Fraktur with Ethan Cohen

This class has been postponed due to Covid-19. Please stay tuned for updates!

Fraktur is an eclectic genre of blackletter forms that was used widely both in calligraphy and in type beginning in the 16th century. It remained prevalent in German-speaking countries until 1941, when it was phased out by the Third Reich. Like all blackletter hands Fraktur is characterized by a bold and dense texture, though it is more decorative and less rigid than its close relative, Textura.

In this workshop we will learn a basic fraktur alphabet, focusing on spacing, rhythm, and texture. We will then explore how these expressive fraktur forms lend themselves to modification and personalization.

Date: Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, 2020
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Price: $160 members/$200 non-members
Level: All are welcome
Location: SVA Annex, 214 E. 21st Street (between 2nd/3rd Ave), Room 703A

 
 
 
 
 

 

MATERIALS LIST

  • Higgins Eternal ink or Walnut ink

  • Straight penholder

  • Two nibs: one Speedball C-0 and one Speedball C-1

  • 9”x 12” or 11"x 14" Borden & Riley #37 Boris Marker Layout pad, or Canson Marker Layout pad

  • Masking tape

  • Paper towel or rag

Calligraphy mail order suppliers have everything and are reliable and fast: Paper & Ink Arts or John Neal Books. Basic supplies can be found locally at Dick Blick and Da Vinci.

INSTRUCTOR

Ethan Cohen is a type designer and calligrapher born and raised in New York City, currently living in Berlin and working as a type designer at LucasFonts. Before moving to Berlin, Ethan received a masters degree in type design from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK), worked at Mucca Design, studied type design at The Cooper Union’s Type@Cooper Extended Program, and served on the Board of Governors of Society of Scribes, where he co-founded the Society of Scribes scholarship program. Ethan likes cats, letters, music (he plays guitar and 5-string banjo), coffee, board games, and coding (in that order), and nothing else.
www.ethancohenstudio.com