Roman Caps: Pattern and Texture (Annie Cicale: 5 day)
Skill Level: Intermediate and Advanced
The budding scribe is tempted by the expressive qualities of letters made by hand as they start out on their life-long path of studying fine writing. Many students are terrified of Roman letters because somewhere along the way they have heard they are “difficult.” We will diffuse that fear by beginning with an analysis of traditional proportion systems and then experiment with some modern variations. Adjusting spacing, speed, and proportion can give an infinite variety of forms. Spacing Romans well is critical, and we will explore ways to make it become second nature. Annie will guide you as you explore approaches to these forms through both controlled and spontaneous exercises. After working with these basic Roman letter shapes, we’ll work with ways of expanding your vocabulary of scripts through both analytical and intuitive exercises. By working with a variety of tools, you’ll find variations and individuality.
These studies will be pushed even further into more personal expressions, working with various media. We’ll begin with writing, progress to drawing, and end with painterly pieces. Each of you may choose a different path of study, and we all might end up in different places! We’ll document our initial studies in journal form and progress to the grandest pieces we can muster.
Supply List: Drawing board (18×24 or larger); T-square & triangle or rolling ruler; masking or drafting tape; pencils( 2B, HB, 2H, etc); soft eraser (Magic Rub); water container; ink rag/tissues; notebook; old tooth brush; dividers; your favorite dip pens (Brause, Mitchell Rexel or Speedball) in mid-sizes (1.5-4.0 mm); monoline pens Speedball B-2 or B-3 or a Pigma or Rollerball; Felt tip pens if you have them; 2-3 pen holders; non-waterproof ink (Higgins Eternal, Walnut or Moon Palace); one tube gouache any color; flat palette; ½’ Winsor Newton 995 watercolor brush; inexpensive drawing or layout paper 11×14 or larger; a few sheets of non-repro graph paper 11×17; a few scraps of your favorite “good” papers; tracing paper for rough drafts; gouache in assorted colors; old brushes for mixing; gum arabic.
Supply Fee: $15 to cover papers, inks and binding supplies.
About the instructor: The world of books and writing has captivated Annie Cicale since she was a child. After a short career as a chemical engineer, she turned to the visual arts, specializing in painting, printmaking, and drawing. The visual qualities of writing became her subject matter when she discovered the expressive power of the calligraphic forms. She finds that as she works, she is constantly trying to figure out how she would explain her ideas to a class. She has an MFA in graphic design and teaches calligraphy, drawing, and painting for calligraphy guilds throughout the United States, Japan, Italy, and Canada. She is the author of The Art and Craft of Hand Lettering, a 2004 publication of Lark Books.
