Foundations of Calligraphy

Foundations of Calligraphy by Sheila Waters.

I bought this book after taking a Gothecized Italics workshop with Barbara Calzolari in 2020. It was recommended to help support her style of work, having herself been taught by Waters.

I initially felt this book wouldn't be at all applicable to what we are doing here as it solely relates to broad edge calligraphy styles and not pointed pen. But, seeing it's a book that gets recommended by calligraphers I admire, it is still relevant to any calligrapher looking to expand their learning in exploring all forms of calligraphy.

Reading through the pages there were some supportive areas, that would have helped me during my workshop with Calzolari. The main point I noted was the section (image included above) on the angles of the writing board and how depending on the steepness of the angle dictated the ink flow from the broad edge nib. This is something I actually struggled hugely with during my workshop so I will definitely apply this theory the next time I work on my broad edge calligraphy.

As a pointed pen calligrapher, what can you take away from this book?

In answer layouts. How to draft a layout for a large piece of work always feels overwhelming - where do you place the text? What space do I need to consider when placing illustrations around the border? How do I think about margins? All these questions are answered in this book with some great thumbnails and instruction on the layout. So yes I would definitely recommend this book. If you wanted to try your hand at broad edge calligraphy, the workbook is something I would 100% read through before trying a workshop as it is extremely instructional. As I am focusing solely on Copperplate this year I will be reviewing this book again for my own projects in 2022.

Where can I buy this book?

This book is available to purchase from Abe Books, Paper Ink Arts and John Neal Books.