The Gentle Penman

With my deep interest in marks and textures, I have been creating calligraphic marks and textures, and creating layering arts using different mediums and/or different kinds of paper like watercolor paper and thin Japanese paper. Furthermore, my recent...

This the season! Join us this festive season to enhance your creativity by combining elegant lettering with beautiful ornamental designs. In this two-session workshop, we will focus on creating a Christmas wreath using calligraphy cartouches...

The bright, glittery silvers and golds of winter look especially good when rendered on dark backgrounds. Using white and an assortment of glittery mica pigments, we will paint leaves, poinsettia, and other textures with the wedge brush. We will add some...

Historical Hands In keeping with our commitment to calligraphy education, the Gentle Penman is pleased to announce a new series of short workshops, which will serve as an introduction to a selection of styles of traditional calligraphy over the past 2000...

I am really excited to be invited back by the Gentle Penman to teach a Christmas/ Winter themed workshop.  So instead of designing and decorating words, I thought it would be nice for us to gild snowflake designs since the Christmas Holidays are a...

All of my life I’ve been ‘keeping’ Notebooks. in the course of years, simple notes shifted towards calligraphy. I explored what I could do with simple blank pages and a mechanical pencil 0,3 mm. I was not much of a big lay-out planner,...

Extend the range of your pointed pen’s potential as we break away from traditional pointed pen hands and explore the full power of this amazing little pen nib. Following an analysis of historical models as well as the work of contemporary masters,...

Large Italic using Automatic PensRachel Yallop, Hosted By The Gentle Penman Live (Also recorded for later viewing) 16 & 23 November 2024 (Saturday)20:00 pm – 22:30 pm (Hong Kong Time) Class Cost : HKD 740.00 or USD 95.00 Registration...

In the 12th century, a more compressed and angular form of the late Caroline Minuscule called Proto-Gothic script developed as a response to the growing need for written books and documents.  By the 13th century, Proto-Gothic script diverged into...

This workshop will cover step by step guide to constructing a geometric pattern from a plasterwork in the façade of the Mexuar at Alhambra Palace, Granada, Spain. The Mexuar was built by Ismail at the beginning of the fourteenth century and later...

To the skilled Penman, Engrosser, or Calligrapher, “Ornamental Penmanship” means much more than simply making fancy letters. In truth, Ornamental Penmanship is an expression of penmanship and calligraphy in which the words and the way they...

Once one masters the ductus and has a thorough understanding of the structure of letterforms, we need to make them our own. This class will explore ways of looking at letters in a more abstract way while moving away from the rigidity of writing between...

In this engaging workshop, Thanh will unveil her secrets for crafting the perfect recipe card for (name of the dish), guiding you through every step from A to Z. Discover her effortless techniques for sketching dishes and selecting the right ingredients...

The forms of so-called Gothic script have seen substantial changes throughout the history of writing, depending on the period, place, and artistic influences. Just think of the rigid and repetitive forms of textura and the Renaissance and decorative...

Gothic calligraphy is known for its boldness and expressive potential, but what if we push these ideas to the extreme? During this workshop, we will explore the heavyweight variations of Blackletter, focusing on striking contrasts and the maximum impact...

Explore the various possibilities of the draughtsman’s ruling pen and its modern variants. This workshop will be focused on how to use this tool and using it creatively to write letters. You will learn how to write expressively and create your own...

I'm really excited to be teaching with the Gentle Penman again this year and branching off from our last workshop, this year will be a bit more intense (don't worry if you're a beginner this will definitely be suitable for you too).  I will guide...

Flourish.....as sketch Flourish.....as border Flourish.....as illustration The pointed, flexible nib is a marvelous tool, capable of producing a multitude of expressive strokes from whisper thin hairlines to dramatic, bold shades. What fun to explore...

This workshop will take you through the techniques of learning the Pointed Pen Uncial styles and then show more approaches of unique, contemporary applications. Let’s push the envelope a bit more to include thinking outside the box by extending and...

Flourishes are graceful extensions and decorative embellishments that add wonder, movement, and live to our letters and words - inviting readers to take a closer look.  This class unravels the fundamental concepts behind flourished Copperplate...