Workshop on Flourishes reviewed by Pat Wright
David Simons led a very enjoyable workshop on flourishing. He began by giving everyone a superbly flourished personalised place card that he had created. These cards showed how flourishes could add both beauty and magic to very simple content. Mine is now displayed on a bookcase for all to admire.
In the morning the group the group were introduced to ‘forearm writing’. Several practice exercises encouraged muscle memory for movements based on pivoting the forearm about its mid-point.
We also practiced rotating the pen angle between pull and push strokes and discovered how much we needed to move the paper to keep the hotspot within range.
After lunch we doodled some flourishes and finally added flourishes to words on one of David’s practice sheets where words had been written minus ascenders and descenders.
It was great fun to explore the variety of flourishes possible, heeding David’s advice to choose where the swell came. People were encouraged to be adventurous discovering for themselves what worked and what didn’t. It was a splendid session led by a warm-hearted and very generous tutor.
Pat Wright
For more on David Simons work please visit
https://www.calligraphyartist.co.uk/