Documenti di Didattica
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MollyJacques
Assignment
Yourassignmentistocomposeaoneofakindalphabetofcalligraphicletters.
UnderstandingtheTools
1. Learnthetools
2. Pointedpencalligraphyisatechniquethatusespointednibstocreatebeautifullettering.Themorepressureyouputon
yournib,thewiderthetinesopenupcreatingbeautiful,thicklineweightincontrastwitha(nopressure)hairlinestroke.
3. Belowarethetoolsthatwe'llbeusingforthiscourse...
4. ClassTools
PenHolder
NikkoGNib
Gillott303Nib
Gillott404Nib
BlackInk
SemiTransparentLayoutBond
5. SecondaryRecommendedTools
CalligraphyLinedGuide
ObliquePenHolder(intermediate)
PaperTowel&DishSoap
6. RecommendedReading
MasteringCopperplateCalligraphy
7. Throughoutmytutorials,I'mgoingtobeusingtheNikkoGnib.Thisisagreatnibtostartwithbecauseithasmedium
flexibilityandanicesharppoint.Thismeansitwon'teasilysnagonyourpaperandyou'llalsogetgreatvariation
betweenlineweights.Feelfreetostartwiththisnibandgraduatetoothernibswhenyou'recomfortable.
8. Pleasetakeamomenttolookoverthefollowinganatomychartofyourpenholderandnibs:
9. ***HELPFULTIP:I'mgoingtohaveyouguyssticktothesuggestedmaterials.Thisprovidesmewiththeopportunityto
answeranybeginnerquestionsyoumighthavetothebestofmyability.
10. Putyourpentogether
11. Followthestepsbelowtocorrectlyconstructyourtoolfollowalongwithmyshortinstructionalvideotobesureyou've
gotitright.
Holdyourpenholderonthegrippingareawithonehand.Besurethattheopeningareaisfacingawayfrom
you.
Holdyournib(we'llbeusingtheNikkoGhere,feelfreetotryavarietythoughwhileyou'repracticing!)inyour
otherhandandgentlyinsertthebaseintotheopeningofyourpenholder.
Besurethatthenibisinserteduntilitfitstightlyintotheholder(abouthalfwaybetweenthebaseandthe
shoulderofthenib).
Theventholeonyournibshouldfacedirectlyupward.
12. Voila!You'rereadytogo.
13. HOLDINGYOURPEN
14. Holdyourcalligraphypenasyouwouldaregularpencil.Makesurethatyouholdyourpenlightlyatthegrippingarea
andnottootightortooclosetotheendofyourpen...
15. Inkup
16. Nowit'stimetolearnhowtogetinkontoyournewlyconstructedcalligraphypen.Thisstepisprettysimplebuttakes
somepracticewhenitcomestoknowinghowmuchinkyoushouldhaveonthepenandhowoftenyou'llneedtorefill
yournibwithink.
17. InkingUpYourPen
RemovethepackagingandopenyourHigginsInk.
Dipthetipofyourpennibintotheink,justpasttheventhole.
Whenyouremovethenibfromtheink,theventholeshouldbefilledwithblackinkthisishowyou'llknowthat
you'rereadytostartwriting.
18. Makeyourfirstmark
19. Tomakeyourfirstmarkonthelayoutbond,you'llneedtounderstandhowtheinkactuallyflowsontothepaper.
Here'showyou'llstart...
Withoutanypressure,placethetipofyournibontoyourlayoutbondbeingsurethattheventholeisfacing
upward.
Keepyournibatabouta45angletothepaper.
Gentlyputalittlebitofpressureontothepen&nibuntilbothtinesopenupatthesametime.
Inkupyourpenandkeepingbothtinesequallyopenandyournibata45angletothepaper,moveyourpen
downwardtolettheinkflowoutofthenib.
Cometoanabruptstopandpickupthenibcompletelyoffthepaper.Youshouldnowhaveamarkonyour
paperwhereyournibwas.
20. Nowthatyouknowthebasicanatomyofacalligraphypenandnibandhowitworks,let'smoveontothefunstuff...
LearningLetterStructure
1. Constructthe/shape
2. Takeyourtimeinconstructingthe/shapebyplacingthetipofyournibonthepaperata45angleandslightlyapply
pressuresothetinesopenupevenly.Gentlypullthenibdownwardtocreateastraightlinewithevenpressure.Watch
myshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchasline
consistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.
3. ConstructtheUshape
4. CreatetheUshapebyplacingthetipofyournibonthepaperata45angletothepaperandslightlyapplypressureso
thetinesopenupevenly.Gentlypullthenibdownwardtocreateastraightlineandslightlyrelievepressurejustbefore
youreachthethresholdofthecurveatthebottom.Relievepressureonthenibcompletelyontheupstroke.
5. Watchmyshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchas
lineconsistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.
6. ConstructthesidewaysSshape
7. Createthe"sidewaysS"shapebyplacingthetipofyournibonthepaperata45angletothepaperandslightlyapply
pressuresothetinesopenupevenly.Followthestepstocreateyour"U"shapeandsimplecurveovertoconnectone
more"U"toyourpreviousone.
8. Watchmyshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchas
lineconsistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.
9. ConstructtheOshape
10. The"O"shapeisgoingtolookexactlylikeyour"U"shape,butwithaconnectedandbeautifullycurvedtop.
11. Startyour"O"alittletotheleftofthetopcurvethreshold(you'llbestartingwithahairlinestroke).
12. Bringthetipofyourpenslightlyupandcurvetotheleft.Whenyourpenisstartingtopulldownward,slightlyapply
pressuretothenibtocreatethethickerlineweight.
13. Relievepressureonyourpenbeforeyoureachthebottomsoyou'llgetasmoothtransitionbetweenthickandthinlines.
14. swingyourpenupwardtocompletethestroke(nopressureontheupstroke).
15. Watchmyshortvideocliptoseehowtoproperlywriteupthisshapeandbesuretofocusonthesmalldetailssuchas
lineconsistencyandspacingbetweenthemarks.
LearningTheAlphabet
1. Writelettersam
2. Nowthatyouhavethebasicknowledgeinconstructingletterformshapes,we'regoingtojumpintowritingrealletters!
3. Let'sstartoutwiththelowercaselettersam.Downloadmyalphabettemplatetotraceoverwithyourtransparentpaper
andgetafeelforthedirectionandlineweightyou'llneedtoworkwith.
4. Here'saglimpseattheletterformsyou'llbepracticing:
5. Takeyourtimeintracingeachletter,focusingonconsistentspacing,angle,andlineweight.
6. Next,trywritingyourlettersfreehand,lookingatyourpreviouslytracedalphabetforreference.
7. Thistechniqueisgoingtotrainyourhandandbraintoworktogetherfirsttracingtheexact,thenslowlygettingyour
handtodoitonits'own.
8. Dothismultipletimesuntilyoustarttofeelcomfortablewithlettersam.
9. Writelettersnz
10. Nowontolettersnz.Downloadmyalphabettemplatetotraceoverwithyourtransparentpaperandgetafeelforthe
directionandlineweightyou'llneedtoworkwith.
11. Here'saglimpseattheletterformsyou'llbepracticing:
12. Takeyourtimeintracingeachletter,focusingonconsistentspacingandlineweight.
13. Next,trywritingyourlettersfreehand,lookingatyourpreviouslytracedalphabetforreference.
14. Dothismultipletimesuntilyoustarttofeelcomfortablewithlettersnz.
15. WritelettersAM
16. WatchmyshortvideoanddownloadthecalligraphytemplatetoseehowIcreatecapitallettersAM.
17. Followthesamestepsfromyourlowercaseunit,tracingovermytemplateandthenpracticingyourownletters
freehand.Afewthingstofocuson:
Consistentlineweight
Consistentangleofyourletters
Spacingbetweenyourletters
Counterspacewithinyourletters
18. WritelettersNZ
19. WatchmyshortvideoanddownloadthecalligraphytemplatetoseehowIcreatecapitallettersNZ.
20. Followthesamestepsfromyourlowercaseunit,tracingovermytemplateandthenpracticingyourownletters
freehand.Afewthingstofocuson:
Consistentlineweight
Consistentangleofyourletters
Spacingbetweenyourletters
Counterspacewithinyourletters
21. Writeyournumbers,symbols,andflourishes
22. WatchmyshortvideoanddownloadthecalligraphytemplatetoseehowIcreatemynumbers,symbols,andflourishes.
23. Followthesamestepsfromyourlowercaseunit,tracingovermytemplateandthenpracticingyourowncharacters
freehand.Afewthingstofocuson:
Consistentlineweight
Consistentangleofyourletters
Spacingbetweenyourletters
Counterspacewithinyourletters
DevelopingAStyle
1. GetInspired
2. Findotherartiststhatyou'reinspiredbyjustasIwasinspiredbyEdwardGoreyandBetsyDunlapwhenIfirststarted!
3. Whenlookingforinspiration,findimagesthatportraya"feel"thatyouenjoyandcriticallyexaminehowyoucanacheive
thatfeelwithyourcalligraphy.
4. Decideona"Feel"
5. Watchmyvideotoseehowtodevelopeaparticular"feel"withyourcalligraphy.Startwritinginyoursketchbookwithout
mytemplatesasguides.Thisshouldbefreehandatthispointtopromotethemostcreativity.
LetterWidth:Concentrateonthewidthofeachcharacter.Isyouralphabettightlycondensedorwideand
rounded?Focusingonthisdetailwillassigna"feel"toyouralphabet.Noticethephotobelowthatshowsa
condensedletterwidth.Howdoesthisstyle"feel"?
EntryandExitStrokes:Howdoyouwantyourletterstoconnectwhenyouwriteupaword?Playaroundwith
drawoutconnectinglinesvs.condensedtofindtherightfitforyourpersonality
6. Practiceextratipsandtricks
7. Takealookatthesetipsandtrickstutorialsandtryyourhandatthem.
8. Don'tfeelrushedintotryingthesebesurethatyou'vespentlotsoftimepracticingtheactuallytechniquebeforethese.