Designing with Flourishes
With Pat Blair
Starting date: 12 October 2026
Fees: HK$1,170 or US$150
Workshop Description
Pointed pen flourishes provide a lovely way to add grace and ornament to letters, as well as stand alone illustrations in so many ways! In this class, we will study them all!
First, we will take a close look at the flourish forms themselves, how to use the pressure of a pointed pen nib and the pull of the stroke to produce the simple but beautiful form. We will then learn how to add these elements to lower case letters, and how to use them to enhance your text. This will be followed by a study of capital forms, with variations of ascender, descender, beginning and exit strokes. We will learn to combine these forms into beautiful, cohesive designs, as one word focal points, or linking together as on an invitation.
Once we have this foundation, we will learn how and when to incorporate them into text. Using multiple line text samples, we will go from pencil draft to the final piece.
Rounding out the class will be a look at some stand alone illustrations, using the same pressure release technique as in our letter flourishes, that will blend beautifully with them to form a complete design.
LEVEL - knowledge of classic copperplate/roundhand letterforms needed.
Workshop Schedule
Lesson 1
Monday, 12 October, 2026
20:00 pm - 22:00 pm (Hong Kong Standard Time)
Lesson 2
Monday, 19 October, 2026
20:00 pm - 22:00 pm (Hong Kong Standard Time)
Lesson 3
Monday, 26 October, 2026
20:00 pm - 22:00 pm (Hong Kong Standard Time)
Lesson 4
Monday, 2 November, 2026
20:00 pm - 22:00 pm (Hong Kong Standard Time)
Note to Students
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This is a live online workshop conducted via Zoom. Please ensure you have a Zoom account to access the live lesson.
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Students will be granted access to the workshop boarding page within 24 hours of registration.
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All live lessons will be recorded and made available for 90 days following the final lesson.
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Recordings will expire on Monday, 31 January, 2027 at 12:00 pm (Hong Kong Standard Time).
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Homework may be submitted to the discussion board for Pat to critique.
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Workshop handouts (if any), Zoom links and recordings are posted on the workshop page one week prior to the first lesson (or as soon as practicable).
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All workshop dates and times are scheduled in Hong Kong Standard Time (HKT).
Recommended Workshop Supplies
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Click here for the supplies list recommended for this workshop.
Workshop Boarding Page (Only for Enrolled Students)
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If you have not logged in, click here to access the instructions on how to access your workshop.
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If you have already logged in, click here to access your workshop boarding page directly.
Refund Policy
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All sales are final and fees paid for the online workshop are non-refundable.

