Ligatures Calligraphy Workshop
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On Saturday May 9th, Ligatures had their first-ever Calligraphy workshop. I arrived at Coach House Books to see Kevin King setting up outside. We both agreed it was a perfect day for an outdoor class.
The picnic tables began to fill quickly with people and tasty treats (Thanks to Sharon and Lilly!) After brief introductions and announcements, Kevin took the floor to teach us about the fundamentals of calligraphy. Kevin gave us a teaching booklet that he created and hand-bound. It showed the script we would be learning — Edward Johnston's foundational hand — penned by Kevin himself.
It was a pleasure to watch Kevin teach the group. He established very quickly the proper way to hold the pen. With chalk in hand, he demonstrated the basic strokes and progressed to letterform construction. His diagrams were very helpful in understanding how letters were formed with multiple strokes.
Kevin supplied us with broad nib markers which he had cleverly cut to sharpen the nib as well as Pilot Parallel pens. As I walked around the group of 15, it was apparent they were quick learners. I enjoyed seeing all the subtle variations in everyone's style. By the end of the class everyone was making such stunning letterforms.
Photo by Christopher Rouleau
Photo by Christopher Rouleau