Julie Wildman - Pointed Brush
The pointed brush is one of the most versatile tools in a calligrapher’s toolbox. From elegant flourishes to bold, chunky strokes, the pointed brush gives the scribe a myriad of options. We will start with a series of basic stroke exercises, analyzing how the brush works when both pressure and release are applied. We will also explore entrance and exit strokes in both traditional and more gestural brush lettering. Throughout the class, we will view and analyze many samples of beautiful, pointed brush lettering and then try to replicate how they were made. This exercise will help students become more familiar with the brush and give them the tools they need to continue on their own. Finally, students will work in small compositions, focusing on design and spacing issues, and learning how to change the way a letter is made in order to solve a problem.
Class Level: Intermediate to Advanced.
Supply List:
- Favorite quotes, verses or phrases
- 1 Pentel Pointed Brush (Black) and 1 Niji or Pentel Waterbrush Pointed (medium 12mm tip)
- OPTIONAL: Nice pointed brush such as Winsor & Newton Series 7, Pointed Round Size 2.
- 2 tubes of gouache (1 color and 1 white (White could be Dr. Martin’s Bleedproof White) OPTIONAL: more colors
- Small amount of gum arabic
- Small bottle of sumi ink to work in black if using the nice brush
- 6 well mixing palette
- Mixing brush
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Water container
- Rag or roll paper towels
- Approx 50sheets of12”x18 Pacon Bright White Sulphite Medium Weight (60lb) drawing paper (This is sold by the ream, so can be shared) OR Strathmore Drawing Series 400 Pad 12” X 18” (This is sold in 24 sheets, so get two.)
- Any nice scraps you have in your studio. Some white papers and some black papers would be nice to try. Mix up the textures, too. Scraps should be no smaller than 5” x 7”. Suggestions: Arches Text Wove; Canson MiTientes in colors or black; Arches Black Cover; watercolor paper cold press (rough); Rives BFK; St. Armand Papier Canal; etc.