Pat Blair
Ashburn, VA
B04 — Pointed Pen—Daytime Fun to Evening Formal
Four-Day Class, Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31
Beginner/Intermediate
Design, Lettering, Painting
An in-depth class, we will explore the many faces of pointed pen alphabets. Beginning with classic copperplate, an elegant script style of lettering characterized by thick, shaded downstrokes and hairline thin upstrokes, we will explore the unique, pressure-sensitive motion of the pointed flexible nib, and the forms of the lowercase and elegant capital letters. A dressed up evening look to be sure, but a building block for what is to come.
Our focus will then shift in a more casual direction — spirited, lively, expressive. We will explore pointed pen alphabets that veer away from the classics. Shedding the refinement and dressed up persona of copperplate, these alphabets will still nod to the classics, but with a twist of personality (your personality) shining through.
To top off a busy class, we will prepare some beautiful watercolor backgrounds which will showcase our looks.
Supply List
- Ink: Moon Palace black or McCaffrey’s black
- McCaffrey’s Ivory or Dr. Martin’s bleedproof white
- Canson Pro layout marker paper 9” x 12”
- Several sheets Arches 90 lb hot press
- Canford pastel paper, assorted dark colors
- Pen holder: oblique
- Pen nibs, suggested: Nikko G, Tachikawa T-600, Gillott 303, Hunt 22, Zebra, Principal
- Small watercolor palette
- Several tubes of watercolor
- Large paint brush (does not have to be best quality), or any fun tool for applying paint to paper
- Pipettes or spray bottle for water
Pat Blair has been a professional calligrapher for 29 years, and currently holds the position of Chief Calligrapher at The White House in Washington, DC. Her work has been published in Letter Arts Review, The Calligrapher’s Engagement Calendar,Scripsit, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Tabellae Insatae. Sharing and teaching what she loves is a high priority, and she teaches at the Loudoun Academy of the Arts in Virginia, and has been on the faculty of several International calligraphy conferences. Pat has served two years as President of the Washington Calligrapher’s Guild, been Chairperson of The Graceful Envelope Contest, and has been Co-Director of Letterforum, the 26th International Calligraphy Conference. Pat’s love of pointed pen lettering led her to her study of copperplate and spencerian letterforms. The International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting recently awarded her the honor “Master Penman” for her work in this area.