Of all the topics calligraphers study, flourishing is probably the most popular among pointed pen calligraphers. What makes flourishing such a crowd pleaser? Perhaps it’s the way it draws you into the words, or the lighthearted emotion it conveys, Or the “oohs” and “aahs” it elicits from our audience.

Issue 13 focuses specifically on letter flourishing (we’ll cover other types of flourishing in future issues). Our contributors include instructors who are famous flourishers and passionate about teaching this topic to other calligraphers.

Meet Our Cover Artist - Jessie Wang

Within four months of starting calligraphy, Jessie Wang landed her first paid card design job. Wedding commissions rapidly followed and a calligraphy business was born. Now only a few years later she is sought after by corporate brands for creative collaborations.

7 Golden Rules of Flourishing - Suzanne Cunningham

Are you ready to take your calligraphy to the next level? Flourishing is a beautiful way to enhance your letterforms, but it can seem overwhelming to learn unless you understand the Golden Rules of what makes flourishing successful.

Flourishing with Warmups & Drills - Younghae Chung

W‌‌arming up or practicing drills before writing or flourishing helps prepare the mind, arm, and hand for making beautiful marks on paper.

Seastones: Adding Life to Your Script - Maria Helena Hoksch

A‌fter practicing formal script styles for awhile, you may crave learning an energetic, flowing script that is free and expressive. Maria Helena Hoksch’s Seastones script takes its inspiration from the graceful oval forms of sea stones, polished by waves. It’s a lovely, somewhat romantic version of Copperplate.

The Hierarchy of Shades - Erica McPhee

It is easy to overlook the finer details of shade when first learning pointed pen calligraphy. But once you are ready to take it to the next level, there are advanced techniques to consider.

Broad Nib Flourishing - Tamer Ghoneim

Flourishing: what other topic is wrapped in as much mystery as it is in interest and enthusiasm? And are flourishes possible with broad nib tools?

Resources for Letter Flourishing

A list of resources to inspire further study in letter flourishing

Library Essentials: Speedball Textbooks

Many calligraphers can trace their first love of lettering to picking up a Speedball Textbook and marveling at the abundance of lettering mastery available in such a small volume. Can such artistry be created with only a few simple tools and ink?

Filigree Capital Letter - Monika Fällman

The process of drawing filigree capital letters are relatively time consuming, but also very meditative, and a perfect way to relax when you feel stressed.

Flourished Floral Heart - Jessie Wang

Valentine’s Day is not too far away! Why not gather your favorite pink, red, (or in my case, fuschia) ink to design some beautiful flourished hearts?

Festive Name Cards - Nina Tran

When writing name cards for any occasion, I like to add a bit of flourishing to make them extra special. Here’s my method for designing decorative cards that makes writing them both easy and enjoyable.

DIY Ink Reservoir: Less Dipping, More Writing - Vipul Bhatia

It’s annoying to have to frequently dip my pen in ink when writing. So I came up with my own method of making a homemade nib reservoir that allows me to write longer and dip less. Perfect if you want to execute some long flourishes!

The Art of Art Licensing - Nicole Tamarin

If you are looking for ways to make money from your calligraphy besides weddings and art commissions, you might consider licensing your images to product manufacturers. Once you understand how art licensing works, it can be an additional outlet for your lettering skills.

Letters California Style 2020 - Elizabeth Lonoff

Letters California Style (LETTERS) is a popular four-day reunion of Los Angeles, California calligraphers and other guild members. LETTERS offers instruction from ten internationally-renowned instructors with the ten classes limited to 12 people each, so students receive a lot of attention and feedback during class.

Our Amazing Contributors - The usual suspects.