Welcome to
The Blackletter Masterclass
Learn Blackletter Calligraphy the easy way
(Even if you don't have neat handwriting 😉)
Discover the proven techniques that have helped thousands of students learn to write beautifully
Description
Learn Blackletter Calligraphy the easy way with this full instructional course.
Here's some of what's included:
- 🎥 The Core Masterclass Curriculum: 10+ hours of video tutorials and course materials walking you through everything you need to create amazing blackletter art, including step-by-step video walkthroughs of:
- An easy-to-learn lowercase alphabet
- A full blackletter uppercase alphabet
- A more advanced “fancy” uppercase alphabet
- Letter variations – modifying letters to create your own new alphabets and ideas
- 🔑 Lifetime Access to all the course materials: you’ll get ongoing access to all of the course materials so that you can learn and advance at your own pace
- 📚 Complete Blackletter Builder Collection (Normally $115): Get the complete collection of Blackletter Builder Products
- 🧰 Instructional Books & Guide Sheets: Get hundreds of pages of helpful guide sheets that give you all the support you need to write the alphabets and dozens of popular words. Use the popular words guides to make personal greetings and gifts that will be cherished by family and friends.
- ✒️ Flourishing Basics: Learn essential rules for flourishing so you can experience the joy of beautifully embellishing your letters.
- 📏 Letter Spacing: Dig into the details of letter spacing. You’ll learn the foundations of spacing with examples, plus get a list of easy words to write for practice.
- 🔨 Tools & Maintenance: You’ll get guides of recommended supplies (including a few secret weapons 😉), including how to store and maintain your pens so that you can keep using them for years.
- 🎨 Color Theory: Learn how color works, about palettes, and color psychology (and more). Build your color confidence and be better informed when you buy supplies.
- 🖼️ Composition: You’ll jump into the world of composition and review a toolbox of concepts that you can use to level up your designs.
- 🧠 Infinite Inspiration Engine: You’ll never ask, “What should I write?” again. Learn how to build an Infinite Inspiration Engine so you always have meaningful ideas at your fingertips when you write.
- 💡 Project Ideas: Learn about tons of project ideas for pushing your blackletter boundaries with specific examples that have been shown in exhibitions, galleries, and published internationally.
- 📜 Manuscript Library: A lifetime of inspiration in one handy location. Get inspiration from a curated collection of centuries of work by made dozens of masters and scribes.
And there’s more – even this list doesn’t describe everything for you to discover in this massive class.
This course gives you all the tools you need to have fun while you learn this fulfilling and flexible art 😃
What exactly is Blackletter Calligraphy?
You might think it's just an old-fashioned style of lettering (it's literally called "Old English" in some books and references), but, from TV shows to logos, products, and advertising, it's still hugely popular in art, design, and branding.
Here are just a few examples of what you can create with these skills...
Calligraphy is one of the most rewarding skills you'll ever learn
Combining simple tools with a skill as familiar as writing the alphabet to make magic on a page is a joy
“How excellent that handwriting can provide anoutlet for skill and esthetic feeling…How satisfying whensomething ordinary and commonplace is raised toward the beautiful.”
– Alfred Fairbank, Calligrapher, Palaeographer, Author
From a recent study of school-aged children and adults at the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at NTNU:
“We conclude that because of the benefits of sensory-motor integration due to the larger involvement of the senses as well as fine and precisely controlled hand movements whenwriting by handand when drawing,it is vital to maintain both activities in a learning environment to facilitate and optimize learning.”
– Eva Ose Askvik, F. R. (Ruud) van der Weel and Audrey L. H. van der Meer. “The Importance of Cursive Handwriting Over Typewriting for Learning in the Classroom: A High-Density EEG Study of 12-Year-Old Children and Young Adults.” *Frontiers in Psychology* (First published: July 28, 2020)
From a recent study of 42 adults conducted at the Johns Hopkins Department of Cognitive Science:
“The finding that thebenefits of writing practice extend beyond penmanship to both letter and word comprehension and productionindicates that handwriting can be a productive use of learning time.”
– Robert W. Wiley and Brenda Rapp. “The Effects of Handwriting Experience on Literacy Learning.” Psychological Science (First published: June 29, 2021)
So, why do so many people give up on Blackletter?
It usually boils down to two things:
"Blackletter looks intimidating" and "I don't know where to start"
It looks intimidating
You see this beautiful writing out in the world or an artist online creates a masterpiece seemingly effortlessly, and you figure, "There's no way I could do that."
Every creative person, whether they practice for fun or have an audience of millions, knows this feeling but there are so many wonderful, rewarding experiences on the other side.
Using a lesson learned from a little locomotive all that's needed is a courageous pivot to: "I think I can..." 🚂
There's a universe of possibility in that one mental shift, and learning this art is easier than you think!
Where do I start?
Does this sound familiar? You find a book with lots of different alphabets, and they all have arrows pointing every which way for every single letter (often with instructions on twisting and turning your pen while making each line).
It feels like it would be a miracle to successfully pull off one letter - let alone a word, sentence, or an entire paragraph.
You still try - you get some supplies, make your first line, and the ink bleeds everywhere. It's a mess and looks nothing like the book.
Learning calligraphy feels like mission impossible.
You absolutely can write beautifully
You can learn to create art that fills you with joy and dazzles your friends and family
So, how do you succeed and avoid all the uncertainty and frustration?
You get the right tools (what's great with calligraphy is they don't have to be expensive) and use a system that’s easy, fun, and that works
Next, all you need is a little guidance - a helping hand that's supportive, encouraging, and keeps you coming back for more because you're making progress (and enjoying the process along the way).
This class distills thousands of hours of teaching and learning experience into an immersive, comprehensive course.
Using the innovative new Blackletter Builder System you'll get a clear structure for learning every single letter.
By the end, you’ll know how to easily write a flexible lowercase and two uppercase alphabets.
You’ll also and have tons of ideas for using your new skills to develop your own unique style and make awesome calligraphy art.
Plus, all of the material is presented using a fun and positive teaching style that’s super supportive, encouraging you to play and have fun while you create 😊
You'll get value wherever you are in your journey...
Organize content into multiple columns to share useful information to your customers about your products, values...
Beginner
If you’ve never tried calligraphy, this class is a perfect place to start.
Save countless hours and money by starting with the right tools and resources all in one convenient place.
Plus, with ongoing access, there’s no rush to consume everything in a rush – you get the flexibility to learn and advance at your own pace.
Intermediate
Already have some calligra-skills under your belt? Awesome!
This class will introduce you to three traditional Blackletter alphabets, including a unique version of two uppercase alphabets.
You’ll also get all the other content, resources, and tools – dive into color theory, advanced project ideas, composition, nuances of letter spacing, and more.
Advanced
Already a Blackletter superstar?Dig into topics like color theory, posture tips, composition, and explore the incredible collection of historical resources in the manuscript library.
I can’t tell you how many times I got lost looking at these building this class. Some of the books have hundreds of pages packed with amazing lettering, flourishes, cadels, and much, much, more!) – a lifetime of inspiration!
One more thing...
Who's the instructor?
If we haven’t met before – hi, I’m Tamer 👋
your friendly neighborhood calligrafriend
Ever since I was a kid, my heart’s belonged to the world of art and creativity – enchanted by the hum of lightsabers, the voyages of enterprising starships, and the heroic deeds of superheroes.
From drawing to photography, music to fountain pens, I’ve had quite a creative journey – but when I found calligraphy, I knew I’d discovered something special.
I’ve been honored to have my work shown in exhibitions, galleries, and published internationally, but I found real magic in teaching and sharing the joy of calligraphy with thousands of enthusiastic creatives across the world.
A few of the spots you might have seen my work or classes
There’s nothing like seeing a student’s eyes light up, beaming with happiness because they made something they’re proud of.
Even better is seeing them realize that they were always capable of making beautiful art and just needed a little help onto the path of a lifetime of creative fulfillment.
This is the ✨magic✨ I can’t wait to share with you…
Ok, I get it - this class sounds awesome. But what's actually in the course?
Great question. Here's what the course curriculum looks like
👋 Introduction
This section provides an introduction, welcome, and overview of the course with some suggestions on where to start with the class materials.
🧰 Section 1: Supplies & Maintenance
- In this section, you'll get my complete supplies guide listing all of my favorite calligraphy tools.
- There's also a book that covers just the essentials so that you don't waste money and end up with a bunch of tools you don't need
- You'll also learn about some of my "secret weapons" of calligraphy supplies and favorite tools I use to run my creative business.
- We'll also walk through a few tips on storing your pens and how to clean and maintain them.
✍️ Section 2: Lowercase Alphabet Walkthrough
- A full walkthrough using the Blackletter Builder guidesheets included with the class.
- We'll step through every lowercase letter - I'll show you how to construct each one using a few easy, basic lines.
✍️ Section 3: Simple Uppercase Alphabet Walkthrough
- A full walkthrough using the Blackletter Builder guidesheets included with the class.
- We'll step through uppercase letter - I'll show you how to construct each one using a few easy, basic lines.
✍️ Section 4: Fancy Uppercase Alphabet Walkthrough
- We're leveling up now! This section includes a full walkthrough of a fancier uppercase alphabet using the Blackletter Builder guidesheets included with the class.
- We'll step through every lowercase letter - I'll show you how to construct each one using a few easy, basic lines.
🔬 Section 5: Letter Variations
- Now we're really having some fun - we're familiar with the alphabet and will just have some fun playing with the letters.
- This section is entirely focused on free exploration - modifying and playing with the letters to create entirely new alphabets.
- We'll step through each one of the lowercase letters and invent multiple variations of each one.
- By the end of this section, you'll have a taste for just how fun and flexible this style of calligraphy can be 😊
📐 Section 6: Letter Spacing
- In this section, we unlock the mysteries of letter spacing.
- We'll boil down a complex topic into two basic systems
- You'll also get my collection of letter spacing guides with tons of historical references showing how words and letter pairs were constructed and combined
✒️ Section 7: Flourishing Basics
- In "Flourishing Basics" we'll review my basic flourishing categories
- We'll also review how I approach flourishing in my work and some fundamental rules that you can use in yours
🧠 Section 8: Blackletter Project Ideas
- If you think the only way to use Blackletter Calligraphy is to write blocks of text in old-fashioned books, then you're really going to enjoy this section
- We'll review several ideas for creatively working with Blackletter, including pulling it through the time-space continuum into the 21st century and combining it with modern software programs
- Get your flux capacitors ready - this one's going to be fun!
📓 Section 9: Terminology
- If you've ever heard one of those fancy calligraphy or typography words, but weren't sure what it actually meant - this terminology section is for you.
- I've compiled a collection of the most comment terms and created a visual, blackletter-focused reference guide.
🖼️ Section 10: Composition
- The goal of this section is to fill up your calligraphy tool belt.
- In the "Composition" section, we'll review key concepts of layout and design.
- You'll build an understanding of the key tools used to create dynamic, interesting compositions
💪 Section 11: Posture
- The goal of this section is to share some suggestions for good posture and workstation setup while you work
- We'll go over some key considerations for your work space and talk about tips to help with your posture, protecting against long term injury and repetitive strain.
📝 Section 12: Practice Tips
If you need a hand figuring out how to structure your practice, in this section we'll discuss a few tips for how structure your time when you sit down to write.
💡 Section 13: Infinite Inspiration Engine
- Speaking of practice sessions, one of the most common questions I get from students when they sit down to practice is, "What should I write?"
- In this section, we'll review tons of ways to find inspiration, helping you to build your own "Infinite Inspiation Engine"
- Applying the advice in this section, you'll never have a shortage of meaningful content to write ever again
🖋️ Section 14: Tips for Lefties
- Full transparency - as two of my favorite swordsmen of all time once said, "I am not left-handed."
- But, I've tried to compile a bunch of tips for the 10-12% of calligrafriends out there who are. In preparing for this section, I even attempted some left-handed calligraphy, trying to validate the tips I found.
- I've consolidated the suggestions from my research into the guide provided in this section.
🚀 Section 15: What's Next?
- This section is all about continued improvement and advancement.
- Once you've become comfortable writing the letters, you'll probably wonder, "What do I do next?"
- Combined with the "Project Ideas" section, this area of the course introduces a few ways to level up your practice so that you can keep making progress.
📜 Section 16: Manuscript Library
A lifetime of inspiration all collected in one place. Learn and get inspired by centuries of masters and scribes. Get access to my massive curated collection of curated manuscripts (and other stuff).
🎨 Section 17: Color Theory
- In "Color Theory" we'll talk about all things color
- We'll cover how we see color (with some real surprises) and the foundational color schemes
- We'll also go over how color works in the media we use (like inks and paints), color combinations, palettes, and talk about color psychology.
⬇️ Downloads: Additional Course Materials, Tools, and Resources
The course includes a bunch of downloadable tools and references across the various sections. Here are a few that are included:
- Popular Word Guidesheets: Guide sheets for dozens of popular words you can combine into phrases and messages for your practice or to share with friends and family. I've created versions of these for five different pen sizes to them them flexible for a variety of projects.
- Easy Words List: a list of words that work great for the easiest type of spacing. This'll set you up perfectly with plenty of things to write while you're learning to make all of these lovely letters
- Pangram Builder: An amazing tool for learning calligraphy, you'll get a library of fun pangrams and a tool to help you invent your own
🎁 Bonuses
Scroll down to the next section for all the details on some awesome bundled bonuses!
🎁 Did you say bonuses?
Yup. I've decided to bundle in some extra bonuses, just for fun
Blackletter Builder Complete Collection (Normally $115)
You'll get The Blackletter Builder Complete Collection bundled with the Masterclass. This bundle provides detailed step-by-step instructions and guides that make learning Blackletter calligraphy easy.
Q&A Session Recordings
Watch the recordings from two Q&A sessions held during the course launch, where we talked about fitting text into circles, flourishing, favorite reference and inspiration books, tools, and more 😃
My 100% Satisfaction Guarantee & Money-Back Promise
I want the investment in this course to be an absolute no-brainer for you – if you’re planning to actually do the work 😃
This course is the culmination of years of effort and countless hours of work, so it’s important to me that you get value from it. There is a ton of information in the class, so “doing the work” technically involves completing the core lowercase and uppercase alphabet modules. If you’ve done that and, for whatever reason, aren’t 100% happy with your experience, drop me an email (within 30 days of purchasing the course) and I’ll happily refund your entire payment
However, please note that the money-back guarantee only applies if you’ve completed those core modules and included your reason for the cancellation in the email.
FAQ
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Do I need to have neat handwriting to learn calligraphy?
Nope. Anyone can learn to write in this style by following a few simple steps. I'll walk you through the entire process of easily writing a lowercase and uppercase alphabet, and you don't need any previous experience (and you definitely don't need neat handwriting 😊)
Do I need any calligraphy experience for this class?
Also nope 😊. You'll get all of the information you need - from basic supplies to writing letters and words (and much more). You don't need any previous experience.
Do I need a bunch of expensive supplies?
You don't need a bunch of expensive supplies to learn calligraphy—all of the supplies you need to participate and follow along can be purchased for less than around $35-$40 (in the US). There are certainly a ton of fun and amazing tools out there, but all you need are a broad-nib pen, ink, and paper.
Will any handouts be provided in the class?
You bet! There are literally over 1,000 pages of instructional books and guides included in this class that you can print and use at your convenience.
How long will I have access to the class?
The short answer: You'll get lifetime, ongoing access to this class with no experiation.
The long version: I'm sometimes asked what "lifetime" access practically means, so here's what I can tell you - you'll have access to this class (no ongoing subscription, renewal, etc.) for as long as I have an online teaching platform.
I have zero plans to stop teaching and making super valuable courses (I love teaching and creating this stuff 😊), so I plan for this to be available for a very long time into the future (my plan is on the scale of many years/decades ahead).
Your purchase of content like this is how I make this possible - so from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support.
Is this a live, limited-time class with an expiration?
No, this is a pre-recorded course that you can watch and learn from at your own pace, and you get lifetime access (no expiration).
Have a question? Still not sure?
Drop me an email here...
If you've got any questions about the course, I'm just an email away. Drop me a line and I'll do my best to help 😊