🏛️ Roman Lettering with Don King

Don will lead us through a one-day workshop focused on Roman lettering, both majuscules and minuscules.

The morning session will be free to all Guild members. The afternoon workshop will cost $40, payable by cash or check.

Morning Session

1.5 hours - Basic characteristics of the minuscule letters. Following a brief demo/ talk, the students will begin writing the minuscules using a 2mm pen and an observe-and-repeat worksheet.

1 hour - Characteristics of the majuscules. After a brief demo/talk the students will use a observe-and-repeat worksheet to practice the majuscule letters.

Lunch Break

Afternoon Workshop

40 minutes - Demo/talk on pen sharpening, Mr. King’s Higgins ink formula, using gouache, razor correction technique, use of sandarac and writing with a base line only.

1.4 hours - The students will write their own words, first on pre-lined (base line only) practice paper, then on pre-lined good-quality paper to be provided.

Supplies

The use of dip pens and ink will be encouraged, but the students’ choice of 2mm broad edged instrument is OK.

Morning Session

Each student’s usual working kit, plus:

A 2mm pen: Brause 2mm, Tape 2mm or Speedball #C3 (I will have 2mm Tapes for $1 each) OR student’s choice of 2mm tool

A brush for mixing and pen filling (#6 round watercolor – the cheapest available) I like the NB-38 Silverado or Princeton Brush Co., but any will do

Black ink – preferably Higgins Eternal

Water container, for pen cleaning

Slanted board: preferable for any writing, but necessary to control ink flow when using pen & ink

Artist’s or masking tape

A pen/brush rest

A pillow, for elevation mainly, but for comfort too

Afternoon Session

Each student’s usual working kit, plus the morning list, plus:

Black gouache + a favorite color if you wish

Two water cans, for washing then rinsing pens & brush

A pallet for mixing colors, if you wish

Two or three favorite poems or prose, each about 20-30 words