The Art of Lettering - Copperplate Calligraphy

We’re sorry we missed you for our Spring workshops. However we are setting our schedule for upcoming summer and fall months. If you are interested in The Art of Lettering - Copperplate Calligraphy, please email us at info@soolip.com with your name and workshop title. We will be in touch!

Everyone has an artist inside. The artist is our inner self, what we desire to communicate and express. Whatever your profession is - a corporate executive, a lawyer, a medical professional, in public service, an entrepreneur, a parent, making time to be creative on a regular basis is vital to our well-being. When we try something new outside of our daily work, or when we create something original, we cultivate our ability to think outside the box, keeping ourselves vibrant, open, optimistic, joyful.

I believe in living a creative life for the health and well-being of one's soul. May these classes, of Hand & Heart, spark your curiosity.

- Wanda Wen

Embark on a creative adventure where you will learn and cultivate the writing artistry of Copperplate Calligraphy led by Aspacia Kusulas.  Throughout this 6-class engaging experience, you will learn the story behind letterforms and their evolution, practice all fundamental strokes making up all lowercase and uppercase letters, learn how to fluidly connect letters, and be given the inspiration and confidence to step further into unleashing your innate creativity by adding personal flourishes to your lettering. This series is appropriate for all levels, both those who have been interested in taking calligraphy but have not found the right time or space in your life to dedicate to this art form, to those who are current lettering artists and are interested in refining your artistic skills or adding this classic, elegant calligraphy style to your tool chest. By meeting every other week for 10 weeks, this will encourage accountability and a consistent practice, allowing the teachings to integrate and assimilate. 

SESSION 1

S1_001 Brief history
You will learn the history of the origin of letterforms and the evolution of the shapes from ancient scripts to Copperplate, our subject of study. Understanding these historical foundations will help you see the big picture and grasp the importance, evolution, and current uses of letterforms more deeply.

S1_002 Materials
You will learn about the materials and tools, how to use them correctly, and the best practices. Explore different materials and options available for both practice and projects. You will use your introductory kit.

S1_003 Warm up exercises
You will practice specific strokes to familiarize yourself with the pen angle and gain a better understanding of the flexible nib's logic.

S1_004 Basic strokes - Lowercase alphabet
You will focus and practice basic strokes to construct the letters.

S1_005 Lowercase alphabet
You will practice the lowercase alphabet from a-z in a morphological order, a method to experiment and better understand the letterforms. 

S1_006 Homework no. 1
Practice groups of lowercase letters.

Suggested materials: practice marker paper, ink, penholder & nib.

SESSION 2

S2_001 Q&A - Homework no. 1 review
Review students' homework, highlighting examples and addressing any potential questions they may have.

S2_002 Connecting letters, practice & tips
You will learn to connect letters to create words consistently. Explore various connections, and gain insights, tips, and tricks to successfully link letters in a harmonious manner.

S2_003 Basic strokes - Uppercase alphabet
You will focus and practice basic strokes to construct the letters.

S2_004 Uppercase alphabet
You will practice the lowercase alphabet from a-z in a morphological order, a method to experiment and better understand the letterforms.

S2_005 Homework no. 2
Practice list of animals.
Practice groups of uppercase letters.

Suggested materials: practice marker paper, ink, penholder & nib.

SESSION 3

S3_001 Q&A - Homework no. 2 review
Review students' homework, highlighting examples and addressing any potential questions they may have.

S3_002 Mastering uppercase letters
You will review and practice challenging letters to execute and applying these skills to practice writing a list of names. 

S3_003 Intro to flourish
You will discover the elements of flourishing, direction change, and engage in exercises to create beautiful flourishes. Learn how to seamlessly integrate these flourishes into your letters for a more artistic and elegant touch. 

S3_004 Homework no. 3
Practice list of names adding uppercase letters and flourishes in a smaller scale.
Suggested materials: practice marker paper, ink, penholder & nib.

SESSION 4

S4_001 Q&A - Homework no. 3 review
Review students' homework, highlighting examples and addressing any potential questions they may have.

S4_002 Flourish practice Warm up by practicing words, then elevate your writing skills by incorporating flourishes into a paragraph.

S4_003 Project 1: Place cards applying flourishes. Craft elegant place cards adorned with beautiful flourishes. Explore various inks (walnut, gouache, metallic watercolor) and papers, and discover best practices for their use. Gain insights on working with different types of paper and learn techniques to correct mistakes effectively.

S4_004 Homework no. 4
Create a set of 12 place cards.

Suggested materials: 16 place cards, ink, penholder & nib.

SESSION 5

S5_001 Q&A / Homework no. 5 review
Review students' homework, highlighting examples and addressing any potential questions they may have.

S5_002 Numbers & Signs
You will learn how to construct numbers and signs.

S5_003 Addressing envelope & watercolor
Master the art of addressing envelopes by integrating everything you've learned so far, including uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and signs. Additionally, you will learn a vibrant rainbow color technique using watercolors.

S5_004 Project 2: card making & addressing envelope
You will create a card and an envelope harnessing your creativity and applying your skills to craft a personalized card and matching envelope through hands-on practice.

S5_005 Homework no. 6
Create a couple of unique and personalized envelopes expressing your creativity.

Suggested materials: different size of envelopes, ruler, pencil, eraser, watercolors, penholder & nib.

SESSION 6

S6_001 Q&A - Homework no. 6 review
Review students' homework, highlighting examples and addressing any potential questions they may have.

S6_002 Composition
You will learn about design elements and fundamentals to design different ways of layouts for a poem or quote.
Explore design elements and fundamental principles to create diverse layouts for poems or quotes.

S6_003 Floral sketch
You will learn how to create botanicals with the pointed pen as a complement of the body of text.

S6_004 Project 3: Art piece
You will create an art piece featuring a poem or quote, ensuring a sense of composition and harmony between the image and text within the space. This will be achieved by applying layout and design fundamentals.

Suggested materials: Cotton paper, ruler, pencil, eraser, gouache inks or watercolor, penholder & nib. 

S6_005 Final thoughts & sharing
Encourage students to share their final thoughts and provide feedback, fostering a collaborative atmosphere to celebrate their unique creative journeys.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Your ticket comes complete with a carefully curated starter kit designed to ensure success in every practice and during the sessions some extra handouts and materials will be shared. As the course progresses, you'll have the opportunity to explore additional materials, whether you already have them or choose from our suggestions, to enhance your creativity in the upcoming projects and homework. List of materials will be discussed in advance of the project.

Starter kit is included and will be distributed at Class 1:
-SUMI INK
-NIKKO G
-GUM ARABIC
-PEN HOLDER
-INKWELL
-WORKSHEETS
-GUIDELINES

Please Note: Workshop fees are non-refundable

Workshop Location:
Soolip
1800 Bridgegate Street, no. 104
Westlake Village, California 

REMOTE attendance available via Zoom!