Written Skylines are a unique way of creating a handmade piece of art, applying a technique

at the meeting point of calligraphy and illustration. These skylines make great gifts for a vast

number of occasions and can be an exciting addition to a calligrapher’s portfolio.

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Applying basic principles of calligrams in a unique way, in this class students will learn how to

write the skyline of any city they choose to.

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In the first week, we will go over the basics of calligrams before diving into how to draw a skyline the easy way. The class will touch on how to make your skyline recognizable, which landmarks to pick, how to layout and finally, how to place your chosen landmarks effectively.

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Students do not need a lot of experience drawing in order to be able to participate. At the end of this first class, students will be able to draw their own layouts of skylines.

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In the second week, we will explore how to translate the layouts we developed in week one into a written piece. We will touch on which hand to choose to write the skylines and how your choice of writing tool will affect the outcome of your piece. Students will learn how to add depth and which other effects can be achieved just by adjusting the writing.

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At the end of the second week, students will be able to apply the principles learnt to their very own pieces.

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Written Skylines may look complicated, however, following the proper technique, they are achievable for students of many levels of experience. As the skylines can be created using different writing tools as well as different hands such as Spencerian, Cursive or just a simple monoline hand, this class is suitable both for experienced calligraphers as well as beginners. This class is aimed at serving students with a wide variety of levels of experience.