Gemma Black
A03 — Biting of Bows
One-Day Class, Sunday, July 26
Intermediate/Advanced
Design, Lettering
Spend a day exploring the biting of bows. This is a practice employed by many scribes from early Roman times to the blackletter hands of medieval central and southern Europe where certain letters are joined by sharing bowed and upright strokes. Familiarize yourself with famous ligatures like the ampersand and other conjoined letters. There will be a fascinating component of research and analysis along with pen work and drawing in this serious yet very enjoyable class.
Supply List
- Basic Calligraphy Supply List plus:
- Set of square edged nibs. Recommended brands are Brause & Speedball.
- Bond, cartridge, or layout paper approximately 11″ x 17″ and any off cuts of fine art papers you already have
- Tracing paper: 1 small sheet
- Some non-waterproof black ink; ink stick and stone recommended
- Colored pencils
- Blu-tack reusable adhesive
Gemma Black is a distinguished Australian calligrapher living in southern Tasmania and working from her bay-side studio arts practice. She is the recipient of a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship, a Fellow of the prestigious Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society, UK, and an Honored Fellow of the same. For over 20 years Gemma has taught locally, nationally, and internationally. Her works are held in private and public collections including the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK, The European Parliament, and Parliament House Canberra.
In the late 1980s Gemma undertook the Roehampton Institute’s (London) Calligraphy & Bookbinding postal course with Gaynor Goffe for two years. Soon after she undertook a full year of study with Ethna Gallacher in the “Way of the Pen” in 1992 and later spent one year with Thomas Ingmire on the Graphos Course.