IAMPETH 2026 -To Flourish is to Fly - Colby Cline

ALL SKILL LEVELS | FLOURISHING

Learn about the invisible structure of bird flourishes and how to use these structures to create well-balanced flourishes with ease. Together we will walk through the steps to create each part of the bird. You will learn how to use these parts together to form modular designs. And then how to further develop your flourishes into more detailed works. All this will be completed with pencil first and then with pointed pen and ink. The goal is not to perfectly replicate my work but to teach you to understand flourishes and how to create these shapes yourself to use in your own style. By the end of this class, beginners should be able to create a simple bird flourish without needing a reference. Intermediate students will learn a wide range of designs to add to their flourishing arsenal.

CLASS SUPPLIES

• A soft pencil, at least 2B but preferably 8B
• a pencil sharpener
• smooth white unlined paper
• a straight penholder and/or an oblique penholder
• 2–3 Hunt 101 or EF Principal nibs
• thin dark ink, walnut or sumi ink preferred

OPTIONAL

• Smooth black unlined paper
• Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White
• a ruler