Peannairi, the Association of Irish Calligraphers, has been offering classes in calligraphy and associated skills for over 30 years.

Spring 2024 Calligraphy Classes

A series of 8 classes will be held on Tuesday evenings starting January 16th and finishing on March 19th. (There will be no classes on February 13th or March 12th).

Teacher: Noeleen Frain.  Duration of class: 7- 8.30 pm

Location: Holy Cross Church Parish Centre, Main Street, Dundrum, D14 K820, close to
Dundrum Shopping Centre. There is parking beside the Church Parish Centre and also
in the nearby Shopping Centre. There are good transport links as Dundrum is on the
Green Luas line and is served by several bus routes.

Brief Outline:

This Spring, we are going to focus on the Italic hand. These classes are
suitable for both beginners and improvers who will learn the basic letter forms, spacing,
layout and the use of colour. Each student should also undertake a project of their
choice, depending on their calligraphic experience.

A very short introduction to the history and development of the Italic hand.

Tools and materials: 3.8 Pilot parallel pen, straight pen holder and nibs, inks, A3 marker pad, colour, pencils, brushes. If you have already attended the Autumn classes, you should already have most of the above. If you are a beginner, it would be good to have the Pilot parallel pen (available from Amazon, scribblers.co.uk) and the A3 marker pad (available from Evans)

  1. Introduction to the use of the chisel-edged nib. Size and weight.
  2. Basic structure of the letters. Videos & files to help you with the basic
    skills.
  3. The letter groups with lots of practice.
  4. The Capital letters also with lots of practice.
  5. How to layout a short poem.

There are several skills that go towards producing exciting work: the use of decorative
designs, colour, and different materials (gouache, watercolour, gilding, preparing the
ground, and other ways of enhancing your work). We will look at some of these as they
may arise in the course.

The cost is €100 for Peannairi members and €135 for non-members (non-members become members when they pay for the class).  To reserve your place, please follow these two steps:

  1. Click on the appropriate button below to pay for the course.
  2. Send an email to Brendankingg@gmail.com confirming that you have paid.