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

FRIENDS OF CALLIGRAPHY FOC Classes

Open to the public, these classes are meant for beginners and for scribes who wish to continue improving their skills.

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, 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 FOC Classes brochure. (Download pdf brochure for 2026)

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, Building C
2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123
Free parking outside the gate and metered parking within.
Albany Senior Center
846 Masonic Ave., Albany, CA 94706

Italic
Meredith Klein, instructor
7 Tues. nights • 6:30 – 9 PM • Online
March 10, 17, 24, ** April 7, 14, 21, 28
$205 non-members / $185 FOC members

Class Description
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.

Supplies: Basic Supplies*, plus layout bond paper (9 x 12” pad and either 11 x 14” or 11 x 17” pad); Brause nibs or Parallel Pens (3.8mm & 2.4mm sizes); protractor, ruler (C-Thru recommended)
**Date skipped for Italic

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Copperplate
Raoul Martinez, instructor
7 Tues. nights • 6:30 – 9 PM • In Person, Albany
May 26, June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, July 7
$205 non-members / $185 FOC members

Class Description
Copperplate, an elegant, flowing script, delights the eye with its hairlines, bold swelling strokes, and repeating ovals. It traces its roots back to 17th century Italy. Its name comes from the etched copper plates that were used to print copybooks. Immortalized by George Bickham in The Universal Penman, it is still used today for formal occasions and anything that calls for refined elegance.
In this class, students will study the pressure and release principle, the basic strokes and the lowercase and uppercase letterforms.

Supplies: Basic Supplies*, plus Nikko G nib, oblique pen holder with metal flange, marker layout paper (9 x 12”), artist’s tape, slant board (minimum 18 x 20”)

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Versals Old & New
Rick Paulus, instructor
4 Sat. mornings • 10:00 AM–1:00 PM • Online
August 1, 8, 15, 22
$150 non-members / $135 FOC members

Class Description
Versals, those beautiful capital letters which traditionally indicate the beginning of bodies of text, have drawn our eyes to the page for centuries. Versals are typically colorful, often decorated, and always full of life and spirit, no matter how simply drawn.
Beginning with a simple analysis of the Roman alphabet, we will embark on a journey through the ages with Versals as our guide.
Participants in this workshop will be gently guided through the process of developing their very own constructed, or drawn, Versal letters with the benefit of historical reference to draw from.

Supplies: Basic Supplies*, plus both pointed & broad-edge nibs, tracing paper, mixed media paper, gouache, watercolor, pointed detail brush, mixing brush, paint palette, artist tape, recommended: X-acto knife, t-square, triangle, slant board (minimum 18 x 20”)

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Brush Script
Katie Leavens, instructor
4 Tues. nights • 6:30 – 9 PM • In Person, Fort Mason
September 8, 15, 22, 29
$125 non-members / $115 FOC members

Class Description
Whether you are new to lettering or an experienced calligrapher, brush script is a fun and expressive style. It will bring ease and flexibility to your writing. In this class, we’ll explore a connected, casual script inspired by the italic hand—perfect for envelope names, cards, and bullet journal titles. Using a brush pen, you will learn to create lively, rhythmic letters that feel both natural and intentional.

Supplies: Tombow Dual Brush Pen (dark color), pencil, translucent marker paper (9 x 12”)

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Beginning Calligraphy
Judy Detrick, instructor
4 Sat. mornings • 10 AM–Noon • Online
Oct 3, 10, 17, 24
$100 non-members / $90 FOC members

Class Description
In this calligraphy class for beginners, you will be learning a foundational hand, which is likely familiar to you, but when written with a broad-edge pen it takes on an elegant and exotic quality that both the reader and writer can appreciate. You will learn about the best tools, materials, and techniques to get top results right from the start, and the things you learn in this class will carry over to many other calligraphic styles of writing. Come experience the magic that lies at the tip of your pen!

Supplies: Basic Supplies*, plus a layout bond paper pad (14 x 17"), and a t-square.

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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

San Francisco:

Katie Leavens
Calligraphy & Illumination classes

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

Riverside County:

Risa Gettler • Call 951-520-3010

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.

Nancy Hills
Email Nancy for information about current classes.

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