Cecilia B Calligraphy

Something “from the beginning” coming soon.
It’s gonna be a wonderful quiet journey.
Stay tuned ♥️

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ITALIAN HAND
Done with a pointed nib and calligraphy gouache on hm paper

This piece embodies some of the techniques I will be teaching in my August online workshop (class in EN).

It will be a privilege for me to have you in class 🙏🏻

🔔 Registration opens July 28 on learncalligraphy.com

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[All rights reserved 2024 CeciliaB Calligraphy]

I’m working on the handout for my upcoming Italian Hand online workshop in August: from sharing my analysis of slants and ratio, to minuscule and majuscule alphabets, to incorporating examples of descenders and ascenders crashing in a 1635 exemplar (they were humans after all!).

I’m having so much fun doing this!!

This class will be hosted by learncalligraphy.com. Join the LearnCalligraphy mailing list to be notified when registration opens!

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I know 3 is the perfect number, but 4 is so sexy 🤩

Which is your favorite number to write?

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June in my
Letter of Galileo to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany in 1615.

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Italian grammar and rusty
{ .cascino tu capisci, vero? }

Surviving another heatwave 🥵

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A card to a friend. One month late, but it finally went out.
on a circle, surrounding a wreath of tiny leaves and flowers. and by TCK.

I will be teaching ITALIAN HAND this August on learncalligraphy.com and I can’t wait yo share my approach to this wonderful script!

PS: I’m not obsessed with measuring as you can see. I have trained my eye to eyeball and I adjust while I write. I trust this process more than having every millimeter planned on paper. This is me 😌

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You know by now I like to revive my worn out pointed nibs.
This exercise was just to see the differences between letters on paper when produced with a pointed nib and with a tiny broad edge nib (same nib but turned into small broad edge).

Same quote, same layout. Just trying to understand the importance of strokes thickness and amount of ink on paper.

Cutting empty space is a serious thing 🤩

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My small compilation of samples with the newest colors of the GIVERNY set from
Each one is a joy to use and watch 🤍

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I told Nana that I was having fun using the new colors they brought me 😂 and that’s not describing how I love them!

HEIRLOOM is amazing!!

More color tests coming in the next days 🥰

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📣 CORSO ONLINE IN ITALIANO 📣

Sono molto felice di annunciare che sono aperte le iscrizioni al mio prossimo corso online.
Studieremo le lettere del NEULAND, divertenti e facili da realizzare.

PIATTE & FELICI - sab 8 + 16 Giugno

Questo ci introdurrà in modo interessante al pennello piatto e alle manipolazioni di questo splendido strumento di scrittura.
Useremo tanti colori, abbinandoli a inchiostri semplici, metallizzati e tempere.

Il corso sarà registrato e rimarrà disponibile per 4 mesi, avrete tutto il tempo per rivedere con calma le lezioni!

Ringrazio Laura&Andrea di per darmi l’opportunità di far conoscere la calligrafia attraverso la loro associazione!!

Iniziate a tenere libero l’ultimo fine settimana di Settembre quando sarò nuovamente a Bergamo (questa volta al Castello di Clanezzo) per la 4a edizione del Festival “Storie ad Acquerello” - seguite l’account ufficiale per scoprire tutti gli artisti che faranno le mini classi durante il festival 🥳
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CALLIGRAPHY GOUACHE IN A PAN 🪄
The new by were a delight to test and the result in flow, usability and comfort of writing is just PERFECT!!
They stay amazingly on paper, and the colors are bright and vivid also after drying.
Thank you Bas&Nana for another gorgeous three colors added to my Crema collection!

Also, my Kokedama picture features the delicate decoration that I’m going to teach in two weeks for online. See link in Bio to read more and REGISTER 🤩

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2024, April 27th

Finally dating POINTED PEN ROMAN CAPITALS again.
Custom color gouache, Departementale Cementee 2552, Canson paper A3 size.
I’m going to be in Toni Watts’ online class in 3h 🤓 let’s see if I can finish this quote by then.
And maybe keep this piece to add illuminated details after the course is over 🤩
Really looking forward to learning how to properly use different illuminating techniques and media!

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Just a quick reminder that registration for my new DECO DELIGHT class will open in 23 hours 🥳 and I can’t wait to share the technique to produce these delicate decorations with all in class!!

This will be a fun 2 sessions class.
May 15 & 17
Recordings available May through September 🙌🏻

Details and registration through link in my bio or
visit www.learncalligraphy.com

Thank you for hosting me!

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{All designs are my personal creation, please respect my work}

A little ITALIAN HAND to start the week after Easter ☺️

The famous quote by Peter Thornton is always a saver when you think you’re not producing enough good calligraphy, isn’t it?

We as calligraphy students are well aware that we need to learn how to handle frustration.

How do you elaborate hard days?
Do you have a mantra for keeping calm?

PS: I will be teaching Italian Hand online on learncalligraphy.com in August. Keep an eye out for sales opening 🤍

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I’m slowly learning this new skill, and creating Easter eggs was so fun while trying to grow my design on a curved surface. Every stroke is an information traveling from the hand to my brain 🤩 how cool is learning new things??

I hope your start into the Easter weekend was good!
Rest and enjoy!!

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March in my

March has been an amazing month. And I was also able to put an idea or two in my Italics Book (here there’s one) and try a final.
Pics 1&2 are the sketch book; the rest is how my hand went on what I was hoping to be the final. That Lf connection was really not in my mind at first and when I realized I had no room for making it different, i simply had to keep going. I don’t quite like it, but that’s it 🤷🏻‍♀️
You learn always a lot from mistakes 😃

Happy Friday you all!

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COPPER-PAISLEY MAJUSCULES
Great session 2 today in class!! We worked on MAKING DESIGN CHOICES related to the structure of Copperplate majuscules 🤍
Thank you for hosting.
See you on the Class Forum in the next days 🤩
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February in my

I must confess, this month’s entry in my Italics book is highly influenced by the last sessions of ‘s Round Hand Masterclass for ‘s Pointed Pen Academy.
I wanted to pair Italics with wide roundish flourishes. And must say I like the result! Although there was no planning here and my asc/desc were done a bit casually from a layout point of view, the overall feeling is more than satisfactory to me. This could be one that I put on final piece very soon 🤩

I will share an overall view of the sketchbook soon. It’s nearly 3 years that I fill a couple of pages with Italics ideas every month ☺️

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MATERIALS USED:
NIB: Mitchell #4
PAPER: A4 sketchbook
GOUACHE: left over gouache from weddings
HOLDER: wood straight holder

Next weekend will mark the end of my 2024 Bastarda Italiana class. We’re going to finish the majuscule letters.
Bastarda Italiana is such an interesting script. It borrowed shapes from Chancery, Gothic, from Italian Hand and made for the perfect playground for many at that time. One of the aspects that I immediately loved about this script is its CONTAMINATION and the idea that I was free to try my own version of some letters to make this script revive.
I am forever grateful for a wonderful group of students with whom I’m sharing my passion.
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Feb 2024, Cecilia B scripsit

COPPER-PAISLEY MAJUSCULES
♥️ A to Z • from the basics of paisleys to three different variations of decorated letters (only one in the pics).

🤩 I can’t wait !

Come join me in this online course. It’s starting March 2nd 😁 class will be in English.

📣 Details and registration through
thegentlepenman.com/copper-paisley-majuscules

March 2, 9, 16, 23

LEARNING is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere 🩵 (Chinese Proverb)

This is dedicated to all students of my 2024 Bastarda Italiana course. We’re meeting every weekend. I’m really pushing hard to cover the most I can, and they are all doing a great job!! I’m super proud of you all!
I’m hoping that what we learn together will stay with you forever 🥰
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This is JANUARY in my
So January 2024 is already over, can you believe?!
I had no time to finish my January pages as I wanted. What I put down is the general idea only. To be honest, I like that the words only make the geometric pattern pop out of the piece. I may do a flat piece with letters only and another flat adding the original idea of decoration just for comparison and final choice 🙃
I started this Italic book in winter 21/22, it 2 years of ideas in Italics
I shall make a video flipping through the pages and decide which one I may try to turn into a real piece 🙃
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Qualche foglio di riscaldamento con il flourishing.
Domenica mattina farò l’ultima lezione provata di flourishing con una studentessa.
Abbiamo iniziato il nostro studio insieme a Ottobre.
Non sono una che corre 😂 di sicuro.
Voglio che ogni ora di studio sia assimilata e digerita prima di proseguire. Inoltre ognuno ha tempi diversi e vanno rispettati.
Chi decide di studiare privatamente sta cercando qualcosa di speciale e sta investendo tempo e denaro su se stessa, ma anche su di me. E non voglio deludere i miei studenti 🤍 perché studio anche io e so cosa significa.
Domenica affronteremo la composizione, un argomento che richiede tempo per essere applicato a dovere. Le lascerò il compito più duro quando ci saluteremo: continuare lo studio da sola. Quello che farò meglio che posso è trasmetterle gli strumenti per proseguire in autonomia.
E trasmetterle tutta la gioia che si prova a fare flourishing!
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A little kindness can
Let’s all SMILE more!

Also, I never paint roses tbh 🤔 but I like them here
AND, I got myself some new cookie cutters 😬

The metallic is ALLURE PINK from 🩷
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Sharing another of my Christmas cards.
This one went out to a dear friend in NY.

This quote means so much to me, and I like that it is now with a person who I admire.

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Gmund envelope decorated with gouache.

It’s my second envelope in 2024.
I’m clearly catching up with my new year’s cards 😂

My envelopes are not always done in a specific calligraphy style. But I always add a small decoration to make it more personal.

I personally think that you don’t really need to have an art background to do this kind of decoration; if you’re stuck with creating something with your envelopes, think it’s just an envelope 😂 JUST START!!! I’m sure you’ll create something nice and most important, something that will mean a lot to the person you’re writing to 🤍

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December in my

I know I’m late ⏰ but I forgot to take pictures of my December pages before leaving for Christmas, so here they are.

Some of you may recognize the December quotes from ‘s monthly quotes. I was not able to share my practice daily, but it’s still one month of daily practice in monoline Italic and gentle Italic Cursive for the credits.

I’ve used different fountain pens for these quotes, loaded with different inks. And you can see the sketchbook holds inks like no other.

The January quotes on the Pointed Pen Collective website are a selection made by one of the PPC students. If you want to contribute with your favorite quotes, just e@ail them to [email protected] 👏🏻

Ready to dive into January’s practice? ☺️
I am!!

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“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” R.M.Rilke
HAPPY NEW YEAR every one! 🤩🎉🌟🤍
I hope our 2024 will be full of love, peace, joy, kindness, beautiful letters and many calligrafriends!
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