Calligraphy | Spring

This course will give students an excellent foundation in western calligraphy. We will cover the fundamental techniques behind business penmanship, copperplate calligraphy, and gothic calligraphy. Business penmanship is an excellent cursive script for everyday writing and copperplate and gothic calligraphy are beautiful scripts for finished calligraphy pieces. The Fall semester class is not a prerequisite for enrolling in the Spring semester class.  For the students who took the Fall calligraphy class, this class will be an excellent opportunity for them to continue to build their skills in business penmanship and copperplate calligraphy, as well as an opportunity to learn a new script, gothic calligraphy. By studying the calligraphic masters of the past, working on exercises, writing out poems and cards, and completing the final project, students will gain control over the pen and create beautiful pieces of art.

Students will need to practice exercises and letterforms during class and will need to work outside of class to complete homework assignments and projects. During class, students will also participate in regular class critiques, creating a forum for the group to constructively collaborate and discuss creative outcomes.

For the final project students will be writing a poem, verse or quotation in the script of their choice. During the class, we will explore how to complete a finished calligraphy piece by planning a composition, figuring out the right size of script and accurately measuring lines and angles. By the end of the course, students should not only have a good grasp of pointed pen and gothic calligraphy, but also see a marked improvement in their penmanship.

Learning calligraphy not only improves students’ handwriting, it also gives them an enjoyable hobby, a sense of confidence and a means of artistic expression. Many Scholé students end up writing out scripture verses and cards in calligraphy to elderly relatives, friends in the hospital and family. Beautifully written notes and verses can be a truly wonderful blessing.

• Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
• High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
• Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
• Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
• Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.