Modern Calligraphy – Calligraphic Cards with Pen and Nib

Tutor: Kristi Rasevicius
Level: Beginners
Date: A series of four evening courses: Thursday 18 April, Thursday 25 April, Thursday 2 May and Thursday 9 May 2024, 6pm-8:30pm
Price: £310

Course details
Are you captivated by the elegance of modern calligraphy but find it challenging to fit into your busy daytime schedule? Our evening class is designed just for you! Learn how to create stunning modern calligraphy cards on this fun four-week course that will build up your skills and show you how to make your mark with the stroke of a pen!

Week 1: Introduction to Modern Calligraphy

• History and evolution of calligraphy
• Understanding the basic tools: pen holders, nibs and ink
• Learning how to assemble and use your calligraphy tools
• Practising basic strokes: thin upstrokes and thick down strokes
• Introduction to letterforms: uppercase and lowercase
• Learning the basic lettering structure
• Drilling alphabets: practising individual letters
• Using metallic paint

Week 2: Word Formation

• Exploring different lettering styles
• How to connect letters to form words
• Understanding letter spacing and consistency
• Practising common words and phrases
• Using coloured inks and blending between them

Week 3: Bounce and Composition

• ‘Bounce’ your calligraphy
• Using lettering size within a composition
• Adding flourishes and embellishments

Week 4: Final Project and Refinement

• Layout and design principles for calligraphy projects
• Analysis and refining of your work
• Creating simple greeting card designs using all the skills covered in the course

Throughout the course, it's useful to practise regularly, possibly dedicating a set amount of time each day to help improve your skills.

Materials to bring
A large shopping bag to take your materials kit home between each week’s session, please remember to return with it each week!

Materials included
A kit of metallic paint, a paintbrush, pipette, straight pen holder, oblique pen holder, pencil, a set of four coloured inks, nibs and a set of A5 and A6 blank cards and envelopes will be provided.

Equipment provided
All necessary equipment will be provided for use on the course.

About the tutor
Kristi Rasevicius trained for six years with Europe’s leading calligraphy masters, and is now an expert in both modern and traditional calligraphy and so has a variety of different scripts and styles. She loves taking elements from traditional styles and combining them with modern techniques, and loves blending colour with metallics. She is the London tutor for The Modern Calligraphy Co and has attended many high-profile events and enjoys personalising gifts or creating unusual and artistic stationery for high-end clients.

General information
Short courses are open to anyone aged 18 and over.
The course fee covers tuition and materials where stated. You will need to bring all other items listed under the ‘Materials to bring’ section.

Refreshments
Coffee and tea are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are plenty of local venues to purchase food locally, if needed, though we recommend that you bring a packed lunch.

Refunds and cancellations
Cancellations are permitted up to 6 weeks before the start of a course and subject to a £35 cancellation fee. Refunds will not be given for cancellations less than 6 weeks before the start of a course.

Students who do not attend due to illness, personal or professional commitments do not have the right to a refund. For this reason, we recommend that students take out personal insurance against any unforeseeable circumstances before the start of their course. It is not possible to transfer to future courses.

We reserve the right to cancel a class in unusual circumstances. We try to avoid this where possible, but sometimes it is unavoidable. In this situation, a full refund will be given. We’re sorry that we cannot be financially responsible for extreme weather conditions, travel disruption or any other situations that are outside our control.

Access
If you have any specific access needs, we will need to know about your access requirements in advance. Please tell us about your needs in confidence by emailing: bookingsoffice@westdean.ac.uk

This venue has steps to the front reception, with limited access via a side gate to the ground floor. There is a small lift to higher floors or stairs.

Safety
Short course students are required to sign a safety compliance form as part of West Dean Health and Safety regulations.

Disclaimer
The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, West Dean College reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.