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
Jamielynn Gallagher decided to create some calligraphy on clothing.
Student: Jamielynn Gallagher
Ge Wu created an oversized letter with a Hogwarts theme.
Student: Ge Wu
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 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
Mixed media project with Foundational Hand on face using a mirror to convey the message
Student: Mike Snyder
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
Death in nails and embroidery thread on a piece of wood.
Student: Sara Nuffer
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
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 set of playing cards with words of wisdom and eccentric characters.
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
A beautiful swashed italic on glass...hard to capture!
Student: Julia Morris
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 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
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
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
Part of a series created for couples celebrating their weddings or anniversaries.
Student: Lauren Everson
Photography: Cassidy Tallman
The cover of a book on Psalm 23 as a gift for the artist's mother.
Student: 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 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
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics as a gift for the artist's father.
Student: Anita Byers
Photography: Emily Au
A very cool engineered, multi-layered book on moonflowers.
Students: Matt (Spirit) Holbein and illustrations by his good friend Emily
A selection of holiday wine glasses (one named for each reindeer) by Emily Butler.
Photograph by Hannah Schwob
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.