Hannes Famira is founding principal of the Kombinat-Typefounders. He is a graphic designer, a type designer and a teacher of both disciplines.
This workshop was scheduled the week before our first class session to help generate more ideas and sketches for our original typeface. Hannes introduced us to an oscillating technique that imitates the thicks and thins of a broad nib pen when held at a consistent angle. For me, this technique was magic since I’m not so hot with an actual calligraphy pen, and I like drawing letters rather than writing. By working this way I was easily able to figure out where the natural thicks and thins of each letter was and build upon them from there. One of the sketches I created in this workshop was the one I pursued as my original typeface. I regularly use this technique in my workflow when sketching letters now.