Heeey!!! It's another day and another awesome workshop to blog about :) Again, my workshop buddy Kim and I attended, and the cool thing is that the speaker/facilitator today is also Kim's friend, so small world.
The Watercolor Lettering / Calligraphy workshop today was really informative and substantial. It was organized in a very structural format wherein Shai (our facilitator, on Instagram as @shaifalcutila) began introducing the subject and the essential tools to be used. Just learned today that a sponge is a better tool to use in watercolor than tissue (for fiber absorbency). And since Shai is a graphic designer, she taught the differences between a calligraphy text, a typography font and lettering. Calligraphy is pretty much based on penmanship (so it takes a lot of practice!) We had to do calligraphy a lot back then in Chinese classes, so making thick-thin-thick strokes came across as familiar. (Though in practicing strokes, the hard part is that you can't go back on a stroke to correct it, so it's a one-time-big-time kind of thing.) I found chinese calligraphy quite difficult though because the way you have to hold the brush is super different from how you can hold and write with a pen. She also had us do some warm-up drills and basic Alphabet lettering to practice brush control using either calligraphy brush pens or watercolor with brushes. Brush control was all about practicing strokes, and knowing when to press down on the brush or lighten the brush pressure. I'm amazed at the fact that the act of brush control can really teach one to practice and exercise both dexterity and grace. Even then, the most enjoyable idea about calligraphy is the fact that you don't have to think much while moving your brush. It's the kind of experience that just teaches you to simply go with the flow. I'd have to admit that it's one of the few times that I really did enjoy working with watercolor. For one thing, the last time I probably used watercolor was during the interior design board exam, wherein it was required. Plus the fact that we were pressured to render interiors in the medium before the day ended, so it was so much fun to work without the pressure or the stress in this particular situation. Also, I'd have to say that the really awesome thing about working with watercolor paper is its absorbency and texture. It's way thicker than ordinary bond paper, and the texture of the paper creates a definitive style on its own. And watercolor is way more beautiful when done by hand with traditional media, than with a digital tablet and a computer. I really think that watercolor is difficult to recreate with digital media. Overall, watercolor calligraphy is so cathartic and therapeutic. This experience, to me, was a jumpstart towards a new venture or pastime. Watercolor is so much fun to play and work with; and personally, I loved how dabbling in watercolor can inspire simple moments in creativity and passion. The best thing is, anyone can get into it and just enjoy being in the moment. Looking forward to more inspiration! Will definitely practice watercolor calligraphy again. :)
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Nonsensical whimHi, I'm Ashley. This is my blog on journey towards discovering art and documenting my learning experiences. (Particularly Photoshop, Digital Painting, Sketchup/V-ray, Interior Design, fun tutorials I've discovered and the like). wordpress:TUMBLR:Archives
December 2018
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