Friends of Calligraphy offers classes and workshops
that meet the needs of those beginning calligraphy as well as those who are ready for more advanced techniques. FOC workshops are open to current FOC members. Basic calligraphy classes at Fort Mason are open to the public. They are sponsored by FOC, and taught by FOC members. Also listed below are classes by FOC members who teach in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. They are not sponsored by FOC, but are listed here as a courtesy to our members. Please contact individual instructors for details.

FRIENDS OF CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

FOC has scheduled several future workshops. They will be posted as soon as flyers are available.

FRIENDS OF CALLIGRAPHY Fort Mason Classes

Open to the public, these classes are meant for beginners and for scribes who wish to continue improving their skills.
(Download Fort Mason pdf brochure for 2024)

Basic Supplies: Non-waterproof black ink (i.e., Pelikan 4001, Higgins Eternal, or Dr Ph Martin’s Hydrus Carbon Black), all sizes Brause pen nibs, one or two pen holders, pencil and eraser, 18 or 24 inch metal ruler, notebook, cotton rag, a small water jar.
If other pens, nibs or holders are specified for a class (e.g., Engrosser’s Script), then it is not necessary to buy the Brause pen nibs on the Basic Supplies list.
There may be additional supplies specified by each instructor that are listed after each class description in the Fort Mason brochure. (Download pdf brochure for 2024)

Calligraphy supplies, especially Brause pen nibs, can be difficult to find. Call or visit your local art supply stores, such as Arch, Dick Blick and Flax. If they don’t have what you need, contact the calligraphy mail order vendors:

John Neal Bookseller, 1-800-369-9598 • www.johnnealbooks.com/
or
Paper & Ink Arts, 1-800-736-7772 • www.paperinkarts.com

Please register for any class at least six weeks in advance. Class size is limited to 16. You will be notified by the Fort Mason Class Registrar if you have a place in the class or are on the wait list. Payment of tuition is necessary to hold your place on a wait list. If you need to withdraw, a full refund will be issued 14 days before the class begins. Otherwise the tuition fee is forfeited unless a wait-listed student can take your place.

Classes will be held at:

Online via Zoom
Fort Mason
2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123
Free parking outside the gate and metered parking within.

Caroline Handwriting
Judy Detrick, instructor
7 Sat. mornings • 10:30–Noon • Online
January 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24, March 2
$135 non-members / $120 FOC members

With surprisingly few modifications, the venerable Caroline minuscule can serve as a springboard to a handsome and unique cursive hand that remains faithful to its origins. Using a pencil, students will study the historical construction of the letters, and then many options for sizes, spaces, and joins will be explored. The fountain pen will be introduced as the preferred writing tool, along with assorted writing papers and inks. Many suggested projects will provide entertaining opportunities for practice.

All levels of lettering experience are welcome.

Supplies: Basic Supplies, plus a 14 x17" pad of layout bond paper, and a T-square. Fountain pen recommendations will be discussed during first class to be purchased later.

Square Capitals
Judy Detrick, instructor
4 Sat. mornings • 10:30–Noon • Online
March 16, 23, 30, April 6
$80 non-members / $70 FOC members

Designed to suggest the appearance of formal Roman incised letters, Square Capitals are a bit easier to do, and have been in continuous use since their appearance in the 4th century.
Their versatility is notable for their ability to stand alone or mix well with almost any other writing style. Historical examples will be analyzed, but the goal in this class will be to minimize the idiosyncrasies found in the original manuscripts, and to create a truly modern, yet classic writing style.

All levels of lettering experience are welcome.

Supplies: Basic Supplies, plus a 14 x17" pad of layout bond paper, and a T-square.

Bâtarde
Raoul Martinez, instructor
7 Tues. nights • 6:30 – 9 PM • In Person
May 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, 18, * July 2 *Date skipped for Bâtarde class, on purpose
$205 non-members / $185 FOC members

In the second half of the 14th century, a new calligraphic hand emerged in northern France and the Netherlands – bâtarde or littera bastarda. It was a hybrid of gothic cursive and textura.
This hybrid script, with its flourishes and its curved strokes that lean slightly to the right, retains the cursive look of its ancestors, yet is elegant enough to be a book hand. It was the last blackletter script to make its appearance before the Humanist movement. We will study manuscripts from various countries and periods, learning the minuscules and majuscules.

All levels of lettering experience are welcome.

Supplies: Basic supplies (We will work with Brause 3 mm. pen nibs. Experienced calligraphers may use the more flexible 3 mm Tape nib.), plus a pad of 9 x12" marker layout paper.

Italic
Meredith Klein, instructor
7 Tues. nights • 6:30 – 9 PM • In Person
September 17, 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
$205 non-members / $185 FOC members

Arising from Humanist cursive writing during the Italian Renaissance, italic has come down through the centuries as one of our most versatile calligraphy hands. This elegant, graceful, and practical script can be used for nearly anything: poems, envelopes, certificates, signs, books—the list is endless. In this class, you will learn the minuscule and majuscule alphabets, focusing on the letterforms, rhythm and spacing. We will also cover layout and ways to create variations.

All levels of lettering experience are welcome.

Supplies: Basic Supplies, plus a 14 x 17" pad of layout bond paper, a protractor, a drawing board and an 18" or 24" T-square. An 18" C-Thru ruler is suggested in place of the metal ruler.

Introduction to Engrosser’s Script
Rick Paulus, instructor
4 Sat. mornings • 10:00AM–1:00PM • Online
November 2, 9, 16, 23
$150 non-members / $135 FOC members

Among the pointed pen hands, Engrosser’s Script stands out for its elegant strength and formality; it has been used to inscribe presidential appointments for over 100 years, and is the primary script hand used in White House entertaining.
Inspired by the Zanarian School’s “Roundhand” or “Engrosser’s Script,” we will begin by practicing the surprisingly few basic strokes required to create a minuscule alphabet. After a series of exercises designed to familiarize the eyes and the hand to these new shapes, we will move on to majuscule letter forms and numbers, thus laying a solid foundation to developing an elegant script hand.

All levels of lettering experience are welcome.

Supplies: Basic supplies, plus an oblique pen holder with brass flange, flexible pointed pen nibs (Leonardt Principal EF, Nikko G, Gillotte 303, Zebra, etc.), and a 9 x 12" marker layout paper.

Friends of Calligraphy Memorial Scholarship

The Friends of Calligraphy has a scholarship fund honoring beloved members.
To apply, click here.

Friends of Calligraphy Lecture

FOC has scheduled several lectures. They will be posted as soon as more information is available.

MEMBERS WHO TEACH

East Bay:

Patricia Coltrin • Call 510 524-5208

Meredith Klein • Call 510.205.1119

Raoul Martinez
Copperplate and blackletter classes for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

Carla Tenret • Call 510.526.1214

South Bay:

Melissa Dinwiddie • Call 650.938.3939
Calligraphy, book arts, and illumination

Sara Loesch Frank • Call 408.446.3397
Ongoing calligraphy classes for beginners and intermediates.

Ann Thompson • Call 408.378.6965

Marin County:

JoAnn Burchfiel Brand • Call 415.924.2625

Mendocino:

Judy Detrick • Call 707.964.9276
Ongoing classes at all levels.

Sonoma County:

Christine Renden Haggarty
Ongoing classes in Asian calligraphy for beginners and intermediates.

Sherrie Lovler • Call 707.528.1723.
Calligraphic Abstract Painting.

Yolo County:

Sumner Stone
Type design workshops in Rumsey, CA

Santa Cruz/Monterey/Carmel:

Ruth Korch
Art and calligraphy classes in the Santa Cruz area

Kern County:

Chris Paschke •Call 661 821-2188
Ongoing classes at all levels in Tehachapi

Reno/Tahoe:

Carol Pallesen • Call 775 329-6983
Ongoing classes in calligraphy and book arts

New Mexico:

Bill Kemp • Call 505 235-4983
Teaching and tutoring in Albuquerque

Online:

Harvest Crittenden • Call 517 545-3031
Online classes in Spencerian, Flourishing, Copperplate and Photoshop for Calligraphers.

Elizabeth McKee
Ongoing classes in pointed brush

Ann Miller • Email, or call 650 558-8270
Art 50 and Art 53: Two zoom courses at Stanford Continuing Studies

Kestrel Montes
Pointed Pen Calligraphy and Engraving

Rick Paulus • Call 774.323.0050

Sally Penley
Email Sally for a list of current Zoom classes

Jacqueline Sullivan