The Gentle Penman

Inspired by my enchanting visit to Banff, British Columbia, Canada, I was truly captivated by the majestic mountain scenery and the breathtaking hues of the lake. I invite you to embark on an enjoyable and soothing artistic journey, where we will...

Fraktur is a 16th century German style of Blackletter which combines the dense vertical texture of Gothic Textura and the lively curves of Gothic Batarde hands.  The name Fraktur, derived from the Latin word fractura (meaning "broken"),...

Calligraphy has long been paired with paintings, ornamental scroll work, and other pictorial objects to enhance a piece's visual impact. In this class, we will explore the relationship between ovals and curvatures, and learn how to use them strategically...

In this short workshop, we will learn about the interesting design possibilities offered by a type of paisley decoration that was used in the 16th and 17th century joint to calligraphic works. We are going to learn the basics of paisleys shapes and their...

Join me on a journey of artistic expression inspired by tropical scenery in Hawaii! In our Bottle Painting Class, we'll unlock your inner artist and transform everyday bottles into captivating works of art. Here's a glimpse of the adventure that...

Historical Hands In keeping with our commitment to calligraphy education, the Gentle Penman is pleased to announce a new series of short workshops, which will serve as an introduction to a selection of styles of traditional calligraphy over the past 2000...

This workshop is a step-by-step journey into crafting contemporary initials inspired by nature. Student will discover how to create stunning compositions and embellish them with intricate details. Throughout this workshop, student will utilize graphite...

Cadel letters are created by combining various pattens like Celtic Knots to create interwoven strokes. With the large number of patterns and the creativity of the scribes there is no standard alphabet. Using the work of a Spanish scribe the class will...

Liberate your italic from the broad edged pen and see where it takes you! Learn how to master a simple and highly versatile technique to create dynamic letters with mono-line writing tools. You will discover that it is not only practical and speedy but...

This workshop will explore the chunky and versatile hand of Neuland. By varying the x-height, customizing crossbars, using slight pen manipulations, adding outlines, in-lines, and embossing, an artist can easily personalize this hand to make it...

Hermann Kilian (1929 – 2004) was a German calligrapher, typographer and book designer whose work was epitomized by classical simplicity with an underlying tension within every letter. I have been studying his works and sharing my study of his...

Throughout their lives, most people simply take their handwriting for granted. In truth, if the quality of their handwriting has become little more than a scribble over time, then whenever they do have a need to actually handwrite something, it is often...

Oh, the allure of an ancient Medieval manuscript! The beauty of those exotic, colorful Versal letters! In this workshop, Brian will demonstrates different techniques in creating attractive medieval-style versal letters. He will also show you various ways...

Engrossing is an unfamiliar term to most of today’s calligraphers. However, from about the mid 1800’s through the mid 1900’s engrossing studios flourished throughout the U.S. employing hundreds of calligraphers or engrossers. Mike was...

Calligraphy has long been paired with paintings, ornamental scroll work, and other pictorial objects to enhance a piece's visual impact. In this class, we will explore the relationship between ovals and curvatures, and learn how to use them strategically...

Explore the beautiful world of Uncials with Sachin Shah. Although Uncial is a historical script dating back to 4thcentury, its relevance and applicability in the calligraphy world remains unparalleled even today. In this workshop, we will discover the...

Off-hand flourishing is a non-lettering form of penmanship and as such, there are no baselines, waistlines, capitals, or lowercase flourishes. As an artform, off-hand flourishing serves two purposes; these are space-filling and ornamentation. It is...

Romans have been our calligraphic foundation through the decades. They have a fascinating history of which we still follow, with a few adjustments. In this course we will begin with a solid understanding of these beautiful, classic letterforms, then take...

This workshop will cover the fundamentals of design to create a successful layout that combines lettering and watercolor florals, pen illustration, or your favorite decorative technique. Student will learn: 20 layout ideas (at least!) to use with small...

Before the age of computers and vinyl stickers all commercial signage was layed-out and painted by hand. For a few decades handpainted signage was almost gone. Today there is a new demand for handmade signs. They simply have so much more character than...