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Open-Shaded Script constructs letterforms by describing the swell or shade made by a pointed pen with at least two contour monoline strokes, drawn in the same stroke sequence seen in traditional scripts (Round Hand, Copperplate, etc.) The second stroke of a shade or extension of a hairline acts as a mentor stroke to the previous and is meant to offer gentle correction to curves (if needed) and to suggest the growth of a flourish, all with an open heart and gentle hand. Drawing these letter forms is not only useful in sketching out and planning of larger projects to be later filled in with ink, I believe they are also valid and beautiful class of letter forms in and of themselves.

This workshop is a prerequisite for the guild's offering of Flora with Anne Elser (Sat-Sun, Jun 5-6, 2021).

Skill Level: This class is open to adults with all levels of experience.

Supply List:

Paper for practice

• Bienfang Graphics 360 9’’x12’’ 100% Rag Marker Pad, OR Borden & Riley 9’’x12’’ 100s Smooth Cotton Comp Pad

Paper for envelopes and final projects: Pick at least one or ALL if you’re wanting to try a variety.

• Strathmore Calligraphy Writing Paper Pad 8.5 x 11.

• Southworth Resumé paper by Neenah. Office Supply stores sell this as well as amazon.com. Comes in white or ivory and has two weights: 24lb and 32 lb. I’ve used both for folding letters/envelopes. Works will with Pointed pen and everything else.

• Current fave is Crane’s Lettra Pearl White 32 lb writing paper by Crane & Co.. Comes in reams of 250 in 8.5 x 11. Soft and buttery - it is great for markers, paints, fountain pens, BUT not so great with pointed pen.

Pens

• Two of my favorite mono linear tools are a fine-nib fountain pen and a glass dip pen. With both, you enjoy watching wet ink dry and pool at the end of a stroke. It can give your strokes a depth hard to achieve with markers.

Fountain Pens

You don’t need an expensive fountain pen.

Here are two great to start with:

• Lamy Safari (Amazon and jetpens.com are both great places to look.) Get a fine or medium. I’d also recommend purchasing a converter for it so you can fill the pen with the colors of your choice. I highly recommend purchasing bottles of fountain pen ink as opposed to pre-loaded cartridges.

• Prera by Pilot. Get a fine or medium. These have a lovely feel to them with the cap snapping into place and come in fun colors.

Glass Dip Pens

Terrific fun, they usually come in all kinds of crazy glass shapes from tip to end. They are incredibly fragile and I have broken many. The one brand I have found to be the most consistent in quality and durability is the Multifunctional Mini Glass Dip Pen, Delike Fude Bent Nib Pocket Fountain Pen Set. (Look on Amazon.) The handle is a lovely plastic with a screw cap to protect your fragile glass nib, which can be unscrewed and replaced with a new one OR a fountain pen nib. This pen is far easier to hold in my hands. I purchase extra glass nibs on hand, because I warn you, if you drop this pen, the nib will chip, making it impossible to write with.

The advantage of a glass dip pen is that you have the option to mix your inks, double dip, and even redip in water to make your ink color more transparent. Very much like painting, I have recently fallen deeply in love with glass dip pens and my variety of ink wells in a warm blue, cool blue, warm green, deep yellow ochre or warm gold, and red or violet. With a variety of inks on hand, you can really have fun with mixing. My preferred paper for this tool is Crane’s Lettra.

SO, to find a good variety of colors, look for a selection of colors that you’ll enjoy mixing. Start with a red, blue, yellow, and black, and see how much fun it is to make new colors as you mix them. Remember to put these colors into smaller containers so that you’re not contaminating the original larger bottle.

For regular writing in one fountain pen with one ink, my faves are transparent grey inks: MontBlanc/Oyster Grey and Kiri-Same/Iroshizuku. These come in bottles and you’ll have to make sure you get a converter for your fountain pen instead of a box of cartridges, so you can fill your pen with bottled ink (more economical but a little more high-maintenance.)

Regular Pens

If you’re looking for a no-nonsense writing tool you can pick up at the office supply store/grocery/drugstore/art store/Amazon and jetpens.com below are some pens I’ve used in the past that I’ve liked. They are crisp, sharp, and inexpensive.

• A variety of ultra fine, fine, and medium point pens (for wide markers make sure to get bullet point and not chisel). These need to be your favorites. Listed below are pens I’ve loved and used in the past.

• Pentel Slicci 025 pen (Super ultra tiny, smooth and can be scratchy if you press too hard. Wonderful for precise and tiny lettering.)

• Pentel Hybrid Technica pen

• Sakura Gel Pens. My faves are the Black Glaze and white (the white looks pretty boss on black paper).

Colored Felt Tip Pens

One last note on the benefit of colored felt tip pens: I’ve grown to appreciate the ease with which these felt beauties help me slow down my writing. For me, feeling the felt squeak and slow me down a little as it pets the surface of a thirsty cotton sheet, is quite something. Both of the brands below, when purchased in a large set, have quite a wonderful palette of colors with slight differences in between them. Think six greens instead of two! This makes it really fun to create seemingly monochromatic pieces that have a lot of depth to them for shading and whispering and shouting.

Below are two brands I L O V E. Find these at art supply stores and on Amazon.

• Papermate Flair Medium Felt tip pen. These come in small and large sets, and even offer special editions. They are small and easy to hold in the hand and I’ve relied on them heavily. Amazon is a good place to look and these are also carried at Walmart, etc. The largest set I’ve found of these were 32 or 36 - I can’t remember. When I letter an envelope, I love to use ALL the greens with a pop of something different, etc. Have fun!

• Tombow Acid Free Dual Tip Markers. These are AMAZING. Go ahead and get the WHOLE SET. Each have a felt brush tip and fine felt tip - one on either end. Their lightest hues are amazing and really great for adding subtle shadows to your lettering. I often use them in conjunction with the Papermate brand.

Misc.

• Mechanical Pencil (for drawing guides)

• Eraser

• Metal ruler

• Scissors

• Decorative Washi Tape (for envelopes)

• Bone Folder (for envelopes)

• Postage Stamps (for envelopes)

Handouts: the guild's Workshop Chair will distribute the handouts about a week before class via Dropbox.

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.

Recording

None. The guild and participants are not recording this workshop.

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.