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Flora, the feminine personification of the healing powers of nature, draws upon the texture created by the double-hit, Open-Shaded Script stroke made in Monolinear Lettering, as a way to illustrate flourishes and florae forms as accents and extensions of our lettering. Using watercolor pencils and watercolors, we’ll harness the power of sensuous forms through the lens of pencils and a brush, and the vivid expression of color. Pencil meets paintbrush - you’ll become more adept at brush control as it flirts so beautifully with the soft, buttery, and thirsty watercolor pencils. We’ll use soft oval-shaped curves to describe absolutely every space-filling element on the page with every stroke.
Flora is also a direct extension of “Mono Linear Lettering: Cursive Crush & Open-Shaded Script” in that we move closer to painting with the aid of a mono line celebrated with a watercolor PENCIL and awakened gently with a fine pointed brush. This two-step process is as pleasurable as it is fascinating and it is my deepest desire that you discover more of yourself in the gentle forms of curving leaves, folding petals, and sweeping stems, all along the oval paths of your letter forms and flourishes.
The watercolor pencil’s unique gift is that it can be awakened with water, and not only that, but it can change when that water carries with it another pigment. We will use soft oval-shaped curves to describe absolutely every space-filling element on the page and with every stroke.
This is my prayer and goal in teaching FLORA. I am sharing with you, my personal mode of self care and healing. FLORA is what I do each and every morning as I sit by the fire to journal. I use her to process my thoughts, to welcome the day, to asks for grace, and to find the silver lining in everything that crosses my path. She is a gentle way for me to try on larger, braver strokes. She’s soft, adaptable, and portable. FLORA requires paper, a small brush, pencil, one cake of watercolor, a small amount of water, and my newest friend: you.
Skill Level: This class is open to adults. Open-Shaded Script is a prerequisite for this course. The guild is offering Open-Shaded Script, May 22-23.
Supply List: Supplies can be purchased online at stores like amazon.com, John Neal Books or Paper and Ink Arts. A Google search will bring you many great results.
PAPER----------------------------
Get at least one of these and if you’re feeling frisky, all.
Any Hot Press (smooth) watercolor paper will perform very well. Below are brands I’ve used and liked. You’ll want to have at least ten 8.5 x 11 sheets of any of these. If you already have a watercolor paper you love or have, please don’t feel obligated to purchase any of the below.
• Arches BFK Rives White Velin paper 19 x 26 sheets that I cut down to 8.5 x 11 or smaller. I love this paper because it’s thin, soft, and folds easily and isn’t as expensive as watercolor paper. Save the scraps for testing colors. Note that this paper is very unsuitable for pointed pen - so if you want to add pointed pen embellishments to your work, use a hot press watercolor sheet instead.
• Arches or Fabriano Artistico 140 lb Hot Press Watercolor Paper cut down to 8.5 x 11 or smaller.
• Crane’s Lettra by Crane & Co. Fine Cotton 100% Rag. 32 lb. Writing in Pearl White. This comes in a 250 sheet ream and is WONDERFUL to draw and paint on, also luxurious to fold into envelopes. However, it’s terrible for pointed pen. I buy this from The Paper Mill Store. com
• Southworth Resume paper. 100% cotton, 32 lb. in white or ivory. This is made by Neenah paper and is sold in reams of 100. Office Supply stores sell it, as well as Walmart and Amazon. Pointed Pen works well on this stock as well as watercolor, etc. Great for envelopes, too.
PENCILS-------------------------
Watercolor Pencils: I use three brands for different purposes. Please note that you DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ALL OF THESE. If you take a look at the swatch samples I have, you can see some colors that are quite similar. One or the other will do just fine. You can also rely on your watercolor palette to provide and change colors you may not have in the pencil versions.
• Derwent Graphitint Watercolor Pencils: These are soft and creamy neutrals. Get the whole set if you can.
Colors I use most frequently are: Aubergine (03), Autumn Brown (17), Chestnut (13), Cool Brown (15), Dark Indigo (04), Ivy (11), Meadow (10), Port (01) and Steel Blue (06).
Other colors nice to have and that come in the complete full set: Green Grey (09), Cocoa (16), Cool Grey (23), Green Grey (09), Juniper (02), Mtn. Grey (21), Ocean Blue (07), Russet (14), Sage (12), Shadow (05), Slate Green (08), Steele Blue (06), Storm (18) and Warm Grey (19).
• Faber-Castell Albrect Durer Watercolor Pencils
These are a harder and waxier pencil that I like because they make crisp, sharp detailed strokes. They keep a finer point and have a really gorgeous selection vivid colors. Refer to the swatches I built so you can choose between colors you find similar. Get the whole set if you can, but below are my recommendations:
Colors I use frequently: Beige Red (132), Blue Violet (137), Burnt Umber (280), Cadmium Yellow Lemon (205), Chrome Oxide Green Fiery (276), Cream (102), Dark Cadmium Orange (115), Dark Cadmium Yellow (108), Dark Naples Ochre (184), Dark Red (225), Deep Red (223), Deep Scarlet Red (219), Earth Green (172), Fuchsia (123), Indanthrene Blue (247), Ivory (103), Juniper Green (165), Light Cadmium Red (117), Light Magenta (119), Light Phthalo Blue (145), Light Red Violet (135), Madder (142), Manganese Violet (160), May Green (170), Medium Flesh (131), Middle Cadmium Red (217), Olive Green Yellowish (173), Permanent Green Olive (167), Phthalo Green (161), Pine Green (267), Raw Umber (180), Rose Carmine (124), Rose Carmine (124), Salmon (130), Venetian Red (190) and Walnut Brown (177).
• Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils
These babies are INTENSE, soft, and V I B R A N T. You don’t HAVE to buy the whole set, but these are colors I’ve enjoyed using. Again - please refer to the swatches I built so you can choose between colors you find similar.
Amber (1710), Baked Earth (1800), Carmine Pink (520), Cherry (510), Chili Red (500), Crimson (530), Dark Aquamarine (1210), Deep Rose (710), Deep Violet (760), Dusky Purple (730), Felt Green(1530), Fern(1560), Field Green (1500), Fuchsia (700), Green Aquamarine (1220), Hooker’s Green (1520), Hot Red (410), Ink Black (2200), Ionian Green (1320), Iris Blue (900), Iron Blue (840), Iron Green (1310), Leaf Green(1600), Light Olive(1540), Madder Brown (1920), Mauve (740), Mid Vermillion (310), Mustard (1700), Navy Blue (830), Neutral Grey (2120), Oak (1730), Poppy Red (400), Red Violet (610), Saddle Brown (1740), Scarlet Pink (320), Shiraz (600), Sicilian Yellow (220), Sienna Gold (240), Spring Green(1550), Tan (1720), Tangerine (300), Teal Green (1300), Thistle (720), Violet (800), and Willow (1900)
PAINT----------------------------
White Ink:
• Titanium white watercolor or gouache. Put a little dab of this in the corners of your mixing palette to create soft buttery light versions of any of your darker more intense colors.
Watercolor Pan Set: (NOTE - IF YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE YOU LIKE, FEEL FREE TO USE IT INSTEAD OF ANY OF THE BELOW!)
• Winsor & Newton Professional OR Cotman (student-grade) Watercolors Compact Set with 14 half pans. There IS a price difference between professional ($75) and student grade ($20). I’ve been using the student grade just fine. I’ll upgrade to professional in the near future.
If you’re thirsting for more watercolors, below are some I’ve loved and use. You don’t need to get ANY of these, but I’ve listed them in case you want to expand your collection.
• I’ve recently discovered ShinHan Extra Fine Watercolors. They come in tubes and are SUBLIME and rich - many of them are densely opaque like gouache.
I purchase empty half pans from Amazon that come with little magnets you can stick to the bottom of them before filling - then arrange them any way you like in a metal pan.
Colors I have and love are: Bright Violet (948), Brilliant Pink (823), Cobalt Blue (922), Cobalt Green (901), Davy’s Grey (989), Green Pale (892), Horizon Blue (913), Jaune Brilliant (865/866), Lilac (944), Payne’s Grey (987), Permanent Green (875), Phthalo Blue (Red Shade) (924), Purple Grey (946), Pyrrole Red (813), Shell Pink (825), Turquoise Blue (904), Umber (973) and Yellow Ochre (970).
Another beloved brand is Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors. I don’t have very many of these, but I love the ones I have (Buff Titanium, Burnt Scarlet, Cobalt Turquoise, Duochrome Oceanic, Jadeite Green, Quinacridone Deep Gold and Sap Green). The two I use most are Buff Titanium and Duochrome Oceanic.
Finetec metallic pans are also fab. Make sure you’ve got a warm metallic (like a gold), and a cool metallic (like a silver). The other color besides gold and silver I use frequently is the Blue Pearl - it shifts from a warm silver to an electric blue in different lighting.
Neon Watercolors whether they come in pans or tubes, are (believe it or not) REALLY valuable to have. I like using them as a final touch to quietly layer dabs of the stuff on top of my work. They’re transparent and really do add a rich vibration that nothing else can. I find them most successful when used sparingly for a subtle glowing effect.
BRUSH----------------------------
• Pentel Aquash Water Brush - FINE. This is the cheapest and bestest most fabulous brush I have. I don’t fill it with water, just love that it’s sharp and snappy, keeps a point and can be protected by it’s cap. GET the fine - it works best. And don’t rely on other brands to do as good a job. This one really is the best.
MISCELLANEOUS---------------
• Mechanical pencil to line paper
• White or kneaded eraser
• Tombow Mono Sand and Rubber Eraser 510A
• Ruler
• Water container
• Paper towels or towel
• Washi tape, bone folder, and postage stamps for envelopes
• Pencil sharpener (I have an electric Bostitch but it doesn’t easily fit all of my pencils). Many students have expressed satisfaction with these two brands: Quiet Sharp Classroom Electric Pencil Sharpener, and X-Acto School Pro or Teacher Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener
Handouts: participants will receive handouts about a week before the workshop.
Requirements: This is a virtual workshop. Students should have the following:
Ability to receive handouts via Dropbox and to print them before the workshop.
Computer or other internet-connected device with a built-in camera.
Zoom conferencing software and familiarity with the platform. In order to access the workshop on Zoom, you will first need to download the free Zoom app (called Zoom Client for Meetings) on your tablet or computer, if you don't already have it. Click here before the workshop to download the Zoom app https://zoom.us/download. If you are new to the platform, Zoom offers tutorials here: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697. Please contact the Workshop Chair in advance if you are totally new to Zoom. Her contact info is in the confirmation email.
Recording: none. We are not recording this workshop.
About Instructor Anne Elser
Anne-Davnes Elser teaches calligraphy and bookbinding classes online, at home in Atlanta, nationally within the US, and abroad. Anne believes creativity is a soulful reflection of the connections shared by all. Though the calligraphic arts are her medium, her passion lies in tapping into the transformative powers of creativity as a mode of healing and personal development. She earned her BFA in painting at the Cleveland Institute of Art in ‘91, followed by a masters degree in Graphic Design in ‘96. Her life changed when she took her first calligraphy course in 2000. The rest is history. Anne teaches online classes and also conducts workshops in the states, internationally, and at IAMPETH. Her work has been featured in books and magazines across the country, and for both private and corporate clients such as Tiffany & Co, Mont Blanc, Louis Vuitton, Paces Papers, Landor, Martha Stewart Weddings, Belk, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Clicquot Veauvé, World50, Ogilvy, and more.
Michigan Association of Calligraphers (MAC)
MAC is a non-profit organization open to all who are interested in calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing. Its principal purposes and functions are to perpetuate, enhance, and promote the art of calligraphy. Guild membership covers a calendar year (Jan-Dec). We invite you to follow us on Eventbrite.