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
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.
More Featured Profiles and Work
J.R. Schmidt
Patrick Clarke
first year students
Jason Arena