March 25, 2026 Meeting: Italian Print with Violet Smythe (In Person)

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Time: 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Location: Peace Church Peace Church, 659 52 AVE E, Vancouver, BC V5X 1G8.

Handouts and printable guideline sheets are available at the members-only portal (please log in and go to Program Recordings): https://wcs.s1.yapla.com/en/

Membership has its benefits – register here to become a member.  
Would you like to check us out before committing? Please contact our Membership Chair at membership@westcoastcalligraphy.com to arrange a complimentary guest visit during this in-person meeting. We would love to meet you!

 

“This is a hand that I discovered in my research for a workshop I was creating in Art Nouveau letters.  It is from the Draughtsman’s Alphabets – A series of Plain and Ornamental Alphabets designed especially for Engineers, Architects, Draughtsmen, Engravers, Painters, etc. by Hernamm Esser.  Published by Keuffel and Esser Co. New York 20th Edition.  I found it on Archive.org which is a great resource: https://archive.org/details/draughtsmansalp00essegoog/page/n6/mode/2up

The handout I created is based on this hand using Pilot Parallel Pens (PPP) 3.0mm size pen.  I have created guidelines for pen sizes 2.4mm to 6.0mm so you need only print off the guide sheets that correspond with your pen size.  If you don’t have a Pilot Parallel Pen then you can try the hand with a broad edge nib like a Speedball C 2 nib.  

See you at the first in person Meeting on March 25th!”

– Violet

March 28 & 29th Workshop with Richard Draffin (Official Calligrapher for Veterans Affairs)

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Both members and Non-members may register by clicking here: https://wcs.s1.yapla.com/en/events

For MEMBERS:
1. Click the Register button 
2. Select I am a member, and log in with your email and password. Click Next.
4. Click the button “+ Add a participant” and proceed with registration.

For NON-MEMBERS:
1. Click the Register  button
2. Select I am NOT a member
3. Then click the button, “Sign up without becoming a member”
4. Click the button “+ Add a participant” and proceed with registraiton.

 

An Introduction to Gestural Lettering – This con-temporary calligraphy uses gestural strokes to make more calligraphic than traditional letters. This work-shop will focus on the variations in letterforms, rhythm, and script that result from incorporating speed and movement into the writing process, using a variety of tools.

Class size is a maximum of 18 registrants.

WHEN: Saturday, March 28th & Sunday, March 29th, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m (please arrive by 9:30 a.m. to set up)

WHERE: South Surrey Recreation and Art Centre in the Turnbull Gallery
South Surrey Athletic Park, Address: 14601 20 Ave, Surrey, BC V4A 9P5

>> Download the FLYER here.

Fees: Canadian / American WCS Members registration is via the website live on February 1st, 2026. You have the option to pay by e transfer or credit card (all done through the Yapla platform). The workshop fee includes the processing fees. 

  • Members: $156.40  CAD        
  • Non-members: $171.75 CAD

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Violet Smythe at seminars@westcoastcalligraphy.com.

About the Calligrapher/Artist…

Since 2009, Richard Draffin has been the calligrapher who updates and maintains Canada’s Books of Remembrance for Veterans Affairs Canada. Calligraphy requires a great deal of care and technique. Using traditional methods of lettering, every brush stroke and every letter is done by hand and his meticulous work ensures that the books are preserved for years to come.

Richard has studied under many notable calligraphers. From Thomas Ingmire, he learnt to break from traditional with the introduction of Roman Cursive scripts. From Denis Brown, he gained specific skills on the stroke and where the stroke fits into a piece. From Yves Leterme, he learned how to move into gestural movements from known scripts (or a more common script) and from Brody Neuenschwander, he started to appreciate the whole broadsheet as one, which in some ways took him back to his studies with Thomas Ingmire.

Here is a link to a video that can be viewed on Facebook where Richard speaks to the work that he does on Canada’s Books of Remembrance: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BnGvt5jWB/

WCS Presents: Gothic Cursive—An online workshop with Nina Tran

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Registration opens April 5th, 2026, and closes on May 18th, 2026
2-Day Zoom Workshop: Saturday, May 23 and 30, 2026
10 a.m. to 3:00 pm Pacific (includes 1/2 hour lunch)

Fees: Members $95.00 CAD This fee includes service and transaction fees.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF WESTCOAST CALLIGRAPHY SOCIETY TO REGISTER. Not a member? Click on this link to join our Society. Membership has its privileges.

The class minimum is 25 and capped at a maximum of 50 participants.

The sessions are delivered via Zoom and are recorded and available to view for 60 days from the last session. Review of submissions made on Padlet by registrants will be made until June 5th, 2026 by Nina.

TO REGISTER

Step 1: Email Violet Smythe at seminars@westcoastcalligraphy.com to be put on the class list.

Step 2: Between April 5th to May 18th: Visit the Event Registration page at https://wcs.s1.yapla.com/en/events and click the Register then click “I am a member” and log in with your membership email and password. Click Next then click “+ Add A Participant” and proceed with the registration. Once the process is complete and payment has been made and verified, you will get an email confirming your registration in the workshop.

Didn’t join and register in time? Send Violet an email to be added to the waitlist. is no refund unless the spot can be filled from the waitlist.

MATERIALS LIST

  • Broad edge pen of your choice: 
    • Pilot Parallel Pens (PPPs) 1.5 and 2.4mm
    • Mitchell sizes 1.5 and 3
    • Brause 2.5 and 1.5mm
  • Ink (cartridges for PPP or in an inkwell for dip pens)
  • Straight pen holder for dip pens
  • Paper: 9×12″ Borden & Riley Boris 37 Marker Layout
  • Mechanical Pencil
  • Eraser
  • 12″ ruler
  • Low-tack adhesive tape such as washi, Scotch, artist’s tape, etc.
  • Paper towels
  • Small container for water
  • Optional: Small brush for mixing and applying gouache (if using gouache)

OUR GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Nina Tran is a calligrapher based in sunny Los Angeles, California. In 2015, she was introduced to Copperplate calligraphy and has not put the pen down since! She currently teaches in-person and online classes including Copperplate, Spencerian, Pointed Pen Flourishing, Monoline Foundational, Gothic Textura & Fraktur, and Gothicized Italic. A beloved and talented teacher, she has taught for the Society for Calligraphy, and numerous Calligraphy Societies and Guilds as well as a number of conferences.

As a single mom of three, she finds balance by reserving her early mornings for reflection and journaling. Since 2016, she has conducted over 350 live Q&A sessions via Instagram. You can tune in every Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:00 a.m. (Pacific Time).

March 7, 2026 Saturday Meet-Up: Decorated Versals

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Our first sessions were a great success! Join us for our next Saturday meet-up where we will be working on decorated versals.

Registration is now open for members for our next Saturday Meet-Up! There will be no fee for members to attend.

Program: Decorated Versals
Location: Surrey Library -Clayton Branch (2nd floor)
Address: 7155 187A Street, Surrey BC V4N 6L9
Maximum registrants: 20

Registration for non-Members opens on February 9th.
Please email seminars@westcoastcalligraphy.com
to register! Membership has its privileges!

Guests and Non-Members Contact us at seminars@westcoastcalligraphy.comto ensure we are prepared to welcome you to your complimentary first visit. There will be a nominal $5 drop-in fee to non-members to attend subsequent sessions.

This is also an opportunity to bring other calligraphy projects to work on alongside your fellow society members, brainstorming ideas, and learning valuable tips from others to share in our love of letters

 

February 28, 2026 Program: Brush up on Brush Pens (via Zoom)

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What: Brush up on Brush Pens – Minuscules with Valerie Akkerman

When: February 28, 2026 (Saturday) from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Where: Online via Zoom

The Zoom recording and handout is available in the Members Portal: https://wcs.s1.yapla.com/en/
Log in to your account and go to Program Recordings.

Join us for an exploration into brush pen calligraphy!

In this workshop we will look at the various pen options available, basics strokes, and the press/release techniques needed to create a minuscule alphabet.

Brush up on Brush Pens – Minuscules with Valerie Akkerman

Supplies:

  • Brush Pen – chances are, you have a pointed brush pen somewhere in your stash of supplies!
  • Valerie will be demonstrating with a variety of brush pens.A good beginner pen is the Tombow Fudenosuke.
  • -aper – Smooth paper works best!HP32 laser paper, Rhodia pads, and Canson marker paper are great options
  • Optional: Ecoline watercolor

Please log in to Zoom around 9:45am so we can be all ready to go at 10:00am.

January 24th Meeting: Mouse Roman Online Workshop with Josie Brown

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This event is now over and the link to the recording has been emailed to the members. Members may also log in to the Members-Only area of our website to access this for 30 days from the date of the program. Thank you!

Time: January 24, 2025 10:00am to 12:00pm Pacific
Zoom Meeting

It’s fun, it’s lively and it’s contemporary!  This session is an  introduction to a script which is easy to learn for beginners and a light-hearted contrast to other hands for those with some experience.  It can be carried out simply in monoline form or penmanship skills can be developed using press & release techniques.  This script is particularly useful for informal and spontaneous work like greetings cards, journals or little books and anyone can play with the letterforms, enjoying their happy-go-lucky stance on the page.

Materials:

  • Small pointed nib such as a Brause 66EF or a Brause Rose nib or just a mapping nib, if you have one and nib holder.
  • HB pencil, Eraser, 30cm ruler
  • A4 (8.3″ x 11″)  OR A3 (11″ x 17″) pad of layout or cartridge paper
  • Paper towel, water container
  • Non-waterproof ink or gouache or watercolour paints (ready mixed for writing with) and a palette
  • Colour pencils  (optional)
  • Fine liner pen such as a Uni, Pilot or Staedtler pigment liner (size 0.2 or 0.3).
  • Metal rule (or metal edged ruler), cutting mat (or back of a pad) and craft knife
  • A few short, snappy or comical quotations, riddles, haikus, etc

 If you’d like to work along with the tutor, have some A4 sheets of cartridge or layout ready-ruled with pencil lines at:

  • 1 cm (X-height) and 2 cm (interlinear gap), and
  • 5 mm (x-height) and 1 cm (interlinear gap)