THOUGHTS, TUTORIALS & UPDATES

of Katie Leavens

Hand-drawn diagram on blue graph paper--a gray pencil calligraphy stroke with red construction lines, numbered points 1 to 5 and lettered points a to d, under the handwritten words

Geometry of Roundhand

Analyzing Henry Dean's 1808 Diagram | Oct 20, 2026

One morning in 2024, I fell down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what a diagram from an 1808 writing manual was trying to teach. It's from Henry Dean's Analytical Guide to the Art of Penmanship. I found it reproduced in an old issue of Letter Arts Review ...

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San Francisco Penman and Engrosser History written in spencerian script by Katie Leavens

San Francisco Penmen

engrossing history of the bay area | Jul 15, 2026

There are two "schools" of calligraphy in America. Often it is thought of as broad-edge verses pointed pen. But, I tend to think of it as the Johnstonian vs the Engrossers. Edward Johnston is famous for "rediscovering" medieval writing and its craft. He was part of the larger Arts and Crafts ...

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'Calligraphy' written in red copperplate abover 'The art of producing artistic, stylized, or elegant writing' in a smaller black italic calligraphy

A primer of calligraphy jargon

the calligrapher's vocabulary defined | Mar 24, 2022

As in any craft or job, calligraphers have their own jargon. When talking to friends or clients, we often forget that our everyday vocabulary is jargon to others. This can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Below, I have listed some of the most commonly misunderstood calligraphy terms, and defined them as ...

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close up of black flourished Velde signature in a italian hand calligraphy style with spirals and ribbon flourishes

Flourishing as emphasis

using design principles in your flourishes | Sep 28, 2021

I began teaching last year. I have found that not only do I enjoy sharing my love of letters, I learn a lot too. Not only have my letters and lines become more sure, but each class has has also led to a breakthrough moment, or an Ah Ha moment. ...

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watercolor painting of a blue iris with yellow and red calligraphic brush lettering to left

Meditative Creating

automatic drawing | Feb 4, 2021

The past three-hundred-and-thirty-some-odd days have been an emotionally & creatively taxing time. Not only has all the constant news (pandemic, social justice, & election) been distracting and distressing, but it has left little room in my brain to "waste" time and just create. I've had this feeling that this is ...

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Tools used to gild Marin Waldorf School 2020 Diploma

2020 Diplomas

combining traditional & digital techniques | Jul 28, 2020

For years, the 8th grade students of Marin Waldorf School were given beautifully illuminated diplomas at their graduation. The calligrapher who had been doing this as a passion project decided it was time to step aside. I was absolutely honored to be recommended to take on the diplomas for the ...

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close-up of white flourished copperplate calligraphy on black background

Mirrors Distort

calligraphy art piece | Jul 28, 2020

In 2017, Mahak approached me with this lovely passage she had written and wanted me to calligraph it for her. It got bumped off my portfolio for more current pieces, but I thought I would just drop it here in the blog. Seeing the process behind making pieces is always ...

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pink and orange postits on a white background in a mind map style

Refreshing Goals

2019 update | Mar 28, 2019

I've been putting off posting this post for a long time. It's been written and ready to go for about a month, but I just hadn't gotten it out there. So in the spirit of not beating myself up, here is a post about how I set my goals this ...

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