Paul Antonio Fraktur and Flourishing - Hybrid

Fraktur and its attendant Flourishing

Paul has prepared two extensive workbooks: a 19-page pdf using pencil to build Fraktur shapes and flourishes; and a 27-page pdf to develop skill in lettering the Fraktur hand with flourishes using a broad-edge pen.

From Paul -

I love Fraktur, it is the reason I became a scribe. I have always taught flourishing as a separate course as I feel too many teachers add it on at the end of a script. In this two-day workshop, I will teach you how to get started with Fraktur and will incorporate the teaching of the specific types of flourishes used to accompany the script.

Day 1 will start us off with pencil work, you will find the writing of the script with the pencil first will allow for faster learning of the script and its flourishes. Comfort with the pencil is important and it will also help us to feel the writing of the script and the flourishes without the stress of a broad nib. The pencil work will also open up some historical pointed nib Fraktur I discovered in the Zurich Archives over 20 years ago.

Day 2 will use broad edged tools or your choice, markers are preferable due to immediacy of ink drying but if you feel you are up to nib & ink, or even a quill, I will happily encourage this. You can use a parallel pen if you like, but this is also a lot of wet ink. Please ensure you are able to handle the tools of your choice as this class is not about tool control but script learning.

I am anticipating all levels in this class and that is not a problem at all: This is a new approach to the teaching of the script so you will all be starting off at the same place. Once you have booked you will receive a little introduction to my PAScribe Textualis Quadrata, this is a geometric construct I developed which helps with the learning of the Gothic Family of Scripts.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Please ensure your inks, nibs and papers work together.

Markers–either/or - Zig Calligraphy 2, Sakura Calligrapher, Pilot Parallel 2.4

Nibs–Speedball C3, William Mitchell 2.5, Hunt 22 (22B is the same), Nikko G

Paper–A4 or US Letter size; Canson Marker, Daler Rowney Layout, Bienfang Marker (thin enough to see lines behind)

Ink–make sure it works with the paper and nibs you have

With the above tools I use–Monteverde Inks, Pelikan 4001, Diluted Stick or Sumi Inks. You can use gouache, but this means mixing it up.

180P Sandpaper

Rulers–Little Tee Square, Set Squares

Erasers, pencils, 0.3 mechanical pencils and HB or 2B leads, and the other things you normally bring

OPTIONAL

Scroll brush pens or nibs, larger nibs like automatic pens or poster nibs, quills, you can use these too if you want but the focus is the script, you will also need a lot more paper if you intend on using larger tools.

PAScribe Lining Template

A little note about the tools and materials:

We will be mainly using 4B, 6B and 8B pencils for the Saturday Class.

Sunday we will need broad edged markers for the script and pointed nibs with ink for the flourishing.

You can decide to use a marker and a 6B or 8B pencil for the flourishing. This is to get an understanding of how the flourishes are executed. If you feel you can handle nibs and inks, by all means do use them. Problem with ink is the drying time and there will be a lot of writing. Stick and Sumi inks take longer to dry, as does Gouache.

You could write the broad edged work with a marker and then add the flourishes with a nib.

The Sakura Calligrapher 2 Marker or the Pilot Parallel Pen 2.4 will work for both the writing of the script and flourishing BUT it is nowhere like writing the flourishes with a nib.

Please be conscious of your skill level. There is a lot to cover in the class so please do not use tools you are not entirely comfortable and conversant with–it will only seek to slow you down. You can move back to the more complex tools at a later date.

As a thank you for attending the class, you will be given access to my online recording of a 2 Day Fraktur Workshop which will assist you with going over the class content at your own pace

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Paul Antonio was born in Trinidad in the West Indies where he fell in love with nature and the representation of nature and geography. It is from this love of the writing on old maps and botanical and wildlife illustration that his passion for western calligraphy blossomed.

Paul studied Letterform History at the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication, University of Reading. After being awarded one of the ten Art & Crafts Scholarships from The Commonwealth Foundation he went to Reigate School of Art and Design to study Calligraphy, Gilding and Heraldic Painting specializing in Historical Materials and Techniques.

Having always been interested in the history and the development of writing, Paul went on to study Arabic Calligraphy, English Palaeography and Archaeological Illustration at Birkbeck University.

Paul’s love of Palaeography is the key to his studies in the various historical scripts he teaches. He has an innovative methodology by distilling the basics from a geometric perspective to act as a framework for the learning of an historical script. This allows the students easy access to the script in a simplified form to then graft the manuscript versions on top of.

He is the author of ‘Copperplate Script-A Yin & Yang Approach’ which is an innovative simplification to the learning of Copperplate Script.