Beginner Blackletter Calligraphy with Janet Murata | Flourish Festival

Pick up a broad-edge pen and discover the bold, dramatic beauty of Blackletter in this relaxed, beginner-friendly 4-hour class.

You know those dramatic letters that look as though they belong in an illuminated manuscript?

Those.

And they’re much easier to begin than you might think.

Join award-winning Canadian calligrapher Janet Murata for a four-hour introduction to Blackletter, one of the most recognizable and striking styles in the history of calligraphy.

You’ll start at the beginning.

Janet will show you how to hold and use a broad-edge pen, find the correct pen angle, create the fundamental strokes and begin putting those strokes together into letters.

No calligraphy experience required.

No perfect handwriting required.

And definitely no medieval monastery required.

Just come curious.

By the end of the class, you’ll understand the building blocks of Blackletter, have practical exercises to continue at home and, most importantly, have actually made those gorgeous letters yourself.

Saturday, October 24

8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Part of the Flourish Festival of Letters & Art in Calgary.

FAQs

Is this class suitable for complete beginners?

Absolutely. Janet designed this as an introduction to Blackletter, and no previous calligraphy experience is required.

What will I learn?

You’ll learn the basic strokes, pen angles and letterforms that give Blackletter its distinctive look.

https://chatgpt.com/c/6aba5fcd-e6fc-83e8-b9a7-782d4eb207d2#:~:text=What%20kind%20of%20pen%20will%20w

Blackletter is created with a broad-edge pen. Janet will introduce you to how it works and how the angle of the pen creates those characteristic thick and thin strokes.