to growing one's calligraphic skills, the sustained programme of learning helps it bed down in your motor system and grow your imagination, skill and confidence. There are also a limited number of places for advanced students who may want to audit the course whilst working on their own projects.

Topics Covered:

• Roman capitals, the historical background, an introduction to 'essential forms', geometric construction, pencil and monoline studies, spacing.

• Working with a pen and using lightweight roman capitals, in a text and simple designs.

• Introducing weighting to capital letters, serifs, and advanced spacing.

• Introduction to Edward Johnston’s teaching of related form, geometric study of lower-case roman forms, the principles of related form as seen in his 'foundational’ hand studies.

• The historical development of lower-case forms.

• Analysing historical scripts.

• Working with contrasting weights.

• Upper and lower-case romans in combination.

• Working with contrasts in scale ie. large weighted, and small scale writing.

• Introducing manuscript books, planning and making a small book.

• The relationship between calligraphy and type design.

• Flow and ease in writing.

• Introducing materials, their qualities, and handling of - ink, gouache, paper, vellum, quills.

• Review and planning individual future learning.
  

8 weeks starting in early February and completing late March 2023.

February 6 & 7 | February 13 & 14 | February 20, 21 & 22 | February 27, 28 | March 6 & 7 | March 13, 14 & 15 | March 20 & 21 | March 27, 28

Two+ days a week instruction, from 9:30-4:30

* Access to the studio from 9:00-5:00, and some additional open studio work days to be determined on a weekly basis.

** Please be in contact before making travel arrangements as some dates may be shifted.

£ 1100 - this class is designed for absolute beginners to advanced students. The variety of levels in this class has been one of its riches.

Class size limited to 10 people. 30% non-refundable deposit required by December 1st, 2022 to secure spot.

To register or for further information, contact: info@brightoncalligraphy.com

Workshop with Ewan Clayton - A two day course on Carolingian minuscules, their origins, structure and variations. Although developed in the eighth century this script gives us the basis of lower-case roman letterforms we use today. In recent years it has found modernised applications that vary from Jovica Veljovic's typeface 'Silentium pro' (seen here) to the hand-written script used in Donald Jackson's great St. John's Bible.

DATES : Saturday & Sunday, 21 & 22 March, 10:00 to 4:30

COST : £ 160

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required by March 6th to secure spot.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Working on the Italic hand with internationally acclaimed calligrapher and bookdesigner Christopher Haanes (see below).

DATES : Saturday, 2 November, 11:00 to 5:00

Sunday, 3 November, 10:30 to 4:30

COST : £ 195 This class is designed for all levels of calligraphers/designers. Discount when registering two or more classes.

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required to confirm registration.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Christopher Haanes from Oslo, Norway, earned a Diploma with merit in calligraphy from Roehampton Institute and became a fellow of the SSI in 1989. He has taught graphic designers for more than 20 years, as well as workshops throughout Europe, Asia, North & South America. He has published several books on calligraphy and lettering as well as several articles and essays. His work is published in several international books and magazines, including Letter Arts Review.

Workshop content details coming soon.

DATES : Friday, 18 Ocotber, 1:00 to 4:30

Saturday, 19 October, 10:00 to 4:30

Sunday, 20 Ocotber, 10:00 to 4:30

(optional : Monday, 21 October, 10:00 to 4:30 - Open Studio day with Carl - £ 50)

COST : £ 275

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required by October 1st to secure spot.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Workshop content details coming soon.

DATES : Saturday, 14 September, 10:00 to 4:30

Sunday, 15 September, 10:00 to 4:30

COST : £ 275

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required by September 1st to secure spot.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Giovanni de Faccio, born in 1966, is Italian but lives in Austria. He is a professional calligrapher since 1990 and in 1991 he was one of the founders of the first modern Italian Calligraphic Association for which he is still leading specialized courses. On international level he is known as teacher and for the effort he dedicated to subjects such as the "way of writing by hand" and typography. He drew digital characters, the most notable is the Rialto.df. In 1999 he was honored by Günter Gerhard Lange for the German association "Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen" by recognizing "High quality design" and in 2002 he won the competition of the "Type Directors Club" in the category type system. He took part at international exhibitions and published various articles and books as "Better writing" or the manual "Calligraphy". For over five years he was engaged with the project "Litterae", a manuscript on parchment using a quill pen, and mineral and vegetable pigments prepared at home according to ancient recipes. He is also letter cutter on stone and teaches calligraphy and type-design at the New Design University in St. Poelten, Austria. His motto is: Stop to write with your head, write now with your heart.

Working on the formal forms, coined by Edward Johnston as the “Foundational” hand, with internationally acclaimed calligrapher and bookdesigner Christopher Haanes (see below).

DATES : Saturday, 18 May, 10:30 to 4:30

Sunday, 19 May, 10:30 to 4:30

COST : £ 195 This class is designed for Intermediate to Advanced calligraphers/designers. For beginners, an earlier introduction class is required. Discount when registering two or more classes.

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required to confirm registration.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Christopher Haanes from Oslo, Norway, earned a Diploma with merit in calligraphy from Roehampton Institute and became a fellow of the SSI in 1989. He has taught graphic designers for more than 20 years, as well as workshops throughout Europe, Asia, North & South America. He has published several books on calligraphy and lettering as well as several articles and essays. His work is published in several international books and magazines, including Letter Arts Review.

*This workshop is currently FULL - please email to be put on a waiting list*

Brush lettering is one of the most popular styles in modern calligraphy, it has an ancient tradition and since it takes lot of practice to get good results, it’s very important to know the rules behind this tool before practice. We will start with exercises by brush pen on a model based on an italic alphabet model, and we will experiment with real brushes and watercolours on the second day. Workshop for everybody interested in exploring this beautiful writing style, beginners are more than welcome!

DATES : Saturday, 6 April, 11:00 to 5:30 & Sunday, 7 April, 10:00 to 4:30

COST : £ 310 -This workshop is currently FULL - please email to be put on a waiting list

All materials included.

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% non-refundable deposit required by March 20th to secure spot.

Luca Barcellona is born in 1978. He has his own studio in Milan, where he works as a freelance graphic designer and calligrapher. Letters are the main ingredient of his creations. He teaches calligraphy with the Associazione Calligrafica Italiana and holds workshops, exhibitions, conferences and performances all around the world. The means of his work is to make the manual skill of an ancient art as writing and the languages and instruments of the digital era coexist. His lettering has been requested by the most important worldwide brands among the years. As well as taking part to several independent projects his works appeared in many publications. In 2012 he published his first monographic book “Take Your Pleasure Seriously” by Lazy Dog press, the publishing house wich is a member himself. His study into lettering led him to experience from graffiti to classic calligraphy, up to big wallpainting, virtual reality calligraphy, typography and letterpress printing.

www.lucabarcellona.com

Workshop with Ewan Clayton on informal Roman Cursive script

Writing in the ancient roman world included not just the formal painted and carved capital lettering we still employ today but also several forms of informal handwriting: old and new roman cursive. In this class we will look at these informal scripts, studying the handwriting based on capital letters on day 1 and the lower-case forms on day 2. Our aim is to understand their constructive dynamics using the pencil and then to explore them with pens as a basis for creating our own more contemporary and expressive calligraphy.

DATES : Saturday & Sunday, 30 & 31 March, 10:00 to 4:30

COST : £ 175

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required by March 15th to secure spot.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Our letters have origins, and the Roman Capitals are one of the most important points of origin. They are both dignified and authoritarian, solemn and formal, and easily take a lifetime to master. 

The skills acquired from practicing these 2000 year old letters are essential to any calligrapher. ‘Disciplined freedom’ is no empty statement when it comes to these letters. Evolving from geometrical Greek skeleton shapes, the Romans introduced the broad edged writing tool at around 100 B.C., possibly influenced by Egyptian scribes that had already used a broad edged reed pen for their hieratic writing. The broad edged brush was often used in writing the Capitals monumentalis, but pen written Roman Capitals have been part of the calligraphic heritage for hundreds of years.

Roman capitals come to life where a sound understanding of geometry and optical adjustment meet movement and gesture.

DATES : Saturday, 2 March, 10:00 to 5:30

Sunday, 3 March, 10:00 to 5:30

COST : £ 220 This class is designed for Beginners to Advanced calligraphers/designers. For beginners, a January or February Roman Skeleton class is required. Discount when registering two or more classes.

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required by February 15th to secure spot.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Christopher Haanes from Oslo, Norway, earned a Diploma with merit in calligraphy from Roehampton Institute and became a fellow of the SSI in 1989. He has taught graphic designers for more than 20 years, as well as workshops throughout Europe, Asia, North & South America. He has published several books on calligraphy and lettering as well as several articles and essays. His work is published in several international books and magazines, including Letter Arts Review.

This workshop gives an excellent introduction to typefaces, type design and calligraphy. These are essential shapes, and make up the back bone of sans serif typefaces and written or drawn Roman Capitals. We will look at the proportions of the letters and their geometrical relevance to one another as well as doing some freehand writing, including discussions about optical spacing.

An introduction to the formal Roman Capital forms with internationally acclaimed calligrapher and bookdesigner Christopher Haanes (see below). A focus on pencil-made letters and their proportions, as well as their relationship to contemporary typographic shapes.

DATES : Saturday, 12 January, 11:00 to 5:30 & Sunday, 13 January, 10:00 to 4:30

COST : £ 190 This class is designed for Beginners to Advanced calligraphers/designers. Discount when registering two or more classes.

Class size limited to 8 people. 50% Deposit required by January 1st to secure spot.

CONTACT : info@brightoncalligraphy.com - email Megan to register or for more info

Christopher Haanes from Oslo, Norway, earned a Diploma with merit in calligraphy from Roehampton Institute and became a fellow of the SSI in 1989. He has taught graphic designers for more than 20 years, as well as workshops throughout Europe, Asia, North & South America. He has published several books on calligraphy and lettering as well as several articles and essays. His work is published in several international books and magazines, including Letter Arts Review.

*This class is currently full*

LETTERS & STORYTELLING: There is a lost medieval tradition of giving letter structure by telling short stories about them. We look at a tenth century monastic manuscript and see what we can learn from this tradition: and we explore the stories that will bring letters alive for us now.