One thing I've started a sure interest lately is Calligraphy. After watching Russ Mowry at work at French Kiss A Brush 2 years ago it got me thinking...hey I want to give it a try.
I have practiced almost every night while watching TV, with only fountain pens and paper pad. I have scripted hundred and hundreds of pages. No official masterpiece yet! Only practice.
The fun thing is that it's like practicing hand lettering in your living room but without the cleaning up after. The curves and the moves are pretty similar to what we do with a lettering brush.
If somebody is interested in sharing this passion let me know your postal adress so we can correspond.
Life is so good!
Posted by captain ken (Member # 742) on :
yeah.... but lets see ya do it lefty!
you blew us away at moose mania with your beautiful work. Nice job, even for a cunuck. Posted by Gene Golden (Member # 3934) on :
It's illegible - it's all in French! Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on :
Looks good Pierre...how is living in Florida?
Posted by Steve Racz (Member # 4376) on :
Pierre,
You are WAY too modest. You already do beautiful calligraphy. Thanks for the pen you gave me at Moose Mania!
The pens Pierre had at Moose Mania are the coolest thing i have seen for calligraphy ("C" or chisel type nib) with a cartridge. They beat the speedball dip pens for ease of use. They are fairly new and the only picture i could find is here: http://www.blotspens.co.uk/acatalog/Calligraphy_Pilot_Parallel_Pens_15.html
However, Canadian Signcrafters (a merchant here) carries them.
Posted by Steve Thomas Greer (Member # 4566) on :
Crew I have had the pleasure of hangin' with Pierre watchin' this stuff first hand! He is awesome.
I even have one of his panels in my shop!
Pierre keep on pumpin' out those letters.
Give me a call I want to get a box of those pens.
Thanks
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
I have a couple of those original pages here too...
This guy is good I tell ya....
Keep'm coming, it's nice to see.
Posted by Ryan Long (Member # 5881) on :
wow, this REALLY makes me want to grab some pens and give this a shot. my mom has done calligraphy for as long as i can remember, but her style is very rigid and by-the-book -- really nice for wedding invitations, diplomas, and the like, but it doesn't have the personality of this!
my bachelor's degree is in architecture, so i've spent a LOT of time obsessing over hand-lettering (i've always loved interesting hand-lettering, especially ink on paper -- this DEFINITELY caught my eye).
would be cool to see some more alphabets that could be used as practice sheets...awesome stuff!
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
You definitley have the gift Pierre!! That 'loose' unlaboured look I'm always tediously trying to achieve.
You can get paid for the fun too.
...gettin' $2 or more per outer envelope and another $1.25 for the inner envelope doing wedding invitations!! (You'll get PLENTY of practice then )
May not sound like much money . . . 'til you find out there will be 400+ invites.
Nice money in the summer months - you get to be in the AC with this job, or in the winter, nice and toasty-warm just addressing letters in your com'forta'bail chair.
(People also like to have their original poetry done, and then they frame it so perty!
Lots of creative ways to make money with calligraphy.
Posted by Bob Peach (Member # 2620) on :
I found the pilot parallel pens at cultpens.com in the UK. They also had the pentel brush pen. Canadian Signcrafters was temporarily out. Marcia
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on :
Pierre, You truly have a gift. Even if you are a little brat! Hey....you should advertise your calligraphy. You'd be amazed at the easy money you can make doing wedding invitations and such, all from the comfort of your living room. Love....Jill
Posted by Brian Diver (Member # 1552) on :
Pierre,
How much like it, is it to the brush? Since I consider myself more of a vinyl and computer jockey than an actual letterhead, I've been practicing with my brushes to learn how to pinstrip and other schtuff. If I can practice without the clean up that would be nice. Once I feel I've got some of the basic strokes and curves down then I could go back and futz with the real thing (paint & brushes).
Awesome work! Posted by Marj Payne (Member # 2538) on :
Our stock for both the Calligraphy pens and the Pentel brush pen are on the way to us. Call us to get your orders in Steve & Pierre already have you on the list.
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
I share Pierre's love of calligraphy. In the early days of Letterville, we had ties to several calligraphy websites. I'd like to see that sort of relationship renewed.
The hardest part is learning to relax and let the brush or pen do it's thing. Sign painters train to make straight even strokes. The secret to calligraphy and scripts is learning to let er rip.
Better get me a set too Marj! My Birthday is coming up on the 18th of October. I think this would make a wonderful gift to myself.
Posted by Patrick Whatley (Member # 2008) on :
Why? Why do you continue to do this?
First I gotta see the panel you did every day when I get to the shop. Every day I'm reminded of the fact that I'm still years away from marketable hand lettering. Calligraphy, though, was something I thought I was getting the hang of. Now you gotta go and show me I can't do that either. Your window splashes are great, too.
Probably gonna come to town and my dog will follow you home.
Thanks for nothing. Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Pierre, I wish I lived close enough that I could watch you do some of that calligraphy magic in person. Hopefully I'll see you at a meet sometime. You do beautiful work.
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
As usual, beautiful stuff Pierre. I remember a panel you did in Moncton with a calligraphic brush style - you don't even need practice.
Marj, put me down for a set of pens too. That looks like fun........ the Speedball book was my first lettering guide.
Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
Pierre - no more practice needed - just convert pen strokes to cash - you have a unique look = should market itself once word gits around - good advice above about doing invitations & what not . . .
Posted by Erica Taylor (Member # 4952) on :
Pierre, you blew me away at Moncton, and this year at Consac too doing all those pages of calligraphy one after the other at SUPERSPEED! I look at the alphabet you gave me and shake my head, it's so good; getting to your level is like climbing a huge mountain towards a really-far-away lightbulb(!). Really inspiring! I will share the main advice you gave me which was PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, every day, and I know any calligraphy practice I do will help with the hand-lettering and just generally loosening up which is much easier said than done for me. Marj I'm calling for some pens which I've been meaning to do since Consac. Pierre your work is beautiful and artistic, thanks for sharing!
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
Is there are "Mario LeMieux" in there? *Beautiful* work Pierre!! I totally agree with Carl, no more practice needed.
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Pierre...awesome work. Reminds me very much of John Steven's stuff and if you're not familiar with his stuff - that's pretty good company to be in. Check him out at www.johnstevensdesign.com
Good luck!
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
I just have to add a little something for the poor little spouses of "pen maniaks"...
Last Easter, Pierre and his wife were at our place for a visit and one evening from right after supper ( must have been 8pm tops ) till about close to midnight, Pierre and I must have used 100 sheets of blank paper just writing stuff and alphabets while Marie-Claude and Heather just sat there talking and just being totally ignored by the 2 "pen maniaks"... sorry girls, but this comes with accepting to live with a sign guy !!!
By the way, I tip my hat to Pierre... I may stand taller, but with a calligraphy pen in his hand... he's ahead of me. Great work buddy !!!
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
Kimberly, your dad also ranked up there as one of my top favorite caligraphic artists.
Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
Another GREAT source for all things dealing with pen & ink is: www.johnnealbooks.com/ Very nice folks as well- Cat
Posted by Steve Racz (Member # 4376) on :
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