The bent nib has amazing possibilities! Participants will explore tools and techniques that created distinctive lettering styles and characteristics of commercial letterers in the 1920s and 30s. Using pen nibs developed with square, round and oval shaped points as well as our familiar broad edged tools, we will translate the traditional techniques of calligraphy and adapt them to lettering of all types, from elegant monoline scripts and italics to blunt-edged and playful roman forms. We’ll look at the construction of characteristic early 20’s drawn alphabets and bold-faced display lettering using multiple strokes.

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This workshop is ideal for all levels of skill. Participants can expand their lettering repertoire with new lettering techniques, vintage styles, playful lettering, and the ability to explore contemporary possibilities with a variety of historical tools.

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Lesson 1

• Introduction

• Vintage Lettering Styles (early 1900s)

• The Era of the Show Card

• Techniques and characteristics

• Broad edged nib: Drawn forms, Eccentric Title, Stunt Roman

• Alphabets and influences that led to the invention of the Bent Nib

• 1914: The introduction of the first Speedball Bent Nib: The A Series (Square)

• Demo of the Speedball A Nib: Spurred Gothic, Rennie Mackintosh, Neuland

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Lesson 2 

• The Speedball B Nib (round)

• The Poster work of Ludwig Hohlwein

• Silent Film Posters

• Demo of the Speedball B Nib: Monoline lettering, adapting calligraphic hands, scripts

• A study of the poster artists of the early 1900s

• The Blunt Serif in Lettering

• Working with the Speedball D nib (Oval)

• Roman forms, Metropolitan Poster