From the course: Learning Calligraphy
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Adding flourishes: When, where, and how
From the course: Learning Calligraphy
Adding flourishes: When, where, and how
- Flourishes, also known as swashes, add an extra dollop of deliciousness to your calligraphy. They can add emphasis, become a focal point, and draw the viewer into the writing. I think of flourishes as the icing on the cake. But, too much icing can be too much. There should be a reason to add a flourish. One good reason is to emphasize the starting point of your text. It's like a bow on your gift box. This piece was done by Alice, one of my calligraphic mentors. Here's another piece by Alice, showing how a ascenders and decenders often present good opportunities for flourishes. Alice flourished both ascenders and decenders in the word Storytelling. Notice there's another flourish coming off the tail of the Q in the word below. These flourishes create dynamic movement on this book cover. It's unusual, but even flourishing numbers can accent a design, as in this piece from Nick Benson. Flourishes can really add to your calligraphic designs as long as you have the space to let them…
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