Calligraphy for Christmas Poetry

I have a wonderful returning customer who selects a Christmas poem each year to share with those she sends cards to.  For the past three years, she has commissioned me to create 100 inserts of her selection, written in calligraphy.
 

Italic Lettering

Because the pieces are scanned and printed, I write the  lettering larger than the finished size in black on plain bright white paper, such as Canson Pro-Marker Layout.  I scan the lettering, make any corrections needed using Photoshop, then reduce and set up the final for print using Adobe InDesign.  The finished pieces are 4 1/4" x 5 1/2", allowing me to set up four on a page for print with crop marks.

Title lettering: Uncial

  





Starting with parent sheets (26"x40") of
Arches Text Wove paper, I tear it down to 8 1/2"x11" sheets for print, then tear these to the finished size after print using my crop marks.  Tearing allows for more natural looking "deckle" edges.


  

Main text lettering: Batarde

 


The embellishment is different each year for the individual poems, but I have consistently used FineTec gold watercolors and Winsor Newton watercolors, and either a Winsor Newton 000 or Princeton liner brush to apply the color.  

Title lettering: sloped Uncial

 

 

Merry Christmas everyone, 

and many blessings to you as we enter the New Year.  

May 2016 be full of inspiration!