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The gentle penman transparent

Fraktur - The Lively Letter

With Filip Ciślak

  • Starts 7 Oct
  • 1,170 Hong Kong dollars
  • Live Online via Zoom

Available spots


Workshop Description

During this workshop, you will dive deep into the world of Fraktur – a 16th-century blackletter script that mixes the elegance and refinement of formal gothic hands with the liveliness of Bastarda. We'll explore the fundamentals of Fraktur and dip our toes into the concept of organic, animated letters. Over four sessions, you will uncover its most vital features, practice various letterforms, and delve into the techniques that make this style unique and beautiful. The class is designed for participants at all levels with at least some experience in broad-edge calligraphy. Day 1: During the first session of the workshop, participants will be introduced to the historical background, inspirations, and key features of Fraktur calligraphy. They will learn the basic strokes and techniques used in the exemplar and practice minuscule letterforms in groups of similarity and difficulty, with a focus on addressing unique challenges within each group. Some variations of the letterforms will be presented, and we'll briefly discuss possible stroke modulation using advanced techniques like pen rotation and drawing with a corner of the nib. Day 2: On the second day, the workshop will continue with the practice of the remaining minuscule letterform groups, followed by an introduction to common ligatures, numbers, and punctuation marks. Participants will further explore the unique challenges and techniques introduced in Day 1 in the context of the new letterforms, as well as discuss possible stroke modulation using pen rotation. Day 3: The third session will be dedicated to the practice of Fraktur capitals. Participants will explore the structure and features of capital letterforms and variations of the letterforms. The day will also include a discussion on the concept of modularity of capital letterforms. Day 4: The final day of the workshop will emphasize the organic and dynamic nature of Fraktur through a lighter-weight variation of the basic exemplar. Participants will explore ways to bring expressiveness and vitality to their calligraphy while maintaining the script's core principles. The session will conclude with a demonstration of various possibilities and potential topics for future workshops.


Workshop Schedule


Refund Policy

Fees paid for the workshop are non-refundable

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