For fine monoline writing, try the PITT® artist pen

by Faber-Castell. The pens have a firmer point than

the Pigma Micron.

— Genesse Valley Calligraphy Guild,

Rochester, NY

✒

To keep gouache from drying out in the tube,

squeeze the paint to the top of the tube before closing the cap.

Avoiding the accumulation of air will stop or slow the drying. You may also add a drop of water, glycerin or ox-gall before you close the top but be careful

not to add too much as this could weaken the color.

—Diana Ludwig, Philadelphia Calligraphers’ Society

✒

10/2009ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMerrifield VA

Permit No. 742

Directions to Concord -St. Andrews ChurchConcord–St. Andrews Church • Social Hall5910 Goldsboro Road • Bethesda, MD

Concord–St. Andrews Church sits on a hill at the intersection of River Road and Goldsboro Road in Bethesda, MD.

• Take the Beltway to River Road (exit 39—towards Washington).

• Turn left onto Goldsboro Road.

• The entrance to the church is immediately to the right.

• The Social Hall is the first door on the left side of the church.

Saturday Mini-Workshop on October 31st Featuring Brenda Broadbent of Paper & Ink ArtsWhich Paper ?!? Choosing Paper for CalligraphySaturday, October 31st, 2009, from 11 am until 3 pm at Concord–St. Andrews Church Social Hall(light refreshments served)

The Guild is offering a special mini-workshop on Saturday, October 31st, from 11 am until 3 pm at Concord–St. Andrews Church Social Hall. Brenda Broadbent, owner of Paper & Ink Arts, will discuss the properties of fine papers. You will have an opportunity to test a variety of papers using your favorite pens and writing fluids, and for a small $21 materials fee, participants will take home a selection of paper samples prepared especially for this meeting by Brenda. We will have limited space to accommodate attendees (who will be working at tables), so we ask you to register as soon as possible. Telephone or e-mail Marie Lenker at 703.979.4876 or marielenker@gmail.com to reserve your spot in advance.Brenda will cover all your paper-related questions, such as: Which paper should I use for copperplate work, a family tree, a handmade book, a wedding poem? How do I know if a paper is archival? What is grain direction and why is it important? Which paper won’t buckle if I layer watercolors? How can I satisfy customers who want a piece on “parchment” paper?Paper can enhance the art of calligraphy almost as much as our choice of pen, brush and color. Learn to choose paper for different effects and purposes in this session of hands-on testing. We’ll write with a variety of tools and fluids on practice pads and on an international assortment of watercolor, charcoal, printmaking, text-weight and faux parchment papers. We’ll talk about surface, weight, archival quality and sizing.

What to Bring?Your questions about paper … and … your Mitchell, Brause or Tape pens (your favorites) in the smallest, medium and largest sizes you work with… and your copperplate nibs and holders if you want to know how they respond to the papers. Also bring a Pentel color brush (any color) or a pointed brush (size 1 or 2) and/or a flat brush for lettering, if you use those tools; a tube or two of watercolor or gouache; two or three loading brushes; palette and water containers for gouache; Higgins Eternal, a black gouache or stick ink; a pencil. Don’t forget the materials fee ($21 payable to the instructor) to cover the packet of fine paper samples on which you’ll test your nibs and writing fluids.

Optional items: Bring any of these if you already have them: Dr. Martin’s bleedproof white or pro white, Horizon brass pens, Coits, Automatics, Ruling writer, ruling pen, Parallel pens, and/or any folded pens.

FREE SHIPPING will be offered. Brenda will bring to the mini-workshop any pre-order that you’d like to place with Paper & Ink Arts. Please order by October 26th, using her toll-free phone at 1.800.736.7772, toll-free fax at 1.888.736.7773, or the website, www.paperinkarts.com . She will also bring a small selection of new and interesting goods and paper from Paper & Ink for browsing and for sale.

This promises to be an exciting and informative mini-workshop, and we look forward to seeing you there! Light lunch refreshments will be provided.

Please see directions to Concord–St. Andrews on the back cover of this Bulletin.

Can You Help the Guild?We need volunteers to demonstrate calligraphy (any hand or technique) at Friendship Gallery during our upcoming 2009 Members’ Exhibit. Anyone in-terested in demonstrating for the WCG holiday gathering on December 13th or at any other time(s) during the show should e-mail Shane Perry at shaneperrydc@yahoo.com .

Please contact Gretchen Elson ( gmelson@cox.net ) if you are not receiving our Yahoo group e-mail notices. It’s important for everyone to receive the WCG updates and reminders that often supplement our monthly Bulletin. ©iStockphoto.com/Shannon Keegan

Washington Calligraphers GuildOfficersPresident: Theresa Daly tcarrolldaly@aol.com & 703.780.9448Vice President: Shane Perry shaneperrydc@yahoo.com & 301.773.1919Treasurer: Pamn Klinedinst pklinednst@aol.com & 301.654.6049Secretary: Gretchen Elson gmelson@cox.net & 703.591.5482Member-at-Large: Louise Harris louikecole@comcast.net & 301.596.7773Past President: Deborah Basel Deborah@baselfamily.org & 443.318.4182

Standing CommitteesAudit: John Stackpole jstackpo@alum.mit.edu & 301.292.9479Budget & Finance: Pamn Klinedinst pklinednst@aol.com & 301.654.6049Bulletin Editor: Terri Barber terribarber@gmail.com & 540.582.7775Cultural Alliance Liaison: Cynthia Campbell alphabtart@aol.com & 301.249.8131Education: Can you help?Exhibits: Marta Legeckis morkaleg@yahoo.com & 301.493.8907Fundraising/CalligraFest 2010: Ike Cole louikecole@gmail.com & 301.596.7773Hospitality: Can you help?Library: Iris Anderson iris.anderson@comcast.net & 301.598.0392Mailings: Phyllis Ingram 703.385.9750Membership: Sue Flory bobandsue@theflorys.net & 703.569.4331Nominating: Appointed in JanuaryPrograms: Marie Lenker marielenker@gmail.com & 703.979.4876Publicity: Marie Lenker marielenker@gmail.com & 703.979.4876Scholarship: Ann Pope annpope@verizon.net & 202.362.9649Scripsit Liaison: Derrick Tabor dtab221@yahoo.com & 301.330.7729Website: Lorraine Swerdloff swerdloff@gmail.com & 202.723.4635Workshops: Christine Tischer chris@calligraphybychris.com & 301.745.4633

The Bulletin of the Washington Calligraphers Guild is published monthly from September to May, with a combined issue in December/January. Printed by Insty Prints, Alexandria, VA. The deadline for the November issue is October 31st, 2009. We welcome your contributions. Please send digital files for text, photos and artwork (reflecting all levels, from beginner to advanced). Your submission will be interpreted as permission to use in the Bulletin, unless otherwise specified. The editor will use your submissions on a space-available basis and may reduce your artwork to accommodate available space. Mention in the Bulletin does not constitute endorsement by the Washington Calligraphers Guild.The Washington Calligraphers Guild, Inc., is incorporated in the state of Virginia as a non-profit corporation, with an IRS tax designation of 501(c)(3). The Guild’s mailing address is P.O. Box 3688, Merrifield, VA 22116-3688. Visit our website at www.calligraphersguild.org .

President’s NoteDear fellow WCG members,

As I write this monthly message on October 13th, the cooler autumn weather is transforming nature’s palette and hinting at the upcoming year-end holidays. It’s a busy season for the Board as we plan activities for the rest of 2009 and the first half of 2010. We’re working on some exciting events.

We hope you will plan to attend our Saturday mini-workshop on Halloween afternoon, October 31st, from 11 am to 3 pm at Concord-St. Andrews Church Social Hall. Brenda Broadbent, owner of Paper & Ink Arts, will discuss fine papers and offer an opportunity to test favorite nibs and inks on sample sheets of gorgeous papers. We ask you to pre-register and pay a small materials fee ($21) for a packet of fine paper samples to test. For more details, see the WCG website at www.calligraphersguild.org and the article on the front cover of this Bulletin.

Thanks to lots of preliminary work by Vice President Shane Perry and Exhibits Chair Marta Legeckis, the guild is now offering all members an opportunity to participate in the 2009 WCG Members’ Exhibition, “A Way with Words.” This unjuried show will open on November 30th at Friendship Gallery in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Our annual Guild holiday party will take place at the exhibit’s opening reception on Sunday, December 13th, so mark your calendars now to attend the party, enjoy the fellowship of friends, and admire the artwork on display! This is your chance to let your talents shine and to tell the larger community that calligraphy is alive and well in our area.

Thanks to a generous invitation from the law firm of Covington and Burling LLP, our Guild will hold a juried show of members’ work at the law firm’s DC offices, beginning in early March of next year. As entry details are finalized, we will notify you in the Bulletin, by e-mail, and on the WCG website. We hope you will enter the competition to show your work in this distinguished venue.

I want to extend special thanks to all who have taken the time to express your congratulations to the Board for the 12-page September Bulletin. Our editor Terri Barber created an outstanding layout for the many photos and articles contributed for that issue. Please continue to send us your comments, suggestions, photos of your work, and content or ideas for future articles.

After five months as your president, I can say that it is truly an honor and a pleasure to serve such a dynamic and talented Guild of lettering artists. I look forward to meeting and welcoming all of you at our Guild events this year. Please contact me whenever you have an idea to share or a comment to express.

In mutual love of letters,

Theresa DalyPresidenttcarrolldaly@aol.com703.780.9448

2 11

Before starting your art piece, always test the ink

and erasing qualities on another like sheet of paper.

This tip can save you countless hours of redo. Be sure the trial sheet is the same as the one you will use

for your finished artwork.

—Bulletin (Spring 2008), Society for Calligraphy,

California

✒

Allow part of your design to break through

the border.

—WCG Bulletin (culled from the “Grapevine” through the years),

Washington Calligraphers Guild, courtesy ofWilliam Pitcher

✒

Washington Calligraphers Guild 2009 Members Exhibit:

A Way With Words

November 30, 2009 through January 2, 2010 at the Friendship Heights Village Center

4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (near the Friendship Heights Metro Station)Opening Reception on Sunday, December 13, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

~ ENTRY FORM ~

� If you are submitting more than one piece, please fill out a separate form for each; send the form(s) by Nov. 16 to Marta Legeckis, 5513 Lincoln St., Bethesda, MD 20817; fax to 301-493-8907; or scan and email to morkaleg@yahoo.com.

� This exhibit is not juried and there is no entry fee.

� You are encouraged to have pieces for sale. The Gallery will take a 20% commission on all artwork sold during the exhibit and for 30 days immediately following.

Artist’s name (please print clearly) _____________________________________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________________________________________________

City__________________________________________________________________________________________

State_____________________ Zip_____________

Phone H)_____________________ W)_____________________ Cell) ________________________

e-Mail address__________________________________________________

Title______________________________________________________

Medium___________________________________________________

Framed Size (H x W)________________________ Price/NFS______________

� On the back of each piece, provide your name, address & phone number, the title of the piece and the price or NFS.(You may attach a copy of this form to the back.) Artwork must be delivered to the gallery on November 29 between 9:30 and 10:30 AM and picked up on January 3 between 10:30 and 11:30 AM. (Designated drop-off points will be announced for those living some distance from the gallery.)

� If you have questions, please e-mail Marta Legeckis at morkaleg@yahoo.com or call 301-693-1061.

� All care will be taken in the handling of the artwork. However, neither the WCG nor the Village of Friendship Heights Arts Gallery will be responsible for loss or damage to the work submitted for this exhibit.

Tips from the GrapevineHave you discovered a great technique for using a calligraphy tool or correcting mistakes? Have you learned something new about a favorite paper, ink, nib or other medium? Please send your “tips” to our Bulletin editor Terri Barber at terribarber@gmail.com for inclusion in a future issue. We are eager to hear from you! Let’s share our discoveries with fellow Guild members.From Chris Tischer (WCG member)ME… Make a Mistake? Theresa asked for a tidbit and I thought I would share how I work to avoid mistakes and to take care of them when I do.First, if the good paper is translucent enough, I work on my light-box over a monoline tracing of the correctly spaced and spelled line of calligraphy. This is a method Sheila has taught, and I find it is a sure way to avoid spelling errors. However, you must be sure to check the tracing paper copy with the original copy. (I’m always amazed at how I can change the original in the process of working out the design!) If the good paper is not translucent, I fold the tracing paper just below (or above) the line being worked on. You keep your spontaneity and liveliness of lettering this way. If I still make a mistake or drag a fiber of paper, I keep my electric eraser at the top of my light-box where I can reach it easily. I remove as much of the gouache as possible (I almost always use black gouache for lettering) by carefully using a smaller pen with a little water to moisten the stroke or the mistake, blotting with blotter paper, and repeating and letting it dry thoroughly. Then I use the electric eraser by (1) making a gentle pass over the mistake with my right hand, and (2) brushing the erasure away with an old soft facial brush with my left hand. I use this process of steps (1) and (2) only until there is nothing remaining of the original mistake. Before correcting with more ink or gouache, I gently use pressure with a towel and a piece of Mylar to push the paper fibers back together. Hope you all have a way of dealing with the fact that we are only human and we do make mistakes!

WCG Library NotesWe thank Nan Jay Barchowsky for her recent gift to the library, the revised Fluent Handwriting Manual with CD-ROM, which she published last year at Swansbury, Inc. It is spiral bound and beautifully illustrated with detailed examples of every letter and numeral. There are sections on joining letters and on what can go wrong with your handwriting and how to fix it with loads of examples and opportunities for practice. There is an excellent glossary. Windows and Mac compatible.The WCG Library is open for browsing by appointment on weekdays and Saturdays. Call Iris Anderson at 301.598.0392 to arrange a convenient time. Library holdings can be found on the Guild’s website. The library is located at Strathmore Hall Mansion in Rockville, Maryland.

✒

10 3

Washington Calligraphers Guild

Minutes of Board MeetingMonday, September 14th, 2009Concord–St. Andrews Church

After excitement when a small animal ran into the room and was initially incorrectly identified as a rat, but was quickly correctly identified as a terrified chipmunk and which made its way out of the room after some anxiety for those present, the meeting got underway with procedural matters and the following. ✑President Theresa Daly asked urgently for suggestions

to fill the following positions: Education, Hospitality, Programs and Publicity.

✑This year, Bulletin will include Tips from the Grapevine and a brief synopsis of Board meetings in each issue, as well as continuing the traditional letter from the President, membership listing, workshop reviews, and articles about Guild events. President Theresa Daly asked for suggestions for additional regular articles.

✑Future requests for reimbursement for expenditures made on behalf of the Guild must be submitted to the Treasurer within 90 days of the expenditure or no later than the end of the calendar year.

✑The Guild’s membership in Cultural Alliance has expired. Cynthia Campbell, the Guild’s Cultural Alliance liaison, will review the benefits of membership in this organization and the Board will make a decision next month whether or not to renew.

✑Exhibit Chair Marta Legeckis submitted a request and was given approval to proceed with an unjuried members’ exhibit to be held at The Village of Friendship Heights Art Gallery. Art work will be delivered November 29th, with opening of the show on November 30th, a reception on December 13th, and art work to be picked up on January 3rd. See the Guild’s website ( calligraphersguild.org ) and the October Bulletin for more information. (Editor’s Note: Please see pages 10 and 11 for the article and entry form, respectively.)

✑Ike Cole volunteered to co-chair CalligraFest for the fall of 2010.

✑The new membership directory will be going to the printer shortly. (Editor’s Note: You should have received your copy by now.)

✑Librarian Iris Anderson suggested waiting until 2010 to publish a new library listing. In the meantime, Lorraine Swerdloff suggested the listing be put on the website. (Editor’s Note: The listing is now on the website.)

✑Tentative schedule of 2010 workshops, including the possibility of a week long master class with Ieuan Rees, was reviewed and will be announced early in 2010.

✑Julian Waters will edit a double issue Scripsit on Sheila Waters’ Retrospective Exhibit to be distributed to mem-bers by the end of this year.

Check out a great article on Slate.com

by Emily Yoffe about Nan Jay Barchowsky and her Fluent

Handwriting Manual.Visit http://www.slate.com/id/

2227680/— submitted by Gretchen Elson

✒

WCG 2009 Members Exhibit“A Way with Words”Marta Legeckis, Exhibits ChairAfter taking a break for a few years, I have succumbed to taking on the role of Exhibits Chair. As such, I am happy to announce that the Washington Calligraphers Guild will be sponsoring an unjuried members’ exhibit this winter entitled “Washington Calligraphers Guild 2009 Members Exhibit: A Way with Words.” The venue for this exhibit will be:

Friendship Heights Village Center Art Gallery 4433 South Park AvenueChevy Chase, MD

The show will run from November 30th, 2009 through January 2nd, 2010. We will have an Opening Reception on Sunday, December 13th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The gallery is walking distance from the Friendship Heights Metro. Check the Bulletin and our website ( calligraphersguild.org )for new information as the time draws closer.So, this is the time to complete unfinished pieces, look over existing pieces, or get to work on something new. The show is open to all members of the WCG from beginners on. This is not a juried show, so do not be nervous! Here is your turn to shine and to show the public what the Guild is all about. An entry form is included on page 11 of this Bulletin or you can download it from the Guild website. Please return all entry forms to me by Nov. 16th at:Marta Legeckis5513 Lincoln St.Bethesda, MD 20817 You can scan and e-mail them to morkaleg@yahoo.com or fax to 301.493.8907. All pieces must have your name, phone number, title, medium and price or NFS put on the back. We have to get the artwork to the gallery on November 29th between 9:30 and 10:30 am and it has to be picked up on January 3rd between 10:30 and 11:30 am. It is not required, but you are encouraged to have pieces for sale. The Gallery will take a 20% commission on all artwork sold during the exhibit and for 30 days immediately following the exhibit. The gallery requires that work be framed and have wire hangers—no saw-toothed hangers will be accepted. Help in any shape or form is always welcome. If you have any leads on exhibit space and can get some information on these spaces, I would greatly appreciate it. We will also need drop-off points for those of you who will be unable to deliver your piece/s to the gallery. Just contact me by phone or e-mail if you can help with this. If you have any further questions, please e-mail me at morkaleg@yahoo.com or call 301.493.8907. Now get those pens and brushes out and get to work!

Hermann Zapf Education Fund ScholarshipCall for Entries for the Fall/Winter 2009 SessionIt’s that time of the year again when the Washington Calligraphers Guild announces with pleasure that we are accepting applications from Guild members (at least a year’s membership is required) for the Hermann Zapf Education Fund Scholarship. Designed to assist promising students of calligraphy, and its related arts, with their ongoing expenses for workshops, classes, books, conference fees, private studies , etc., the scholarships are offered in the spring and fall of each year through the encouragement and generosity of Professor Hermann Zapf, and his wife Gudrun Zapf von Hesse. Recent recipients include:

La Verne Magarian, who was the recipient of the Spring/Summer 2005 scholarship, and used her award funds to attend Letterforum 2006 at James Madison University. Ruth Schellbach, who was awarded a partial scholarship in the Fall/Winter 2005 session, also using her funds to attend Letterforum 2006.Claire Lohrmann, who was awarded a partial scholarship for the Spring/Summer 2007 session. Claire used her funds for further studies in local classes and workshops.Shane Perry, the recipient of the Spring/Summer 2008 scholarship, traveled to England to study with Ann Hechle, Ieuan Rees, and Timothy Noad, also spending time looking at original manuscripts, where illumination and gilding were featured.

The awarded amount of money does not exceed $1,000 per session, and more than one recipient may be selected each time. A panel of three judges reviews applications (blind entries) and selects the successful candidates for a main award and possibly smaller awards. An applicant whose proposal has not been funded may re-apply after one year; an applicant who has been awarded funds may re-apply after two years. The deadline for applications for the Fall/Winter 2009 Scholarship is December 15th, and application forms and any additional information about eligibility and areas of study may be obtained from Ann Pope at 202.362.9649 or via e-mail at annpope@verizon.net .

Lettering & Type PartyMaryland Institute College of Art, BaltimoreFalvey Hall in the Brown Center on Thu, Oct 29th, 6:30-8:30 pmThis event is free and open to the public as a celebration of lettering and type design. The highlight will be “Fan Letters: 26 Artists and Designers Present Their Favorite Letter or Typographic Character,” in which designers, artists, and musicians will each give a two-minute ode to an alphabet letter or typographic character using multimedia presentations, videos, performances, stand-up comedy, etc. More info at www.letteringandtype.com .

4 9

Membership NewsA very warm welcome to our newest members who recently joined/rejoined.We’re so glad to have you!Andrea Figueiredo Branco—SP, BRAZILCarolyn Canonico—Orange, CAHeng-Chiew Chiam—NSW, AUSTRALIALinda Coleman—Lanham, MDElizabeth Foster—Blacksburg, VAAnne C. Guffey-Lewis—Potomac, MDRachelle Hardy—Washington, DCRobert Howe—NSW, AUSTRALIAAnne Innes—NSW, AUSTRALIAPolly Judd—Columbia, SCJane Kent—NSW, AUSTRALIAMonika Kondyjowska—NSW, AUSTRALIAMarn Majeski—Lacey, WAJennifer Markey—NSW, AUSTRALIAJanet Patterson—McLean, VADarlene Sisk—Fairburn, GAPauline Toevs—Santa FE, NMGabrielle Toner—NSW, AUSTRALIASusan Tyler—NSW, AUSTRALIAYoko Watterson—NSW, AUSTRALIA

Our sincerest thanks to these members who recently renewed/joined as Sustaining, Patrons, or Supporting Members. We are so appreciative of your generosity!

PatronsJohn P. Pfeiffer—Alexandria, VAJudy B. Montague—Chantilly, VACarlos Zarabozo—Washington, DC

SupportingMarilyn Aquilina—Bowie, MDSusan Easton—Silver Spring, MDJordenne Ferrington—Boonsboro, MDDiane Fetters—Gardners, PALouise M. Harris—Columbia, MDCharlotte V. Knoll—Baltimore, MDHelen Lebowitz—San Diego, CAJanet Marano—Reston, VAKathleen Markham—Carle Place, NYRebecca Orr—Charlotte, NCJoan Pennington—Fairfax Station, VABettie S. Perkins—Huntsville, ALYvonne M. Stroud—Oak Brook, ILChristine P. Tischer—Hagerstown, MDPauline Toevs—Santa Fe, NMLauren Yeandel—Collierville, TNMohamed Zakariya—Arlington, VASharon Zeller—Ashburn, VA

Look at your work in a mirror

(or upside down) to check the spacing and slant of your

letters – you will see the overall design rather than the words.

—Nib Notes (Spring 2008), Calligraphy Guild

of Indiana

✒

space. The other aspect of italic variation is modifying the letterforms throughout to better fit the general purpose of the message. This we will explore in the next two classes, but first, we need homework to put what we have learned into practice.Our assignment is to write a block of text using two versions of italic. The first is the formata style (simple ascenders) taken from Sheila Waters’ exemplar from her book, “Foundations of Calligraphy”. The second version is Cataneo’s cancellaresca corsiva, where the ascenders ‘hook over’. Finally, practice simple sloped capitals, making words or strings of letters. We were told to leave plenty of room for margins and for ascenders and descenders (to avoid collisions and allow the letters to breathe).Again, I left with my mind abuzz with all the things I had learned that day, realizing that now I had quite a bit of homework on my plate. But it is the practice, practice, practice, not the gazing at exemplars or watching the teacher, that will make me a better calligrapher, so off I go.

Italic Variations with Julian Waters (continued from pg 8)

Our CondolencesWe extend our heartfelt sympathy to Pat Blair on the passing of her mother. Pat has touched all of us in the guild with her friendship and also as our past-president, co-chair of Letterforum, and a gifted instructor. Our hearts go out to Pat and her entire family.

Washington Calligraphers GuildCalendar of Events

WCG Program MeetingMini-Workshop on Fine PapersSat, Oct 31st from 11 am – 3 pmConcord—St. Andrews Social Hall*Brenda Broadbent discusses the qualities of various papers, with hands-on testing and a variety of goodies for sale! Pre-register for this mini-workshop. Contact Marie Lenker at 703.979.4876 or marielenker@gmail.com . Note: $21 materials fee

Deadline–November Bulletin SubmissionsSat, Oct 31st

Send to tcarrolldaly@aol.com .

WCG Board MeetingMon, Nov 2nd at 7 pmConcord—St. Andrews Church, Parlor*All members are welcome.

Holiday Fair at Friendship Heights Art Gallery (venue for the 2009 WCG Members’ Exhibit)Sat, Nov 7th

4433 South Park Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815Come out to support our fellow artists at this fair!Visit www.friendshipheightsmd.gov for more information.

WCG Program MeetingFri, Nov 13th from 7 – 9 pmConcord—St. Andrews Social Hall*

Topic and speaker to be announced .

Workshop: Roman Minuscules with Julian WatersSat, Nov 14th from 9:30 am – 4:30 pmColumbia Art Center, Columbia, MDFinal session of this workshop.

Workshop: Italic Variations with Julian WatersSun, Nov 15th from 9:30 am – 4:30 pmColumbia Art Center, Columbia, MDFinal session of this workshop.

Deadline to submit entry form/s for WCG 2009 Members’ ExhibitMon, Nov 16th

See pages 10 and 11 of this Bulletin or visit our website to obtain entry form and for more information on “A Way with Words.”

Delivery Date for Artwork for WCG 2009 Members’ ExhibitSun, Nov 29th from 9:30 – 10:30 am4433 South Park Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815WCG members should deliver their artwork to Friendship Heights Art Gallery for the WCG 2009 Members’ Exhibit, “A Way with Words.” See our website for more information.

WCG Board MeetingMon, Dec 7th at 7pmConcord—St. Andrews Church, Parlor*All members are welcome.

Opening Reception for WCG 2009 Members’ Exhibit (in lieu of WCG Annual Holiday Party)

Sun, Dec 13th from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm4433 South Park Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815Members and guests are welcome! Celebrate our show and the holiday season.

Deadline–Applications for the Hermann Zapf Educational Scholarship Fund (2009 Fall/Winter session)Tue, Dec 15th

Contact Ann Pope at 202.362.9649 or via e-mail at annpope@verizon.net with any questions.

Deadline–Dec ’09/Jan ’10 Bulletin SubmissionsWed, Dec 16th

Send to tcarrolldaly@aol.com .

Pick Up Date for Artwork for WCG 2009 Members’ ExhibitSun, Jan 3rd from 10:30 – 11:30 am4433 South Park Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815WCG members must pick up their artwork at Friendship Heights Art Gallery at the conclusion of the WCG 2009 Members’ Exhibit, “A Way with Words.”

Watch for details on other Guild events in upcoming Bulletins, e-mail updates, and on the WCG website.* WCG holds meetings and events in rooms that are wheelchair-accessible.

� �

Excerpted from an art-icle by Nan Robkin: Another

easy resist can be done using petroleum jelly and acrylic paint. You apply one coat of

acrylic as a base coat, and then, when that is thoroughly dry, apply petroleum jelly in selected

places. Paint a second color of acrylic over the first coat and the jelly. When the second coat dries, you can rub it off where the jelly is. Be sure to wipe all the jelly off, too. If you want to do three coats, apply the jelly to the second coat before you wipe it and paint on a third coat. Wait to rub until everything

is good and dry.—Uniquely Ours (April 2008),Write On

Calligraphers of Washington [state]

✒

Did you know? In the Middle Ages, when

many people were unable to read or write, documents

were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath

to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss

eventually became synonymous.—Nib Notes (Spring 2008),

Calligraphy Guild of Indiana

✒

8 5

Conferences & Instructional Opportunities Letters California Style 2010Sponsored by the Society for Calligraphy*February 12th – 15th, 2010Kellogg West Conference Center and Lodge in Pomona, CAwww.societyforcalligraphy.org*Only members of the Society of Calligraphy may participate.

Cheerio Calligraphy RetreatsWinston-Salem, NCDenis Brown and Laurie DoctorMay 2nd – 7th, 2010

John StevensFall 2010calligraphycentre.com

Odyssey 2010: 30th International Gathering of Letter ArtistsSponsored by Masscribes, Inc.July 24th – 31st, 2010Stonehill College in Easton, MAwww.2010calligraphyconference.com

Alberta Calligraphy Conference: ABC 2010Sponsored by the Lettering Arts Guild of Red DeerAugust 8th – 13th, 2010Red Deer College in Red Deer, Alberta, Canadawww.cirsonline.ca/letteringartsguild/abc2010.htm

61st Annual IAMPETH ConventionSponsored by the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH)August 9th – 14th, 2010Orlando, Floridawww.iampeth.com

Italic Variations with Julian Waters – Part I Shane Perry

After waking up from a dream of Roman inscriptions, serifs, and waisted stems, I was ready to go for round two of Julian’s workshops. This time the topic was “Italic Variations.” Like my Foundational hand, I had developed a firm foundation with italic but had the desire to branch out, no pun intended. The purpose of this workshop, as the name suggests, is to take the basic italic form and manipulate it to fit the mood and meaning of whatever we are writing. In pursuit of that goal, we began with the fundamentals of italic.To begin, Julian instructed us to write some text in italic so he could get an idea of where each of us was in our italic education (see page 7 for examples). Again armed with a plethora of examples, he then gave us an overview of the history of italic, starting out by showing the variety of italic forms at what is considered the height of italic writing during the Italian renaissance of 15th and 16th centuries. In these examples, one could compare the extraordinary variety of italic even within one period in history. For example, just at first glance, one can see the difference in texture and formality between Arrighi’s formal manuscript hand with its small, exacting detached forms and Tagliente’s semi-formal, connected letters with long, hooked ascenders and descenders. Julian then took the analysis one step further by looking at two examples of italic from the book “An Italic Copybook – The Cataneo Manuscript”: cancellaresca formata and cancellaresca corsiva. The first style was more straightforward—upright, lighter weight, with relatively shorter ascenders and slightly wider letters. The second style was heavier with long hooked ascenders and swashy capitals and endings. As Julian noted, looking at a mass of each style is instructive in that one can see the effect the slight changes in ascender and descender height, letter weight and width have on the overall color of the text, and it is the same for looking at one’s own work. Continuing with his examples, Julian pointed out his own exemplars of the formal italic hand. Julian pointed out that in the same way that the Roman minuscule is not one particular style but a family of many styles that have some similar general characteristics, there is no official “italic hand”, but a nearly infinite variety of italic hands with its own set of similarities and many branching off points. Thus, the exemplar sheet of italic from one calligrapher will have differences from that of another calligrapher.Julian then began demonstrating a fundamental, neutral italic to give us a starting point. On a very large sheet of paper at the front of the room, Julian began writing the letter ‘n’, which is the key letter in italic, because it shows the branching of the letter, the slope, and the serif. This basic style has a slight slant, medium branching (meaning

the ‘branching’ off point from the stem is about midway up the stem), approximately five nib-widths, and the two sides of the letters are parallel. Julian then pointed out the number, order, and direction of writing the ‘n’ (what is called the ‘ductus’ from Edward Johnston’s seven rules of analyzing historical forms).What was eye-opening for me and for other students was when Julian showed us an alternative ductus for the ‘n’ in which the second stroke goes in the opposite direction, starting at the top right-hand side of the letter and going down and left toward the branching point on the left stem. This order of construction seemed very odd to us, but Julian pointed out that this can be useful when you realize that after making the stem, you have too much ink in your pen, and continuing to branch from the stem could

cause the ink to blob. Breaking the ‘n’ into three strokes with the second stroke going in the opposite direction prevents too much ink from depositing at the bottom of the stem. Continuing from the ‘n’ in a logical progression, Julian demonstrated the remainder of the italic letterforms, and we followed along on our own paper. He pointed out that italic is composed of a very few basic strokes that are simply arranged in different ways to form the letters. In other words, once

you have the form for a ‘p’, you also have ‘d’, ‘b’, ‘q’, and others. Another important point is that as one slopes the letters more, the pen angle needs to be flatter to compensate for this sloping. He showed us a few examples of very slanted letters at the same pen angle, and one could immediately see, with the thin stem and thick horizontal strokes, the need for a flatter pen angle. As one desires to vary italic to achieve different effects, this is an essential thing to keep in mind. Also, the wider the letter, the flatter the pen angle usually is. For italic capitals, flattening the pen angle will create heavier stems and lighter crossbars than the minuscule, making the weight comparison between the two “just right”. So the italic 45˚ pen angle is definitely not a one-size-fits-all method, but needs to be modified for whatever form and slant you are creating.Finally, moving into the “variation” part of this discussion, Julian showed us an example of his writing in which he used three different d’s in one piece in order to fill the space properly. A ‘d’ at the end of a sentence may need to be different from one in the middle of a word or at the end of a word. In this example, the ‘d’ at the end of the sentence was swashed to fill a gap, where a ‘d’ at the end of a word with a large hooked ending to the left filled a space where there were no ascenders or descenders. This is one aspect of italic variation in which individual letters are modified to fit the

“… there is no official ‘italic hand’ but a nearly infinite variety of italic hands with its own set

of similarities and many branching-off points.”

2010 WCG Workshops Are you wondering what’s in the works for our 2010 workshops? You’ll only have to wait a few weeks longer to see the complete list of instructors, topics and dates. After all contracts have been signed, the schedule should appear in the next Bulletin and on the website, so that you can save the dates for the classes that interest you. At the end of January you will receive your special 2010 Workshops Bulletin containing complete class descriptions. Workshops Chair Christine Tischer has been working with her committee to invite an exciting group of instructors from near and far. We think you’ll like the new lineup!

—continued on page 9

Michael Gilbert’s Presentation at WCG’s Annual Meeting For those of you who were unable to attend our annual meeting in May, we want to update you on the informative program offered by WCG member Michael Gilbert on Friday evening, May 8th, 2009. He spoke to a large gathering of about 50 guild members. After the meeting’s first order of business—the election of WCG’s new officers—WCG Past President Deborah Basel introduced the featured speaker, master gilder Michael Gilbert. For almost three hours, Michael enthralled the audience with his interesting discussion of the merits of various types of stick inks, antique vermillion, grinding stones, sizes, binders, gold and silver leaf, and the pigments he grinds when making his own watercolors. He also showed slides of some of his frame restoration projects. Looking at the “before” and “after” shots, we could see Michael’s incredible ability to restore a terribly damaged frame and transform it into something strong and beautiful. With attention to detail and historical accuracy, he can recreate missing parts and strengthen weakened elements like a surgeon would restore an ailing patient.

For those interested in learning more, Michael distributed copies of past issues of The Gilder’s Tip, the bi-annual journal of the Society of Gilders. For more information on this international, non-profit educational organization devoted to the art and craft of gilding, visit www.societyofgilders.org . You will be amazed to see the kinds of objects they gild and the amount of community volunteer work they donate in efforts to restore damaged and overpainted gilding in historic edifices in need of repair. Thank you, Michael, for so generously sharing your enthu-siasm for gilding during this wonderful evening program.

Photo of Michael Gilbert courtesy of Walt Stoneburner (taken at 2004 CalligraFest). Please see our Dec 2009/Jan 2010 Bulletin for photos by John Thornton of this program.

Roman Minuscules with Julian Waters – Part I Shane Perry

6 7

Having studied with Sheila Waters for the last several years and having seen both her work and that of her best student, her son, Julian, I had wanted to take a workshop with Julian for a while now, yet the opportunities always seemed to elude me. For those who have not seen Julian’s work, the aspect of it that always had me taking a second and even a third look, was the seeming perfection of each stroke, the gradual waisting of the stems, and the fine serifs. I came to realize that his discipline of fine lettering came about not only from the influence of his being surrounded by two giants in the calligraphy and bookmaking arts, his parents, but also from his strong mentoring relationship with the great Hermann Zapf, whose calligraphy has inspired a world of calligraphers and type designers. My own study in the Foundational hand led me to want to do something more than the four-nibwidth textbook style I am currently executing, so this workshop seemed perfect.Julian is offering something different in this Roman minuscules workshop (and his “Italic Variations” workshop that I will talk about later) than has been offered before. This workshop is unusual in that it is broken into three classes, each a month apart. In each class, Julian presents concepts through lecture and demonstration and gives the student homework based on these new ideas so that there is a chance to practice and build on what he has learned, allowing the ideas to begin to take root before continuing to the next class.In the first class, Julian began by describing the basic characteristics of the Roman minuscule; that they are based on a circular form (as opposed to the oval form of italic) and have arches in the key letters, such as ‘n’ and ‘h’, formed as separate strokes from the main stem in contrast with the

branching strokes of italic that spring from the stem. Since these are very general terms, it was necessary to show the breadth and variety of Roman minuscules, so Julian provided many, many (did I say many?) examples. The examples truly ran the gamut with wide monoline letters, formal Romans with hairline serifs, squashed forms with ragged edges, and freely-drawn forms. However, before we could begin serifing and waisting with abandon, heady with the profusion of beautiful examples, Julian gave us a historical perspective on how Roman minuscules have developed over time. (How can you know where you are going if you don’t know where you’ve been?)Julian provided examples of writing from the classic inscriptions on the Trajan column (which were actually only capitals but is relevant here since minuscules developed from rapid maju-scule writing) to the Carolingian styles of the 9th century, insular uncial and half-uncial styles from the UK, to the Renaissance styles of the 15th and 16th centuries, the Baroque and Neoclassical styles of the 17th and 18th centuries, all the way to Postmodern examples of the 20th century. In each example, Julian described the changes in basic form, serif formation, density, and slope. The differences naturally led to the question of “How does one analyze one letterform and differentiate it from another”? This took us to Edward Johnston’s seven rules for analyzing a historical hand (pen angle, letter shape, letter height, number of strokes, order of strokes, direction of strokes, speed), and Julian added a few of his own: how cursive or formal are the letters

(how continuous are they?), what kind of texture does a mass of writing create (related to the serifs, ascenders, and descenders)?Though this is a workshop for Roman minuscules, it is necessary to talk about Roman majuscules for two reasons. As mentioned earlier, rapidly-written majuscules led to minuscule styles, so it is insightful to understand this development. Secondly, unless you are planning a calligraphic

career of doing only ee cummings poems, you need to be able to be able to create Roman capitals to go with the minuscules. Julian demonstrated the construction of Roman capitals using a structure of circles and diagonals (for more information, see Sheila Waters’ book “Foundations of Calligraphy”), dividing the capitals into groups based on structure and size. We then practiced Roman capitals on our own, with Julian giving us help as he looked at our work. He then gave us a demonstration

of pressurized strokes, in which by changing the pressure of the pen on the paper, one can create a waisting effect on the stroke. After trying this technique, I had even more respect for the monumental capitals I had seen in Julian’s examples and realized that I have a long way to go with this technique as my arthritic, semi-pressurized capitals limped across the page.From the majuscules discussion and demonstration, Julian led us through the construction of Roman minuscules, stripping the letterforms to their basic sans-serif structure. We followed him on our own paper as he demonstrated the

letters in each group, starting with the round ‘o’, and showing through small modifications one could form other letters from this same circular shape, namely the letters ‘c’, ‘d’, ‘p’, ‘q’, and ‘b’. He then moved to the branching letters, starting with ‘n’, and from that letter was able to build the next group of letters, such as ‘h’, ‘i’, ‘j’, ‘m’, and others. He described that if one knows how the letters ‘o’ and ‘n’ are formed for one hand, it is then possible to build the remaining letters in the alphabet. He also impressed upon us the importance of pen angle and weight, showing that for diagonal letters such as ‘v’ and ‘y’, increasing the pen angle creates a stroke with the correct width to go along with the vertical strokes.As expected, Julian gave us homework in preparation for our next class. First, we are to trace over a copy of the Ramsey Psalter using the same size pen. The Ramsey Psalter was the manuscript Edward Johnston used to create the Foundational hand that he used as his classic training hand for beginning calligraphers. Tracing, as Sheila has told me before, is not cheating; it will give us the muscle memory for creating well-formed and consistent letters. The second assignment is to trace in monoline over a Venetian type printed by letterpress designed by Nicholas Jenson. This is a more formal style than the Ramsey Psalter and provides a different form for us to practice. Third, we are to write minuscules with no serifs, and we can play with the slight pressure variations we talked about for straight strokes -- mostly verticals, leaning into the entry, lightening up through the middle and leaning into the exit. Finally, we are to practice writing sans serif capitals.I and the other students left the first workshop tired but invigorated. With the first class behind me and homework ahead of me, I look forward to this in-depth exploration of Roman minuscules.

From left: Students; Julian Waters; More students (photos by Shane Perry)

“… if one knows how the ‘o’ and ‘n’ are formed for one hand, it is then

possible to build the remaining letters

in the alphabet.”

Examples of student “Italic Variations” practice. From left to right: Nancy Hart’s practice sheets; one of Shane Perry’s practice sheets. See the review of the italics class in the series on pages 8 and 9.