Have Pens Will Dazzle presents:

Modern Ornamental Initials calligraphy workshop with Kathy Milici

With Kathy Milici

Let's design and decorate letters!

with Kathy Milici

Kathy has designed a lively and versatile NEW alphabet to share with you! These contemporary, whimsical initials go beautifully with Modern Storybook Script or any casual alphabet. You can use them as stand-alone initials (great for envelope art!), for monograms (think gifts!) or to spell out a full accent word (for quotes).

Modern ornamental initials calligraphy by Kathy Milici

In this 2-day online workshop, you'll learn...

...how to draw, flourish, paint and decorate your own stylish initial letters! Using the templates and guided tutorials provided by Kathy, it’s easy and fun to build and design new letters that come to life right before your eyes!

First, you’ll learn how to sketch and construct the letter structures using a template from Kathy’s comprehensive handouts. With easy-to-follow tutorials, we’ll experiment with various looks like line design details, colors, flourishing, finials, and background options before making your final choices.

You’ll decorate each letter and experiment with outlining, inlining, dimensional shading, simple watercolor painting, adding pen texture, flourishing, finials and other charming additions!

Then we’ll render our final initials using watercolor, micron markers, graphite, white ink, and of course, gold watercolor and patterning with a special tool!

Class recordings will be available to view until June 21, 2024.

Student Experience

Beginners to Advanced Calligraphers are Welcome!

Kathy’s teaching style has been described as thoughtful, intelligent, detailed, entertaining, and joyful! She believes in the healing power of creating art.

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Kathy creates a safe environment where participants can express themselves without judgment. She encourages, inspires, uplifts, and supports your learning experience. It’s never too late to learn!
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Modern ornamental initials calligraphy by Kathy Milici

What You'll Learn:

Critical thinking and visioning

Translating your ideas onto paper

Pencil sketching and planning your initial

Contour drawing and linear design

Creating balance, flow, movement and direction

Choosing your color palette & how to make a color study 

Basic flourishes and how/where to add them

Drawing patterns and making mirror images

You'll Also Learn...

Maximizing visual interest and impact

Layout & organizing a small composition

Considering painted backgrounds

Thinking in layers

Adding and patterning gold watercolor

Dimensional shading/highlighting

Final finishing touches and embellishments

Modern ornamental initials calligraphy by Kathy Milici

What You'll Receive:

Handout package with 2 original alphabet templates

Smart, helpful hints to encourage your creative journey

Bonus 1: Alternate Letters  

Bonus 2: Six New Letter Designs for Spring!

Bonus 3: Historic Decorative Alphabets to Study & Enjoy

Bonus 4: How to Choose a Watercolor Paper

Bonus 5: Paper Resources

Bonus 6: Spring Cookie Recipes

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What Kathy's Students are Saying:

"Inspiration, Gratitude, and Kindness. These are all words I’ve written out a number of times in Kathy’s classes. And these are truly the words that best describe Kathy! Kathy’s classes are always packed with information and love. She always takes the time to make sure her students gain the knowledge they need to help them improve their skill! I can’t thank Kathy enough for being a wonderful teacher!"

~ Jessica Nucifora, Philadelphia, PA, USA

"Just wanted to say a very BIG 'Thank You' for the Bloomin' Masterpiece class. I was totally absorbed with everything.  The classes were really engaging and the instructions, guidance, tips and tricks and all the downloads were fabulous - thank you! I will be signing up for Kathy's classes in the future - so excited!"

~ June, UK

"Kathy Milici has been a true inspiration to me with her can-do attitude and teaching style. She is an instructor who wants you to "get it" and gives practical suggestions so you too can have stellar results. Remembering there is no substitute for practice, you will leave the class understanding what it will take to get the end results you desire. Kathy's creativity knows no bounds!"

~ Edie Richardson, Wolverine Lake, MI, USA

Class Schedule

Modern Ornamental Initials (MOI) will consist of four 2-hour class sessions taught over two days:

Sessions 1 & 2: Thursday, April 18, 2024

Sessions 3 & 4: Thursday, April 25, 2024

Times: 10:30 am-12:30 pm US Eastern time & 2:00-4:00 pm US Eastern time each class day

Level: ALL (Beginners Welcome!)

Cost: $ 195

EARLY BIRD DOOR PRIZES: All students who register by April 11th will automatically be entered in a drawing to win one of 3 amazing door prizes! Kathy will give away 2 decorated envelopes and 1 decorated letter at the end of class.

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You can use this Time Zone Converter to check the time in your location.

SUPPLIES: After you register, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to your Have Pens Will Dazzle® student portal. You can login to download the Supplies List found in the Welcome Module.

CLASS RECORDINGS: We will post links to the class recordings and teacher demo sheets in the student portal the day after class. The recordings will be available until June 21, 2024.

REFUND POLICY: All sales are final. Fees paid for this online workshop are non-refundable and non-transferable to future workshops.

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About Your Instructor, Kathy Milici

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Kathy is an internationally known calligrapher, designer, teacher, speaker, author and mentor, who happily admits to being obsessed with letters since childhood. With a studio located in northern New Jersey, her work has been featured in books, design blogs, national magazines and on television. Kathy's clients include private individuals, collectors and corporations, worldwide.

Kathy Milici has been an instructor for the Society of Scribes in New York City, a popular instructor at national and international calligraphy conferences, including IAMPETH, Letters California Style, and for the Sacred Arts Program at Enders Island in Mystic, CT. She teaches both small group classes and privately in NJ, and travels the country, promoting, lecturing and teaching calligraphy and the related arts.

The originator of the #1 best-selling font Gratitude Script, a modern typeface, Kathy also enjoys mentoring fellow artists and students on how to create a living and maintain a viable business as a working artist.

With a reputation for consistent excellence, a joyful heart, and a fun, encouraging teaching style, Kathy is honored to be a professional calligrapher and teacher for over 40 years. She feels privileged to have studied under some of the best known and well-respected Master Penmen of the world, including White House calligraphers. Her teachers have included Sheila and Julian Waters, Valerie Weilmunster, and IAMPETH Master Penmen Pat Blair, Michael Sull, John DeCollibus, Harvest Crittenden, Jake Weidmann, and Rosemary Buczek.

After all these years, Kathy is still enjoying her lifelong passion for “everything calligraphy.”

About Your Tech Host, Maureen Vickery

Maureen Vickery

Maureen Vickery is a professional calligrapher and engraver with PenDance Studio in Houston, Texas. She also is the publisher and editor of Calligraphy Crush Magazine @calligraphycrushmagazine.

Her specialties include wedding calligraphy and hand engraving on glass and metal gift items. She loves working in both historic and modern calligraphy styles. Her main focus is pointed pen lettering, but she also enjoys creating compositions with broad edge pens, markers, and paint brushes.

Maureen's work has appeared in Dasherie, UPPERCASE, Expression, Letter Arts Review, Modern Luxury Weddings Houston, and Weddings in Houston magazines, as well as Kitty Burns Florey's book Script & Scribble. She is a member of the Houston Calligraphy Guild and IAMPETH.

You can find her wedding calligraphy on Instagram at @pendancestudio. Brand activations and calligraphy clients include Creed, Coty, Tiffany & Co., The Menil Collection, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Macy’s.

Calligraphy and art classes are her favorite way to re-energize. Other interests include Keto recipes, gardening, Zentangle® (she’s a CZT), urban sketching, genealogy (she’s a descendant of 11 Mayflower passengers), watercolor illustrations, doubles tennis, and lemon bar cookies — not necessarily in that order.

Join us!

We'd love to have you in Have Pens Will Dazzle!

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