Spencerian Lettering

Typeface Design program at the Cooper Union, in conjunction with theType Directors Club

Type@Cooper

A discount is available to <A HREF="http://2017.typographics.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Typographics</A> conference participants. A promotional discount code will be found on the PDF of your conference ticket. Please apply the code to workshop registration.
Not to be confused with the handwriting of the 1800s, Spencerian Lettering is a unique style of hand-drawn script innovated during the latter half of the 20th century. Its lively forms, embellished strokes and distinctive styling make Spencerian Lettering especially well-suited for posters, labels, book jackets, editorial work and advertisements. In this workshop students will learn how to create and implement Spencerian Lettering for various design applications. By means of a series of introductory skill-building exercises, students will acquire the basics for drawing upper- and lowercase letterforms, along with the flourishing methods that are particular to the style. In addition to typical Spencerian models, slide presentations and drawing demonstrations will also cover the extravagant Italian Hand, a related style that features voluptuous stroke-endings, unusual contrast and exceptionally lavish forms. Further instruction and examples will illustrate how Spencerian and related styles can be utilized in modern design settings. 
<H4>Required Materials</H4>
<UL>
<LI>No. 2 pencils (conventional or mechanical)</LI>
<LI>pencil sharpener (if applicable)</LI>
<LI>erasers (conventional and kneaded)</LI>
<LI>pad of tracing paper (9″×12″ pad is recommended)</LI>
<LI>pad of quadrille 4×4 grid/graph paper (9″×12″ pad, 4 squares per inch is recommended)</LI>
<LI>12 inch ruler</LI>
<LI>Sharpie® Fine and Extra Fine markers</LI>
<LI>white-out correction fluid pen</LI>
<LI>adhesive tape (for posting sketches)</LI>
</UL>
 Please note that much of the content of this workshop was introduced during my 2016 four-day summer class, Advanced Techniques In Script Lettering. This workshop will focus on conventional drawing techniques intended to underscore the principles of Spencerian Lettering. Although workshop participants will not be using vector drawing software, a brief presentation on digitization will be given.
Ken Barber is a letterer, type designer and type director at design studio and type foundry <A HREF="http://www.houseind.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">House Industries</A>. He is also a partner of <A HREF="http://www.photolettering.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Photo-Lettering, Inc.</A>, the online lettering-vending service nominated by the Design Museum London as a 2011 Design of the Year recipient. Ken's work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s <A HREF="http://www.cooperhewitt.org/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum</A> and has been honored by the New York <A HREF="http://tdc.org/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Type Directors Club</A>. <A HREF="http://www.atypi.org/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Association Typographique Internationale</A> recently selected several of his typefaces for inclusion in the organization’s decennial design competition. In addition to teaching at <A HREF="http://www.mica.edu/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Maryland Institute College of Art</A>, Ken regularly lectures internationally on the subjects of lettering and typography. He also manages <A HREF="http://www.typeandlettering.com/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">typeandlettering.com</A>, an online resource for students and attendees of his frequent workshops.

The Cooper Union

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Spencerian Lettering

More events from Type@Cooper

Discover more events from Type@Cooper, from Business to other experiences you might love.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in New York and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.

Spencerian Lettering

More events from Type@Cooper

Discover more events from Type@Cooper, from Business to other experiences you might love.

More Business events

Browse more Business events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in New York and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.