A five day work shop with Denis Brown- Advanced level

A broad exploration of rhythm for calligraphers, encompassing italic with gestural fast pen manipulations, rhythm in composition, and abstract calligraphies. Analogies with popular music will broaden our discourse of rhythm, and help enhance our understanding of calligraphy. Disciplined exercises in structural rhythm in italic will be counter balanced with some improvised expressive work, including calligraphic performances to specially composed audio rhythm patterns. Analysis of modern and old master paintings will expand awareness of compositional rhythms in art, and will lead to strategic exercises to show their relevance to calligraphic design.

The time will be subdivided into 3 sections, which can also be requested individually as shorter workshops:
2 days on rhythm in italic. This will include acute analysis of structural rhythm, and fluency will also be encouraged by the incorporation of pen flicks and fast manipulated strokes. These took me years to develop one by one, and in just two days the students are not expected to master them. The workshop will, however, open your mind to many new dynamics of calligraphy which can be taken home and practised by students in their own time.

Sample of manipulated italic as practised in the workshop

2 days on calligraphic composition. Calligraphic layouts often merely fill space, but we will explore how new spaces can be created by dividing the picture plane with lines of writing. Exercises in rhythmic repetition & paraphrasing of calligraphic elements will lead to the development of works from thumbnail sketches to dynamic compositions.

detail from one of the class handout sheets

Finally, there is a section of abstract mark-making as a release of all the structural analysis that is a necessary part of the former parts. The students are asked to perform to musical rhythms composed by Denis. Not only is this part very fun, but after analysis & development, normally leads to great works!

STUDENT SUPPLIES:

Square edged dip-pens, and particularly Brause 3mm & 4mm nibs; also a range of any other writing tools you like using (brushes, ruling pens, "cola" pens, droppers, etc); ink (Denis likes Winsor & Newton Ivory Black Gouache as ink but you may have your own favorite ink. Also a large bottle of black sumi will be useful for abstract exercises); 16" ruler or longer; pencils; pad of practice paper 11"x l7" or larger; a dozen large sheets of better quality paper (Denis likes BFK Rives for large writing, again you may have your own preferences. Many of these sheets will be used in abstract mark making exercises to music, weight should be 90lb at least, 120lb is better. include some black or color sheert as well as white.); gouache colors; acrylic paints in tube or liquid form, palettes; mixing and loading brushes; scalpel or scissors. Optional: finely powdered pumice stone and finely powdered gum sandarac. (Denis' demonstrations will make use of these, so you may also wish to try them, but they are not essential).

ROOM REQUIREMENTS / EQUIPMENT:

CD player, (hi-fi quality if possible). Slide projector, screen & room that can be darkened.

5 days. Level: Advanced. Max. 20 students

HOW TO GO ABOUT BOOKING A WORKSHOP