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CALLIGRAPHY ON CANVAS
A THREE, FOUR OR FIVE DAY WORKSHOP "Calligraphy on Canvas" will be less about letterform and more about creation of a calligraphic painting. We shall, obviously, be working on canvas, using brushes (or pens, if you feel so inclined) and acrylics (with oils, if you wish and you think you can get them dry in time to take them home!). We shall work on raw cotton duck canvas and then the sky is the limit. The theme of your painting should be of some subject which excites you. When I begin a painting, it is always the subject matter which comes first. Next I have to decide what color schem best fits that subject matter. Only after all that is decided will I try to select quotes to fit the subject. If I can't find what I want, I'll either change the wording of a quotation of even write my own. I don't consider words to be sacrosanct. I am concerned with creating a painting which incorporates calligraphy. HAving said that, I am still concerned that any letters I use should be both strong and beautiful. Come with plenty of ideas, then, and some quotes that are of singular importance to you, and relate to the subject in hand. I also intend to do a canvas during the class so that people can see some of the techniques that I employ in my own work. I may also work on something which I already have going. I'm currently working on a set of canvases based on The Seven Deadly Sins. If you are currently working on a canvas and wish to bring it to work on, feel free. It is always a good idea to bring a notebook and cameras are permitted in class, but please keep flash to a minimum, and use only when writing is not in progress! Thank you. You will need to bring: • A range of flat brushes (1/8”, 1/4”, 1/2” and 1”) of the nylon type (i.e. NOT bristle), Optional: What Do We Really Know About the Craft of Calligraphy In this age of supercomputers and the internet, we tend to forget about the skills and techniques of the scribes of yesteryear. How did they cut a quill? What is dutching? What bird and from which part did the feather come? Which animal skin did they write on? How was it prepared? How did they prepare their colors for decorating or their gessoes for gilding? What stick ink do I use and what's wrong with using Pelikan 4001? This is a workshop which aims to cover many of those questions which you may have wanted to ask but, other than reading books, just didn't know whom to ask. We shall also come to the realization that many of these techniques are still appropriate today. This class will attempt to provide all the answers to your questions. During the five days of this workshop we shall cut quills, prepare vellum, select and stretch paper, use egg for mixing color (both the white and the yolk), we shall also cover a little of the more simple facets of gilding. There will be a materials fee for this class to cover the cost of things like knives, vellum and quills. In view of the fact that some people will already have what they need, the materials will be costed out on an individual basis so that you may pick and choose what you want or need. We shall do each material requirement on the particular day that it is needed. Day 1 - quill cutting and preparation, dutching in hot sand, etc. It is always a good idea to bring a notebook and cameras are permitted in class, but please keep flash to a minimum, and use only when writing is not in progress! Thank you. You will need to bring (or buy at the workshop): • A quantity of goose, turkey or swan left wing feathers (right wing if you're • A quill knife • A utility knife • An Arkansas stone or diamond sharpener • A piece of vellum (calfskin or goatskin) size about 12" x 12" plus a quantity • A small sheet of glass or plexi for sanding on • One or two eggs at room temperature * A selection of gouache colors • A porcelain or plastic mixing palette * A book of loose leaf gold leaf * A gilder's cushion * A gilder's knife * A burnisher, preferably hematite * Some gum ammoniac • Some gum sandarac • Some garlic juice • A Chinese ink stick • An inkstone * Some sumi ink • A pair of good quality rubber gloves Much of this stuff we can buy in bulk and then distribute among class members. The tools are a little more difficult. Everyone will need a quill knife, some sort of burnisher, a gilder's cushion and knife. It all sounds a little expensive, but put against the cost of buying, say, a musical instrument, the cost is minimal and these are tools you will have for a lifetime. I shall bring a lot of my own tools for demonstration purposes, and will have students work on some of the gilding techniques. In order to make gesso, we will be "handling" white lead which is a poison. Protective gloves and possibly a mask would be a good idea.
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