Historical Styles of Handwriting in Today’s Design
A focused introduction to historical calligraphy through guided practice
A Hands-on Online Workshop
Next session May 2026 - check for updates or subscribe
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What it is about
This workshop introduces participants to the fundamental principles of historical calligraphy through direct engagement with tools, materials, and letterforms. Designed for researchers and teachers in cultural studies and art history, librarians, students, and independent artists—with no prior experience—it bridges book history, visual form, hands-on practice, and the adaptation of historical handwriting to contemporary aesthetics.
It focuses on a selection of key principles — core ideas that help students understand where to begin and how to approach this art form. While these concepts are typically developed over years of study and regular practice, the workshop offers a structured entry point for further exploration.
The Problem
Teaching calligraphy within a short session presents a specific challenge: the practice requires time, repetition, and an understanding of structure. At the same time, many students primarily engage with text digitally and may encounter ink and quill for the first time in this setting.
This raises a practical question: how can a discipline that is usually developed over years be meaningfully introduced within a two-hour session?
Rather than attempting to compress a full course into a single class, the workshop is structured around foundational principles. It does not promise immediate mastery, but instead offers a framework for understanding—one that students can continue to develop independently or pursue further in a longer course.
This approach differs from many short-format workshops that prioritize immediate visual results without grasping the meaning behind it. Here, the emphasis is on understanding rather than imitation. Calligraphy is approached as a process grounded in observation, structure, and repetition over time.
Students are invited to experiment, to work through the constraints of the materials, and to experience how historical principles translate into their own modern practice.
What students learn
how tools shape writing (quill, nib, surface)
basic structure of letterforms across historical styles
connections between historical scripts and contemporary design principles
relationship between letters, words, and spacing
how historical practices inform present-day aesthetics
difference between handwriting and typography
fundamentals of composition, including monograms
balance between form and space
why handwriting remains relevant today
Why this matters in book history
Calligraphy is not only a visual practice but also a key to understanding how texts were historically produced, transmitted, and read.
By working directly with tools and letterforms, students gain insight into the material conditions of manuscript production: the relationship between writing surface, instrument, and the resulting script. This shifts their perspective from reading text as neutral content to recognizing it as a constructed visual and material form.
The workshop also highlights the distinction—and connection—between reading and writing. Engaging in the act of writing reveals structural decisions that are often invisible to the reader, such as spacing, rhythm, balance of graphic elements, and proportion.
More broadly, it introduces students to the materiality of text: how form, tool, and gesture shape meaning. This perspective is essential for understanding manuscripts, early printed books, and the continued influence of historical writing on contemporary visual culture.
Workshop format & content
The workshop offers:
rare knowledge within the North American context
a structured introduction to core principles of handwriting
an engaging aesthetic and material experience
The session is structured in five parts, each reflecting a core principle of handwriting. Each segment (20–25 minutes) combines a short historical introduction (5–7 minutes) with guided practice (15–20 minutes), allowing students to immediately apply each principle.
Workshop length
2 hours + 30 min discussion & feedback
For individual participants
Online format
small group (8–10 participants)
individual guidance during the session
brief individual feedback at the end
materials PDF provided in advance
The workshop will be confirmed once a minimum of 6 participants is reached.
Price per participant: $65
For groups of 10 or more please reach out: info@dsartistrylabs.com
Register here
Tax rate must be choosen according to your province.
Optional
Participants are encouraged to try writing with a goose quill — a unique experience that introduces the physicality and historical authenticity of writing. Upon request, I offer prepared goose quills, crafted and sharpened for writing.
Price: $15 per quill + shipping
Materials
No specialized materials are required beyond basic tools. The focus of the workshop is on beginning to write and understand the principles of form. Each participant will need:
5–7 sheets of standard printer/copy paper
black ink (a small bottle is sufficient)
a small container for ink (any small cup or lid, approx. 3–5 cm in diameter)
a properly prepared quill (alternatively: a dip pen with a metal nib and holder)
Visual materials
A selection of slides from previous workshops:
The workshop can be adapted to different levels of experience and course contexts.
Other content options
(in-class and online versions)
The workshop is designed as a practical complement to a history or theory-based course and can be adapted depending on its focus:
History + practice
Alternating short presentations with exercises: introducing historical examples and letter structures, followed by guided writing practice.Models of handwriting
Studying historical and contemporary examples, with emphasis on context, then copying selected models. This involves spatial planning and adaptation to the tool.Decorative initials / monograms
Focusing on the construction of capital letters. This approach emphasizes composition, precision, and rhythm, and can include working from historical models.Composition-based exercises
A practice-focused session centered on writing and copying prepared materials, allowing students to explore rhythm, spacing, and variation over time.
Two options, 1) in person, by invitation, and 2) online.
For the online course: the practical part will be recorded and played during the webinar. Live interraction with participants allows feedback and answering their questions.
This workshop can be adapted to courses in book history, typography, cultural studies, art history, or studio practice.
If you are interested in bringing a similar session to your students, feel free to get in touch: info@dsartistrylabs.com
For independent artists and those interested in historical handwriting, I also offer small-group workshops. If you would like to participate, please send an expression of interest to: info@dsartistrylabs.com. A session can be scheduled once a small group is formed.
Offered by
Diana Bychkova, MFA, MLIS, PhD
A book historian, book artist, restorer, and library and information science specialist, Diana’s combined background with 20+ years of experience spanning Ukraine, Italy, and Canada—in book arts, librarianship, and academic research—bridges practice and theory in rare book stewardship, offering a rare blend of scholarly insight and hands-on expertise.
She has collaborated with antiquarian shops, libraries, museums; frequently participated in a variety of book/antiquarian fairs across Europe and Canada; created and published award-winning limited edition books using both historical and modern methods of printing and binding; restored antique books providing full historical documentation.
More details: www.dsartistrylabs.com
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