Italic + Variations 2024
5-part calligraphy course exploring Italic calligraphy from both the historical through modern perspective.
Italic + Variations Workshop on Zoom.
A popular class returns!
This is a 5-session online class with John Stevens on Italic calligraphy for intermediate and advanced* students.
Saturdays, Dates: TBA
From 2 pm EDT
About 90 min. Live Webinar
The class will focus on Italic Letterforms; the finer points and variations.
Finer points means all of the design and little touches to refine your Italic. A more developed and technically challenging approach than the familiar, beginning Italic will be presented, with advanced ideas toward letter design and page design.
*Advanced is subjective; but I mean that some of the techniques and concepts will be more advanced than what is presented in a beginning Italic class. This class is not suitable for beginner.
Limited time offer: $170. for the 5-sessions.
This fee includes:
- 5, 90-minute classes (live).
- Downloadable Exemplars (will be sent in advance)
- A link to video(s) will be shared to review the class. (for 2 months after the last class)
- A Facebook group will be formed as a substitute to an in-person classroom to upload your works. You can see each other’s work and learn from them. I will also review and refer to in subsequent lessons. (Note: Not for personal feedback, but rather to get a sense of what the class is understanding). There will be DropBox link as well, but I strongly suggest you to join this Facebook group with your own name.
- There will be no refunds (unless the class for some reason doesn't happen)
Course Summary
A five-session class in Italic Hand (calligraphy) with John Stevens. We will look at a base model and techniques and then expand on several variations. Each class is recorded and posted on this website, which will stay up for two months from the last class's date. We will also send exemplars before every class, resulting in a study book of roughly 90 pages.
Course Curriculum
Overview: The class starts with a close look to define the range of "Italic" …stretching far beyond the mere copying of a manuscript from the past. There will be three structures/goals to guide our work: a base model, a more vertical model, and a casual model. In each class, I will be sharing my "model" of calligraphy, how I address a quote or design, and writing in general. John will give assignments for each class.
Session 1: Overview of class, set up, work on the base alphabet (a formal-yet au courant alphabet), and the essential techniques and strokes. Define the shape, working towards consistency and flow. We will give a homework assignment.
Session 2: Add refinements to the letters, define our approach. Address questions and work submitted. Add swash strokes, introduce rhythm. Introduce Capitals: first, simple, all-purpose, and then Swash Capitals. Q&A. You will upload the previous assignment.
Session 3: Work at text (smaller) sizes. The challenges that come up between lettering a word, a title, a phrase, and long texts. Consistency in writing text hand balanced against designing a 2-4 word title. Introduce some thoughts about letter design and layout and design. Q&A and Tooltips. You will upload the previous assignment.
I will share many examples of work where I have applied concepts and techniques presented in this class. You can go to Instagram and see a large body of my works or my website as well. I will also introduce some thoughts about letter design and layout and design.
Session 4: Expand to part II of our structures. There will be demonstrations. Discuss rhythm and movement—review/notes on the previous assignment(s) that participants have uploaded. Review our "up to now" progress. Review and delve deeper into layout and design. You will upload the previous assignment.
Session 5: Introduce part III, handwriting influence (our third structure), formalizing handwriting (or relaxing formal Italic). At this point in our class, most technical topics have been addressed and can apply to each of the three structures we have practiced. It is all a matter of practice. Layout and design will be introduced, as well as combining scripts. We will consider designing our page with empathy for the words or subject and even talk about "what's your style and how to develop it further." You will upload the previous assignment. I will share many examples of work where I have applied concepts and techniques presented in this class. I will also introduce some thoughts about letter design and layout and design.
I called this an approximate syllabus because the class's pace and participants' level do play a part.
John Stevens
John Stevens is a well-known and accomplished letter artist known for a wide range of exemplary work. Beginning as a sign painter in New York, his insatiable inquiry into letters and their design led him into type, calligraphy, and lettering, learning to use various pens, brushes, and later computers. His clients are in publishing, packaging, advertising, television, and film. (Lucasfilm, Life, Time, Newsweek, Tiffany’s, New York Public Library are a few of them.) He also gets called on to create hand-written documents on paper and vellum, the calligraphers’ traditional work.
He has been invited to teach at many national and international letter arts conferences throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and South America as an instructor of this art. His original works are included in the San Francisco Public Library, Berlin’s Akademie der Künste, La Casa del Libro (San Juan, Puerto Rico), and many private collections. John's calligraphy and lettering have been published and reproduced in dozens of books and publications about Lettering and calligraphy; in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States. His book Scribe: Artist of the Written Word was published in 2013 to critical acclaim. The new book, Mastering Broad Brush Roman Capitals, is expected to be available by late June 2024 @ John Neal Bookseller.
John will be on faculty of Roman Holiday| 2024 International Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Conference
You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook. Website: www.johnstevensdesign.com
Recent lecture: The Letterform Archive (2019)
Well first, thank you for a wonderful class. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have so much to practice.I had multiple chats with other students that were also very happy with your presentation. I felt strongly that your talents needed to go out to a wider calligraphy world and this was the perfect time. It was something the calligraphy world needed.
I am very grateful for these 5 weeks of study. It was a great course, every lesson was super informative and inspiring, I loved the way you summarized important feedback on our practice, the handouts became a wonderful book with nice examples and notes. Thank you very much, John!
