The first technique that Lorraine showed was adding simple additions
to Italic letters. Extending the line of a letter or adding a small flourish
to an ascender or descender can provide a great deal of interest. She then
displayed more elaborate examples, including some larger letters on beautiful
paper and backgrounds. Nicole gave a demonstration with a ruling pen, creating
some very elegant lines. Nicole also showed photographs of large signs
she had created for work, and designs made for other people. Both Lorraine
and Nicole gave us many valuable tips that should help all of us to create
some beautiful flourishes!
1. Plan, Plan, Plan....
Although the best flourishes look as though they grew there naturally, much thought should go into deciding what goes where. Do not crowd text, and flourishes should not collide with letters or words. For practice, work out the lines with a pencil first. You can also photocopy your work several times, or use tracing paper, and practice on those. Consider where your work is going, and how you will display it. It can influence your design if your work is just on paper, or printed around a coffee mug.
Flourishes do not have to be done all at once; they just have to look as though they were. Do them quickly to integrate them with your design. To make it easier, however, a complex design can be done in sections. It is important that all lines are done in one stroke, and all flourishes connect to a letter.
3. Ink, and lots of it....
Flourishes are extravagant creatures, and need lots of ink to live,
so start with a loaded pen. Lorraine recommended using a small nib for
working with italic letters; thin is better. An exciting element of flourishes
is the contrast of line between the letter forms and the decoration. Several
examples in our handout illustrated this technique. Differences in line
with and colour all add to the look of a piece.
4. Remember now...Happy Flourishes....
Flourishes should not be sad and droopy. Plan them as an extension of the letter or block of text; they should follow the natural lines. Align them with the slant of the letter so that they enhance the work, not detract from it. One crucial element is balance. If you have a design at one side then there should be something to balance it at the other side. You don't want it to look as though it is going to fall off one side of the page. This is all part of planning. Remember, do it in pencil first so you have an idea how it will look. A good Flourish is expressed with straight lines and curves, not wiggles and curlicues.
We can use these techniques in different ways, employing varied tools.
Pigma pens, straws, or coloured papers combine to enhance our work. Flourishing
is not limited to traditional styles. You can achieve beautiful results
by embellishing a word or a block of text, but both Lorraine and Nicole
showed us examples of more contemporary work. Lorraine's initials embellished
with gold, and Nicole's beautiful signs should inspire us all.
