Meeting Nº10: Brush pen workshop recap

On Sunday, July 13, we gathered at Coach House Press for our first-ever brush pen workshop. We were joined by 21 eager participants, all ready to freshen up on their penmanship and learn a few tips & tricks from Toronto letterers Kyle Gallant & Christopher Rouleau.

The workshop started with some quick overviews of expressive brush lettering (rooted in 50s/60s commercial arts) followed by a demonstration of the three pens that were supplied: the Tombow, the Pentel, and the Faber-Castell. Each pen has its own character & quirks, so we allowed each participant some time to get familiar with them.

We set up throughout Coach House – some chose to work in the bindery, others upstairs in the library, while most people enjoyed a sunny spot on the outdoor picnic table. We have to thank our friend (and calligrapher extraordinaire) Kevin King for allowing us to work in such an inspiring venue.

After some warm-ups, we delved right into some brush pen exercises. These little assignments helped participants experiment with new techniques and challenge their lettering approaches. Each person was encouraged to work at their own pace while Kyle & Chris made their way around the class, offering one-on-one advice.

        

And before we knew it, 3 hours had passed, and we had to start wrapping things up. Since Coach House was generous enough to give us their space for the afternoon, we all created a Thank You card using our fresh new lettering skills. We think it turned out great!

Thank you again to everyone who gave us their valuable summer afternoon. Even within the course of three hours, we saw outstanding improvements in the skills of all participants. Due to the resounding popularity, success & positive feedback we have received, we can't wait to hold another brush pen workshop this fall. Please stay tuned - the subject will be same, but the duration of the course will likely be extended in order to fit more exciting lettering exercises.

Thanks again! And happy lettering!

(All photos by Christopher Rouleau & Leslie Harrod.)

Brush pen workshop

We have finalized the details for our first brush pen workshop.

The event will be held Sunday, July 13 from 1:00pm-4:00pm at Coach House Press (80 bpNichol Ln, U of T campus).

The day will be hosted by letterers (and Ligatures co-founders) Kyle Gallant & Christopher Rouleau. Kyle is a multi-faceted designer, skilled in calligraphy, expressive lettering, and even graffiti. He is a self-described "compulsive doodler" and passionate about all things type. Christopher is a freelance graphic designer & letterer, with a love for alphabets, antique lettering guides and old hand-lettered signs. He is comfortable working in a variety of media, including pen, chalk, acrylic, ink... the list goes on. Christopher also co-instructed a Ligatures lino printing workshop in the spring.

Check out more of their recent work on Instagram: http://instagram.com/eckstatic http://instagram.com/chris_rouleau/

Kyle & Christopher have pooled together their skills, knowledge and resources to put together a 3-hour tutorial on the fundamentals of brush lettering. All skill levels welcome!

Supplies:

We will be offering a supplies package at the cost of $50. This kit will have everything you need for the workshop, all of which you get to take home at the end of the day. Included in your kit: -3 different types of brush pens (one special order) -1 roll of tracing paper -access to plenty of layout paper -a variety of lettering guides & samples -a handmade booklet of lettering techniques -access to any additional tools you might need (pencils, rulers, tape, grid paper, utility knives, ink & brushes, as well as some experimental lettering tools from our personal collections).

Payment:

This event will sell out, so sign up early! And if you've already expressed interest but cannot attend, please notify us so we can open up the spots for people on the wait list.

Please RSVP here no later than Wednesday, July 9. An email will follow with payment instructions.

We look forward to bringing your talents together, sharing knowledge with one another, and creating some new brush pen work work!

03 July 2014: This event is sold out. Please contact us to get on the wait list, or watch for future workshops in the fall.

Ligatures Calligraphy Workshop

On Saturday May 9^th, Ligatures had their first-ever Calligraphy workshop. I arrived at Coach House Books to see Kevin King setting up outside. We both agreed it was a perfect day for an outdoor class.

The picnic tables began to fill quickly with people and tasty treats (Thanks to Sharon and Lilly!) After brief introductions and announcements, Kevin took the floor to teach us about the fundamentals of calligraphy. Kevin gave us a teaching booklet that he created and hand-bound. It showed the script we would be learning — Edward Johnston's foundational hand — penned by Kevin himself.

It was a pleasure to watch Kevin teach the group. He established very quickly the proper way to hold the pen. With chalk in hand, he demonstrated the basic strokes and progressed to letterform construction. His diagrams were very helpful in understanding how letters were formed with multiple strokes.

Kevin supplied us with broad nib markers which he had cleverly cut to sharpen the nib as well as Pilot Parallel pens. As I walked around the group of 15, it was apparent they were quick learners. I enjoyed seeing all the subtle variations in everyone's style. By the end of the class everyone was making such stunning letterforms.

Photo by Christopher Rouleau

Photo by Christopher Rouleau

Calligraphy workshop

We have finalized the details for our first calligraphy workshop!

The workshop will be held Saturday, May 10 from 1:00-4:00 at Coach House Books (80 bpNichol Ln, U of T campus).

Calligraphy expert Kevin King will host a three-hour workshop on the basics of calligraphy. Kevin became interested in calligraphy through his work as a Type Designer & Typographer at Canada Type & the Coach House Press in Toronto. With the help of the Toronto book binder Don Taylor, he began taking lessons from the master Toronto Calligrapher Susan Shand, who he still continues to study under. Susan taught him not only the basic techniques of Calligraphy, but also the underlying theories and principles of the art.

Supplies:

We will be offering a supplies package at the cost of $55.

For our workshop, we will only be working with a very small set of tools. We will be working with calligraphy markers and a selection of fountain pens that will help us become acquainted with the basic techniques of calligraphy, and simple 11x17" graph paper sheets. The beauty of calligraphy is that you do not need a huge set of expensive tools to create beautiful work. We encourage students to bring along any calligraphy pens that they may already own, as this could be a great opportunity for you to learn more about how your tools work and to use a tool that you are already comfortable with.

The fee also includes a calligraphy workbook that students can take home.

Space for this workshop is limited! Please RSVP here no later than Wednesday, May 7. An email will follow with payment instructions.

March Meeting Nº6: Lino printing workshop recap

Photo credit (bottom left): Tanya Roberts

On Sunday, March 23, we braved the frigid Toronto windchill and gathered at Coach House Press for our inaugural lino printing workshop. Myself and Tanya Roberts of Snap + Tumble Letterpress were the hosts for the day, and we were joined by 18 talented folks eager to learn a little bit more about lino printing techniques.

Tanya and I arrived early to prep everyone's supply bags. For $25, all participants received: one 4" x 6" lino tile, one Speedball carving tool, ten 5" x 7" sheets of Somerset paper, and access to brayers, ink and a printing baron.

We offered a brief introduction and demonstration in the bindery, and then participants were free to set up wherever they felt comfortable in Coach House. We had several people continue working in the bindery...

...while others headed up to the Hogarts-esque coffee room upstairs to start carving. We had people of all skill levels – some well versed in carving techniques, and others with zero experience at all. Everyone worked together to make their creations come to life.

Below are some fun process shots taken over the course of the 3 hour workshop.

Tanya and I were extremely grateful for such an amazing turnout, and blown away with the quality and range of work created. Every member of the group was so kind and generous – sharing tools, offering tips, and ever helping with cleanup. We also got to enjoy some amazing baked goods, courtesy of Sharon Hart of Hart Felt Kitchen. Thank you, Sharon!

This workshop could not have been possible without the help of Kevin King, who arranged for us to set up at Coach House. Thanks again, Kevin!

It was a pleasure to make this workshop come to life, and Tanya and I cannot wait to host the next lino printing workshop – hopefully sometime this summer. Please send us an email if you'd like to get on the mailing list, or follow us on social media for updates on upcoming events.

Thanks everyone! Happy carving!

(All photos by Christopher Rouleau unless otherwise stated.)

Lino printing workshop

Christopher Rouleau and Tanya Roberts (of Snap + Tumble letterpress) will host a three-hour workshop on the basics of lino printing. During the course of the afternoon, you will learn the basics on transferring your design to lino, carving techniques, and the best ways to ink and press your work. Advanced printmakers may also have the opportunity to print their pieces on the Vandercook printing press, thanks to the help of our friend Kevin King, who works at Coach House.

We will be offering a supplies package at the cost of $25. Your kit will include:

·  one 4" x 6" lino tile (super soft or regular - you will specify in your RSVP) ·  10 sheets of 5" x 7" white printing paper (you may bring additional paper of your own) ·  access to black, water soluble ink and a brayer (roller) ·  1 Speedball lino carving tool (that you get to keep!) ·  access to other basic supplies (paper towels, wax paper, graphite paper, masking tape, envelopes, etc.)

Space for this workshop is limited! Please RSVP here no later than Friday, March 14. An email will follow with payment instructions.

We look forward to bringing your talents together, sharing knowledge with one another, and creating some new typographic work!