Art Answers: Calligraphy

The Abbey Studio, established by Maryanne Grebenstein in 1982, is a professional calligraphy studio that produces hand lettered documents as well as offering calligraphy courses. Maryanne teaches this ancient craft at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, at MassArt, and as a visiting artist at The Corcoran College of Art & Design in Washington, D.C. From 2003-2009, Maryanne was a professor at the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston.

Admiring the stunning works created by medieval monks is one thing - considering trying to attempt to recreate the concept is another. It looks very difficult but for anyone who wants to try, this book is a good place to start. It sets out to provide answers to all the questions anyone has about calligraphy. What equipment do you need? What are the basic strokes? How do you correct a word spacing mistake? How can you create a letterhead? How do you create the different types of scripts? How do you embellish scripts with pictures and borders? How can you make a simple book? It is an almost encyclopedic book on the subject, yet written in easy to understand language that even a total beginner can follow. A very useful reference book for anyone wanting to try or expand their calligraphy skills.-Monstersandcritics.com