by
If you’ve been thinking about coming to Boulder for a TPK Modern Calligraphy Workshop (beginner or intermediate), August 26th is your last chance this year! You can find details about the workshops and sign up links in this post.
Preparing for calligraphy workshops makes me so happy! I love writing out participant place cards, arranging little bouquets of flowers, and coming up with curriculum tweaks. On the day of, I arrive early at The Riverside and set up the room to make it comfortable and beautiful. If you are relaxed and in a pleasing environment, I believe that it’s easier to tap into your creativity!
If you’ve been thinking about attending a TPK modern calligraphy workshop, I want to give you some dates and details in this post. I only have two workshop dates (that aren’t sold out) left this year, and I’d love to see you at one of them!
The remaining dates that I have for calligraphy workshops this year are August 26th in Boulder and December 16/17 in Tampa. Registration won’t be up for the Tampa workshops until the first week of October, so I’m going to focus on details for the August 26th Boulder workshops today.
Boulder workshops take place at The Riverside, which is a gorgeous downtown venue overlooking Boulder Creek. It has tons of natural light, so it’s a fantastic place to learn (and teach!) calligraphy. The Riverside always provides me with a large table, so everyone has enough room to do whatever they need to do with elbows!
August 26th is a Saturday, and there will be two workshops taking place that day: a beginner workshop in the morning, and an intermediate workshop in the afternoon.
The August 26th beginner workshop will start at 9:30 AM and end at 12:30 PM. Participants generally arrive at around 9:15 because the workshop begins promptly at 9:30! First, we examine the concept and technique behind faux calligraphy. I believe that learning faux calligraphy helps you to approach dip pen calligraphy with more knowledge and confidence, so we practice writing faux letters for a few minutes as a warm up.
For the next hour or so, we use a straight dip pen. Straight pens can be very difficult to write with — especially for right-handed learners — so I’ll help you learn how to regulate your angle and pressure exertion. By the end of the hour, you will be writing much more confidently!
After working with the straight pen, we move on to my very favorite part: the oblique pen! Many learners are terrified of oblique calligraphy pens because they look strange. After a couple of minutes of writing, however, you’ll be in love. Oblique calligraphy pens make life so much easier for most right-handed writers and some lefties as well! Using a nice oblique pen makes a big difference, so you’ll be using a quality brass flanged pen.
After ample practice and individual critiques, we conclude the workshop by learning how to use white ink. White ink can be very finicky, so I think it’s important to use it for the first time while you have someone there who knows its nuances! To finish up, I conduct a raffle of a few fun calligraphy items (inks, pens, etc.). Whether you win or not, you get to go home with a nice haul of goodies — and homework!
If the beginner workshop sounds like something that could benefit you, you can sign up for it by clicking here.
If you are able to effectively use a dip pen and can write words, then you will do well in the intermediate workshop! You shouldn’t be an expert; just come in with a good grasp of the basics. The first thing we’ll do in the intermediate workshop is explore using the super-flexible Brause Rose and Brause EF66 nibs. I’ll teach you how to get these nibs to behave — because if you’ve tried using them before, you know that sometimes they can be contrary!
Next, I’ll teach you how to use more advanced inks like the Finetec palette and gouache. These inks require mixing and, usually, brushing on the back of the nib. If you’re trying to learn how to use these inks by yourself, then it can be difficult to judge proper consistency and ratios.
After working with the inks, we’ll examine tips and tricks for coming up with — and remembering — your own calligraphy styles. You’ll receive a little worksheet to fill out that will help you brainstorm styles at home!
Finally, we’ll conclude the workshop with a section over making artistic, intriguing envelope layouts. I love using my calligraphy skills to make eye-catching snail mail, and I want to help you to do the same!
Intermediate workshop participants will go home with goodies like a new pen holder, nibs, and Finetec watercolor. The most valuable asset that you’ll receive, however, is a workshop-exclusive packet. It features envelope layout templates, flourishing tips/instructions, and dip pen project prompts.
If the intermediate workshop sounds like something that could benefit you, you can sign up for it by clicking here.
Here are some workshop testimonials from the April and June Boulder calligraphy workshops. It makes me blush to read these because they’re incredibly kind, and I hope that you feel the same way after taking a workshop with me:
“Lindsey’s class was fabulous! We flew all the way from Houston to attend, and it was so worth the trip! She provides every necessary supply, and she is actively engaged in ensuring that every one of her students leaves feeling more confident at calligraphy! It was a joy and a blessing to take part in this experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to attend! Lindsey is a lovely person and a skilled teacher!” – Katie A.
“This workshop was so fun! I always wanted to learn calligraphy and actually downloaded some of Lindsey’s videos, but there’s so much more to learn in person. I loved the feedback and interaction-that was priceless!! Lindsey is so patient and the price was very reasonable for all the supplies and resources, not to mention confidence I walked out with. I can’t wait to do the intermediate class.” – Judy B.
“Who would have thought that in 3 hours I could improve my calligraphy so much? Not me! But I was overjoyed at my progress. PLUS giving us the “how to write in white” was absolutely invaluable. I had experimented on my own with no luck. And the results are so dramatic that even if my letter formation isn’t great, it still looks terrific!” – Jan M.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments! I’m also happy to give feedback as far as which workshop to take — beginner or intermediate — if you email me at [email protected]. Be sure to give me some background and, if possible, attach a photo of your dip pen calligraphy! Thanks very much for reading, and enjoy the rest of your day!
Warmly,
inspiration in your inbox
TPK’s innovative newsletters and tutorials are a regular artistic treat. Join the 125K+ subscribers who have already discovered The Postman’s Knock, and receive 10% off your first Digital Catalog order.
