Calligraphy / IDEA 216

Calligraphy is offered to all students at RIT as an elective. Students may take this course any number of times because we study a different hand each semester, and advanced students refine a hand or learn new techniques. The diversity of students, skill levels and experience makes this a fantastic class to teach.

This section shows the diversity of projects undertaken by students, many of which are guided by personal interest or professional expertise.

For five years, students also had the opportunity to submit their best calligraphy to the amazingly talented and wonderful Kris Holmes, the designer of Lucida and many other typefaces that we use every day. If accepted into the Type Design class, students created an entire working typeface using their calligraphy as a point of departure.

This combined Calligraphy and Type Design experience was a unique offering in the U.S.

Dramatic black and white book with lyrics from Beatles songs



Student: Lucy Miles

Photography: Mishel Alba

Dramatic black and white book with lyrics from Beatles songs



Student: Lucy Miles

Photography: Mishel Alba

Because I could not stop for Death

by Emily Dickinson Star Book



Student: Isabella Madeira

This Winnie the Pooh quote was selected for an exhibition in the Children's Section of a Rochester Public Library.



Student: Sash Sriganesh

This piece demonstrates the Copperplate Hand in a dreamy illustration



Student: Sash Sriganesh

This piece highlights a large die-cut phrase in Italic with smaller Italic text below. The color is a pastel pattern on the sheet below. This piece was selected for an exhibition in the Children's Section of a Rochester Public Library.



Student: Nilda Casteneda

This is a series of cards on the topic of color



Student: Sash Sriganesh

This is a teaching specimen for the Foundational Hand



Student: Kadin Benjamin

This is an accordion book about freedom in all forms



Student: Makenzie Dorsey

This is an accordion book about freedom in all forms



Student: Makenzie Dorsey

This is a beautiful series of wine bottles



Student: Rachel Pachilis

Top view of Because I could not stop for Death

star book



Student: Isabella Madeira

Opening view of Because I could not stop for Death

star book



Student: Isabella Maderia

Detail view of Because I could not stop for Death

star book



Student: Isabella Madeira

Accordian Book with text on page edges



Student: Sara Wegmann

Accordian Book open view



Student: Sara Wegmann

Accordian Book open view



Student: Sara Wegmann

Accordian Book top view



Student: Sara Wegmann

Whimsical Tarot Card Series with a Snail Theme



Student: Ethan Constant

Snarot Card Death



Student: Ethan Constant

Snarot Card Fool



Student: Ethan Constant

Snarot Cart Tower



Student: Ethan Constant

Snarot Card Lovers



Student: Ethan Constant

Messages embroidered in Foundational Hand on Shirts



Student: Kimberly Gomez

Mixed media project with Foundational Hand on face using a mirror to convey the message



Student: Mike Snyder

Mixed media project with Blackletter Hand on face



Student: Mike Snyder

Series of Thank You Cards



Student: Dayna Britland

Detail of Thank You Card



Student: Dayna Britland

Interior Message of Thank You Card



Student: Dayna Britland

Masterful knitted version of Foundational Hand tapestry project



Student: Dominique Ryalls

Students hard at work in the studio.

Kris Holmes with some of her 2014 Type Design students.

Students look at work in progress in the Type Design Course, 2014.

Travel postcards incorporating illustration and lettering.



Student: Jane Brennan

A digitlized Italic alphabet.



Student: Katy Verzillo

Calligraphy exploration using weaving as a theme.



Student: Hannah Sarakin

Calligraphy exploration using shifted paper as a theme.



Student: Hannah Sarakin

This is an example page of a very comprehensive book with illustrations.



Student: Ezra Boyd

Collaborative chalk wall calligraphy in the Wallace Center.



Student: Olivia Noll

Beautiful lettering on the chalk wall at the RIT Wallace Center.



Student: Janine Bushey

Beautiful chalk lettering adorned the walls of the RIT Wallace Center.



Student: Brendon Strowe

A calligraphic version of refrigerator magnets!



Student: Madison Mitchell

A cool comic book with calligraphic commentary.



Student: Olivia Doret

A festive selection of holiday gift wrap.



Student: Monica Steelman

This is a close-up view of Angler, one of the characters in the Draconid playing card deck.



Student: Lynn Todd

Photography: Samantha Rushton

Illustrations and lettering done by Lynn Todd

The backs of the Draconid card deck.



Student: Lynn Todd

Photography: Samantha Rushton

Illustration and lettering done by Lynn Todd

Examples of some heart and spade face cards in the Draconid deck of cards.



Student: Lynn Todd

Photography: Samantha Rushton

Illustrations and lettering done by Lynn Todd

A wall mural under the RIT dorms using Foundational and Blackletter hands.



Student: Michaela Corey

Photography: Michaela Corey

This is a series using the same inspirational text in Foundational and Blackletter.



Student: Olivia Noll

Photography: Samantha Rushton

This image shows the complex bookbinding.



Student: Rachel Baumgarten

Photography: Samantha Rushton

This is a beautiful book of writing terms.



Student: Rachel Baumgarten

Photography: Samantha Rushton

the first example of the longest word!



Student: Sara Nuffer

Photography: Samantha Rushton

Death in nails and embroidery thread on a piece of wood.



Student: Sara Nuffer

Photography: Samantha Rushton

A page from the book.



Student: Samantha Herman

Photography: Samantha Rushton

This book is a gift to generous grandparents.



Student: Samantha Herman

Photography: Samantha Rushton

This delicious message was created with candy, cookies, and sprinkles!



Student: Olivia Noll

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

This tasty image was created using chocolate!!! YUM!



Student: Olivia Noll

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

This sweet image was created using cookies, candles, pretzels, and frosting!



Student: Olivia Noll

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

An instruction book for daily tasks in which the messages are in calligraphy.



Student: Hannah Giancola

Photography: Hannah Giancola

A page describing in detail how to scrub dishes.



Student: Hannah Giancola

Photography: Hannah Giancola

Note the word scrape done in calligraphy on the windshield!



Student: Hannah Giancola

Photography: Hannah Giancola

A grouping of notebooks for friends with their painted fabric packaging.



Student: Alyssa Heller

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

The interior messages of the notebooks.



Student: Alyssa Heller

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

Three messages burned in wood.



Student: Samantha Ferrigno

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

A close-up view of the wood-burned messages.



Student: Samantha Ferrigno

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

A close-up view of a hand-made lacrosse stick with names of Native American nations all around it.



Student: Samantha Rushton

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

This is a book about the author's family with black and white photographs with mylar overlays.



Student: Kaitlyn Gilmore

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

A page of the book with the mylar overlay.



Student: Kaitlyn Gilmore

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

This image shows the photograph below the mylar text page.



Student: Kaitlyn Gilmore

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

This image was created by laser cutting on wood.



Student: Rob Turley

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

Another version of the laser cut wood treatment.



Student: Rob Turley

Photography: Evgenia Tranevskaya

A series of travel postcards for a trip taken after the semester was over.

Lorrie received these in the mail, with comments from Anem about the trip,

and about life.



Student: Anem Syed Iqbal

Photography: Namhee Kim

A fun box of Foundational letters laser cut at RIT.



Student: Winnie Chen

Photography: Monica Gustin

Close-up of laser-cut Foundational letters.



Student: Winnie Chen

Photography: Monica Gustin

A set of playing cards with words of wisdom and eccentric characters.



Student: Yi Chen

Photography: Monica Gustin

A close-up view of card fronts.



Student: Yi Chen

Photography: Monica Gustin

Laser cut letters in Foundational Hand for a piece by Dr. Seuss.



Student: Amanda Farrington

Photography: Monica Gustin

Life messages in embroidery in Foundational and Blackletter.



Student: Maria Gabriela Angulo Sanchez

Photography: Monica Gustin

A series of floral-related pieces for several people named Rose in one family.



Student: Rebecca Dowling-Fitzpatrick

Photography: Monica Gustin

One of three prints of animals with accompanying Foundational text.



Student: Student: Yun-Chieh (Emma) Hsieh

Photography: Monica Gustin

The series of prints of animals with accompanying text in Foundational Hand.



Student: Yun-Chieh (Emma) Hsieh

Photography: Monica Gustin

A series of quotes by notable design visionaries incorporating Foundational and Blackletter.



Student: Mick Bartholomew

Photography: Monica Gustin

A series of framed pieces for friends of Erika's, using their favorite colors.



Student: Erika Edwards

Photography: Namhee Kim

Kyle decided to do a wall for his apartment using Roman Capitals.



Student: Kyle Laidlaw

Close-up view of Kyle's wall.

A beautiful swashed italic on glass...hard to capture!



Student: Julia Morris

Photography: Lauren Asselmeyer

A book of Italic letters.



Student: Lindsay Ernst

Photography: Elizabeth Haltiner

The title page of Lindsay's book.



Student: Lindsay Ernst

Photography: Elizabeth Haltiner

The sexiest letter of the alphabet, K!.



Student: Lindsay Ernst

Photography: Elizabeth Haltiner

A series based on the song by Alanis Morissette.



Student: Leah Kotas

Photography: Lauren Asselmeyer

Part of a series of inspirational messages to members of a sports team.



Student: Sydney Dacosta

Photography: Lauren Asselmeyer

A piece designed to recognize the accomplishments of the RIT Student Government President.



Student: Andrea Shaver

Photography: Kathryn DiFrancesco

Some cool custom italic pants using bleach and a nib on fabric.



Student: Katherine Curran

Photography: Lauren Asselmeyer

A series from the Harry Potter books.



Student: Ashley DuBois

Photography: Elizabeth Haltiner

A painting of a student's home with the address in Copperplate Hand.



Student: Lauren Everson

Photography: Kathryn DiFrancesco

Part of a series with music lyrics in Blackletter using Copic Markers.



Student: Adrian Tiliacos

Photography: Kathryn DiFrancesco

Close-up view of a piece about Shakespeare.



Student: Julia Morris

Photography: Kathryn DiFrancesco

Three mini-books showing three hands learned in Calligraphy.



Student: Courtney Boire

Photography: Kathryn DiFrancesco

A gift for the student's Father for Father's Day.



Student: Lauren Everson

Photography: Kathryn DiFrancesco

The cup and saucer in the Alice in Wonderland series of kitchenware.



Student: Tori Bonagura

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

The plate in the Alice in Wonderland series of kitchenware.



Student: Tori Bonagura

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

The bowl in the Alice in Wonderland series of kitchenware.



Student: Tori Bonagura

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

An alphabet book in Italic.



Student: Tesia Goddard

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

The V page in the alphabet book.



Student: Tesia Goddard

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

The section page for love letters between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.



Student: Elizabeth Talamo

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

A page from the book of love letters by notable couples.



Student: Elizabeth Talamo

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

Coaster series for every possible happy hour.



Student: Wei Wei Huang

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

Part of a series created for couples celebrating their weddings or anniversaries.



Student: Lauren Everson

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

A romantic statement in copperplate.



Student: Lauren Everson

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

An ad for exciting drinks; part of a series.



Student: Courtney Boire

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

The entire ad campaign.



Student: Courtney Boire

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

A calendar for 2016.



Student: Abigail Smith

Photography: Cassidy Tallman

A romantic piece with illustration.



Student: Jessie Schnall

Photography: Will Kelly

The cover of a book on Psalm 23 as a gift for the artist's mother.



Student: Anita Byers

Photography: Will Kelly

The inside front cover and dedication page of the book by Anita Byers.



Photography: Will Kelly

A fun piece commemorating a nostalgic family vacation location.



Student: Andrew Bernardo

Photography: Will Kelly

The cover of a book of original poems executed in Blackletter and Foundational hand.



Student: Tyler Mowbray

Photography: Will Kelly

A spread from Tyler Mowbray's book of original poems.



Photography: Will Kelly

Another spread from Tyler Mowbray's book of original poems.



Photography: Will Kelly

A piece done for Jamie's twin sister Alexa based on a favorite poem to celebrate graduation and her first job out of school.



Student: Jamie Martinez

Photography: Will Kelly

Calligraphy in pies!



Student: Emily Au

Photography: Emily Au

Family pie crust in progress.



Student: Emily Au

Photography: Emily Au

Family pie crust in progress.



Student: Emily Au

Photography: Emily Au

Finished Thanksgiving Pie.



Student: Emily Au

Photography: Emily Au

Thanksgiving pie crust in progress.



Student: Emily Au

Photography: Emily Au

Emily Au's pie.



Student: Emily Au

Photography: Emily Au

Book on Christopher Walken.



Student: Sophia Del Plato

Photography: Emily Au

Page from book on Christopher Walken.



Student: Sophia Del Plato

Photography: Emily Au

Page from book on Christopher Walken.



Student: Sophia Del Plato

Photography: Emily Au

Bruce Springsteen Lyrics as a gift for the artist's father.



Student: Anita Byers

Photography: Emily Au

The Hungry Caterpillar.



Student: Mary Stalter

Photography: Emily Au

The Hungry Caterpillar.



Student: Mary Stalter

Photography: Emily Au

The Bro Code.



Student: Nicholas Luongo

Photography: Emily Au

Page from The Bro Code.



Student: NIcholas Luongo

Photography: Emily Au

Tarot cards.



Student: Julianna Leone

Photography: Emily Au

Family recipes for the kitchen.



Student: Lauren Everson

Photography: Emily Au

Blackletter in a circle.



Student: Rebecca Boone

A very cool engineered, multi-layered book on moonflowers.



Students: Matt (Spirit) Holbein and illustrations by his good friend Emily

Unfolded view of the book; one of many layers!



Students: Matt (Spirit) Holbein and Emily

An illustrated piece called "Cleft."



Student: Anna Overmoyer

Close up of "Cleft."



Student: Anna Overmoyer

Lettered upholstery with text of a poem with her name!



Student: Autumn Wadsworth

View of the whole chair with the lettered seat.



Student: Autumn Wadsworth

Three creative Mezuzahs.



Student: Jennifer Kotler

Blackletter of text from an invented alphabet.



Student: Armando Aleman

The invented alphabet in its original form.



Student: Armando Aleman

A sheet showing the translation of Armando's alphabet.



Student: Armando Aleman

Can you read this? Time for a translator!



Student: Armando Aleman

One of a series of framed quotes as gifts for professors.



Student: Ashley Koszalka…... Nice gift!!!

An illustrated Mother's Day gift.



Student: Radhika Mehra

An example of projects displayed in the display case on the third floor.

One of a series on "The Sword and the Stone" rendered in AfterEffects.



Student: Brittany Moran

One of a series on "The Sword and the Stone" rendered in AfterEffects.



Student: Brittany Moran

One of a series on "The Sword and the Stone"rendered in AfterEffects.



Student: Brittany Moran

A world map with locations done in Italic.



Student: James Bogardus

Book incorporating photography and Italic.



Student: Jenna Hebeler

Book incorporating photography and Italic.



Student: Jenna Hebeler

Book incorporating photography and Italic.



Student: Jenna Hebeler

A selection of holiday wine glasses (one named for each reindeer) by Emily Butler.



Photograph by Hannah Schwob

One of a series of images used on night lights.



Student: Lori Meyer

A selection of holiday greetings by Kathryn Eble.



Photograph by Hannah Schwob

Musical book about the songs of Billy Joel by Rachel Nicholson.



Photograph by Hannah Schwob

Scarf modeled by the calligrapher/designer, Autumn Wadsworth.



Photograph by Hannah Schwob

Scarf design.



Student: Autumn Wadsworth

Big juicy blackletter.



Student: Jon Lavalley

A student practices Chancery Cursive in class.



Student: John Albertini

Sample of a class project.



Student: Lauren Keller

Close-up view.



Student: Lauren Keller

Sample of a class project.



Student: Lindsay Karl

Sample of a student project.



Student: Garret Voorhees

Fun with big, juicy markers on the first day of class.

Big Juicy Letters done with graffiti markers during a freshman orientation BIG Letters Calligraphy Workshop with Kris Holmes, 2010.

Big Juicy Letters done with graffiti markers during a freshman orientation BIG Calligraphy workshop with Kris Holmes, 2010.

Wall critique.



Various students; Skis are by Lindsay Karl

Sample of a class project.



Student: Remy Glock

Close-up view of shirt designs and tags.



Student: Remy Glock

Display of work done in Blackletter class.



Various students

Blackletter example.



Student: Stephen Pecoraro

Critique of work in progress.