Carolingian - A Fresh Look
Sheila Waters

Modern varieties of 9th century Carolingian were not popular with calligraphers until the last quarter of the 20th century. We will take a fresh look at the possibilities of Carolingian as a text hand, so we can adapt our favorite historical version to become our own modern one - without being “quirky.” 
My adaptation of this hand for my ms. of “Under Milk Wood” in the early 1960’s will be helpful, but not as your exemplar, the aim being to develop your own version through a similar process of modernization.
Carolingian was the first truly formal minuscule, distinct from mixtures with capitular forms (as in Half-Uncials). Using magnifiers, we will look closely at its historical roots and structure. Then we will analyze and copy a historical personal favorite, both large and at actual size, and modernize it to make it work well as a hand for writing text - rather like designing a type-face, but in this case in a very short time! Also we will work on simple matching Uncial or Uncial/Roman hybrid capitals.
As the historical Carolingian scripts were written very small, we will practice techniques for writing equally small, with clarity and sharpness. Then we will pull it all together in a simple project involving two very different sizes of writing.

Playful Caps
Julian Waters

Many calligraphers avoid capitals, thinking that they are too stiff, formal and too difficult to get to grips with. Yet potentially, capitals can be as varied, spirited and informal as any other area in calligraphy, and possibly more so. This will be an exploration of the lighter side of capitals and NOT the formal inscriptional kinds.
We will start by analyzing and copying early 4th-9th century pen written caps, including some Rustics and Uncials, studying overall textures, styles and signs of where scribes may have manipulated the tool to modify the forms, whether by pressure variation, rotation, cornering or building up. We will also look at other capitals through the centuries and see how many 20th century calligraphers and artists have done very individual things with caps.
We will then work on our own modern writing including playful, light, narrow and bold variations.  Students will be free to experiment as well as write within certain constraints. We will also work on a simple project which can be added to gradually during the class and afterwards at home in your own time.

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