Uncial Calligraphy for Beginners

You will meet Joaquín, who will talk to you about how he came to calligraphy, how he applies it to graphic design and other disciplines, and will share some of his influences.

You will start learning basic concepts to make calligraphy, the different types that exist and the tools that are usually used for it. You will see how to build an ancestral instrument to make calligraphy called calamus and you will learn to hold the pen in the correct position to give your first strokes at various angles.

You will briefly review the history of the university, its context, the types that exist and their important contributions to writing. You will learn to read a calligraphic model and you will be introduced to the technique to draw the letters of the alphabet, starting with the round ones, then the vertical ones and with an arc; to finally reach the special letters.

You will learn how interleaving works and the space between words, as well as tricks to modulate the stroke, achieve more gestural endings and flourishes for your letters.

With the theory learned and the practice dominated, you will start your postcard project. First, you will perform a reference search to discover ways to write each of the letters you will work on and how to combine them. You will make a compositional sketch and you will polish it until you have a favorite composition.

You will scan your final handmade composition with calligraphy, you will digitally retouch it following some tips and providing modern touches, to translate it into a postcard. As a bonus, you will know measures and details to design your own version, in addition to some convenient options to print your postcard.