SEPTEMBER 18 & 25, 2025
Welcome to the world of Charles Rennie Mackintosh! “Rennie” (1868-1928) was a well-known Scottish architect and artist who was a key figure of the Art Nouveau design movement.
In this class, you’ll learn the step-by-step process of creating the distinctive monoline alphabet designed by Rennie, influenced by his architectural writing with its curvilinear lines and elegant simplicity. You’ll also learn how to draw and paint the famous Rennie rose as well as a simple bird and tree design.
Read MoreRobert Hurford, a talented penman and stalwart member of IAMPETH, analyzed exemplars of vertical alphabets from Charles P. Zaner’s Zanerian Script Alphabets (1902) and an exemplar from page 131 of The Penman-Artist and Business Educator (Zaner-Bloser, 1900- 1903). Bob was inspired to create his own version of the alphabet he called Vertical Ornamental Penmanship, keeping…
Read MorePangrams are sentences, usually nonsensical, which contain all the letters of the alphabet at least once. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, calligraphers often use pangrams when practicing an alphabet. My favorite pangram is “An inspired calligrapher can create pages of beauty using stick ink, quill, brush, pick-axe, buzz saw, or even strawberry jam.” Download our…
Read MoreSometimes, all it takes to find a lettering style unique to you is thinking outside the box and experimenting with new ways to letter. Use the exercises below as a way to jumpstart your brain into coming up with even more lettering experiments to try! Try a New Pen Sometimes all it takes to nail…
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