Join artist and educator Ernie McMullen for a six-session class on the art of Italic calligraphy.

Calligraphy is a visual art centered on writing with a pen or brush with the aim of giving beautiful and harmonious form to the written letter. The word derives from the Ancient Greek kalligraphia meaning beautiful writing. This course will be exclusively focused on learning the classical letters and numerals of the Italic alphabet as developed during the Italian Renaissance.

This class, designed for beginners, provides a structured approach to mastering one of the most elegant and expressive letterforms. The class will concentrate on developing a strong foundation in Italic script, focusing on stroke consistency, spacing, and fluidity while exploring its historical and contemporary applications.

Students will gain experience using dip pens with broad-edged nibs and ink to refine their technique through personalized instruction and feedback. Composition and layout strategies will also be covered, allowing participants to create balanced and visually interesting work.

Each session builds upon the last, ensuring steady progress. Whether you are looking to transform your handwriting, explore a new artistic discipline, or refine your creative design abilities, this workshop provides an inspiring environment for learning this beautiful art form. Mastering the Italic hand requires focused attention, discipline and constant practice. In order to make reasonable progress, students should plan on writing every day between classes.

Materials:

A $50 materials fee is included in the registration price. Participants will be provided with all supplies, including paper, pens, nibs, and ink.

About the Instructor:

Ernest McMullen is a landscape painter who finds his subject matter on the coast, surrounding waters and interior of Mount Desert Island, Maine. His abiding interest is in evoking the mysterious blend of form light and spirit found on the island with an approach that is firmly based in realist oil painting traditions. He was a founding faculty member at College of the Atlantic where he taught visual arts for 42 years.