Calligraphy Lectures: Writing and Studying

“Study as much as you practice; know what you want to execute” Louis Madarasz

Below you’ll find a few of my favourite calligraphy lectures from associations I follow, I'm part of and/or I follow. Please, get in touch if you would like to recommend a lecture, I would love to hear from you!

CALLIGRAPHY LECTURES

Table of Contents

1. The age of writing masters by Syville van Zuylan

2. Beyond exemplars and ductus by John Stevens

3. Rudolf Koch’s type design, lettering and drawing in the context of his times

4. Sniffing Ink and Flipping Beziers by Laura Meseguer and Oriol Miró

5. Letterform Archives Lecture Series  by Hunter Saxony III

7. On the Lettering Beat: Ten years at Letter Arts Review

8. The Calligraphy and Typography of Louise E. Jefferson

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. The Age of the Writing Masters and the Origins of English Roundhand with Sybille van Zuylen

I cannot recommend these lectures enough! I’ve watched them twice and planning to go through a third round. Geek alert: If you don't love history or full-on academic stuff, this may not be for you then!

• How to access: You must be a current member of the Society of Scribes, join here.
• Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Lecture’s Summary

Join a series of 12 online lectures with Sybille van Zuylen—creator of the Penna Volans website, an amazing resource for the study of writing masters and copybooks—as she takes us on a journey that spans several centuries and delves into the lives and letters from the Age of the Writing Master.

From the Italian Hand to what we know today as Copperplate, Sybille enlightens us about a time span that is often overlooked in the calligraphy history books, but which gave rise to the pointed-pen styles we know today. The writing masters engaged in competition and innovation as they produced endless flourishes and seemingly impossible feats with narrow pens that still amaze us and leave us wondering, “How the Snell did they do that?”

Throughout the year 2022, Sybille presented one live lecture per month as she traced the origins and branches of writing that made English Roundhand possible. Participants received handouts and were able to ask questions. These monthly lectures were presented live online and also recorded for later viewing, all exclusively for members of the Society of Scribes.

Spanning several centuries and regions, get to know influential figures such as Barbedor, Perling, Seddon, Ayres, Tomkins, Jenkins, Bickham, Dunton, Spencer, and more. If you’ve ever wondered about the calligraphers behind the Universal Penman and the writing masters who influenced them, this is your opportunity to become educated and inspired!

Sybille van Zuylen is a historian and calligrapher from Belgium. As a calligrapher, she has focused her attention on pointed pen styles and is mostly self-taught in English roundhand.

Program

1. The Renaissance: development and diffusion of the Cancellarescas.
   (Arrighi, Palatino, Tagliente, Cresci)
   
2. The transition to intaglio (1550–1600)
   (Bosse, Neudörffer, Mercator, Perret)
   
3. The Golden Age of Dutch calligraphy (1600–1630)
   (Van de Velde, Carpentier, Strick, Roelands, Frisius)
   
4. Development and diffusion of the French “Italienne Batarde”
   (Le Gagneur, Beaulieu, Materot, Barbedor, Senault)
   
5. Writing styles in Early Modern England (1500–1700)
   (Bales, Billingsley, Gething, Cocker, Ayres)
   
6. A round hand to rule them all (1680–1715)
   (Snell, Ayres, Shelley, Seddon, Clark)
   
7. “The Standard Rules of the English Round Hand”
   (Snell, Shelley, Clark, Langton, Champion, Bickham)
   
8. Engraving the English Round Hand (1700–1750)
   (George Bickham and The Universal Penman)
   
9. Plain and Ornamental Penmanship (1750–1800)
   (Champion, Thompson, Furbor, Tomkins, Miln, Seally)
   
10. The Legacy of the English Round Hand (19th–early 20th century)
    (de Araujo, Saintomer, Jenkins, Carstairs, Foster, Spencer, Dunton, Girault)
    
11. Final lecture, wrap-up and Q&A
    

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2. John Stevens: Beyond Exemplars and Ductus

November 19, 2019 — Letterform Lecture at San Francisco Public Library

Nearly four decades of letter-making have provided John with a comprehensive view of letterforms and design, having worked with classical letterforms, experimental letterforms, and personally expressive letterforms from the functional to the experimental. This talk will provide insights into form (and what is “good form”) – beyond the “form is function” model, the Universal Line, strategies to expand a letter designer’s vision (vs. so much copying), how visual literacy can expand one’s possibilities to see beyond “styles”, and a few models John has developed for visualization, ideation, and creation with letterforms.

November 19, 2019 — Letterform Lecture at San Francisco Public Library.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. Rudolf Koch’s type design, lettering and drawing in the context of his times

This video explores the legacy of Rudolf Koch, a renowned German type designer, and his distinctive approach to blending calligraphy with geometric forms in type design. It highlights Koch's unique contributions, such as the Kabel typeface, which stands out for its unconventional design elements, including slanted strokes and varied letter widths. Although Kabel was less commercially successful than Futura, its idiosyncratic style remains influential, as described by contemporary type designer Marc Schütz. The video delves into how Koch's personal experiences and artistic philosophy shaped his designs, reflecting his belief in connecting historical influences with modern innovation.

The video concludes by reflecting on the importance of critically examining historical context in design, suggesting that typefaces not only reflect artistic choices but also capture the cultural and social spirit of their time.

Lecture by Dr. Dorothee Ader, Klingspor Museum Offenbach director. May 15, 2022.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4. Sniffing Ink and Flipping Beziers

Note: Due to technical difficulties, this video recording begins a few minutes into the presentation. Our apologies! Letterform Archive, November 29, 2022.

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5. Letterform Archives Lecture Series by Hunter Saxony III aka, the Last Black Calligrapher in SF

Hunter Saxony III aka, the Last Black Calligrapher in SF, presents: Visual Reflections of a Black Future.

Born in Rhode Island, Hunter Saxony III is a self taught San Francisco based Calligraphy and Installation artist. As an artist he is interested in mortality, ritualistic practices, preservation, loss and the discovery of self. His work is continually investigating object, form and text to present a delicate and visceral look into the human condition.

This event is presented by The Letterform Archive and Book Arts & Special Collections, San Francisco Public Library.

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6. The History and Art of Flourishing with Lynne Yun

Lynne Yun is a NYC-based type designer and educator who specializes in typography, hand lettering, and calligraphy. She currently runs the design studio Space Type Continuum, which operates at the intersection of type, design, and technology. She was previously a full time type designer at Monotype and served on the board of AIGA NY and Society of Scribes. Prior to working at Monotype, Lynne held positions as a graphic designer at companies such as Apple Inc. She holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and a postgraduate certificate in typeface design from the Type@Cooper Extended Program. Her work has been recognized by organizations such as AIGA, Type Directors Club and Art Directors Club.

Hosted by the Society of Scribes and livestreamed on March 21, 2021.

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7. On the Lettering Beat: Ten years at Letter Arts Review with Christopher Calderhead

Looking at letterforms within graphic design and beyond, Letter Arts Review is an international quarterly that focuses on all kinds of original lettering. Editor Christopher Calderhead presents highlights from his ten years at the magazine.

Articles in the magazine have included profiles and examples of work from such contemporary luminaries as Luca Barcelona and the stonecutter Nicholas Benson. Popular forms such as sign painters making ephemeral notices for supermarkets. Kabuki signs in the bold Kanteiryu script from Japan. Monolithic inscriptions from Kathmandu. And historical surveys of the lettering of Piranesi and ancient manuscripts.

Letter Arts Review presents the highest achievements of historical and contemporary practitioners, but also asks how lettering fits into the world of art, design, and everyday life.

Christopher Calderhead is a lettering artist, designer, and author. He is the editor of Letter Arts Review, an international quarterly magazine dedicated to original lettering, type design, calligraphy, and text-based art. He is the author of Calligraphy Studio and, with Holly Cohen, The World Encyclopedia of Calligraphy. For the past ten years, he has taught design and calligraphy in the Undergraduate Communications Design department at the Pratt Institute.

This talk took place on June 11, 2018 in the Frederick P. Rose Auditorium at The Cooper Union as part of Type@Cooper's Lubalin Lecture Series.

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8. The Calligraphy and Typography of Louise E. Jefferson

The Calligraphy and Typography of Louise E. Jefferson, a lecture by Tasheka Arceneaux Sutton.

Drawing on the estate of Louise E. Jefferson (1908–2002), which  lives in the archives at the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University in New Orleans, this lecture takes a detailed look at the type choices, lettering, and calligraphy incorporated in the various design projects Louise produced throughout her career.

Letterform Archive, Feb 23, 2023.

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