Russian Calligraphy
Russian Calligraphy
Russian Calligraphy
Russian
One Teacher, 222 Students
Calligraphy
About the author TERMS OF LICENSE
The book
includes
some works
by the author
Leonid Pronenko
Russian
One Teacher, 222 Students
Calligraphy
Operina
Copyright © 2007 Operina LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This book was laid out by its author, Leonid Pronenko. The
typeface are BriemAnvil and BriemAnvil Sans. The artwork
is reproduced by the permission of its owners, the Kuban
State University and its individual creators. The cover was
designed by Gunnlaugur SE Briem.
Published by
Operina LLC
<operina.com> [email protected]
4 5
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3 4
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2002
4
THANKS
2
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3
Composition based on Safonov’s poem “The Monk” (broad
pens, felt pen, brush, paper).
39
1
2
41
3
1
2
45
3
47
2 3
4
51
Note
1–4. From the series Mary the Goat (broad pen, brush,
gouache, paper).
5. Abstract composition (broad pen, gouache, paper).
63
Viktor Pavlovich
Korzhemanov was born
1
in 1955. He graduated
from the Graphic Art De-
partment of Kuban State
University and is now a
freelance designer.
4
The glass cutter
“Ta-ta-ta. Tuk! Ta-ta!” The pen scratched the paper, and the
first-year student, Sidorova, tapped it on the table every few
seconds.
“You should be careful with tools,” I noted cautiously.
“Two hundred years ago, the price of a box of pens was a
bull and a sheep, plus a visit to a tavern.”
“Wow,” Sidorova sighed. “Even a visit to a tavern!” I
didn’t say anything, recalling an incident from my
childhood.
e lived in a small seaside village. The market there
W was splendid: mountains of fish—fresh, smoked,
salted. The tables bent! Add one good walleye and they
would have collapsed.
“Hey dear, buy a fish! Look how fat it is! The grease is
just dripping—dripping—from it.”
“Look, auntie, it’s your own nose that is dripping. …”
The boys dragged heavy water bottles: “Who wants cold
water? Who wants cold water?” And in the midst of all
this hustle and bustle, someone was selling glass cutters.
The people gathered round to watch how easily he cut
whimsical figures out of glass. Of course, they all had to
have a glass cutter of their own. Then they all ran home to
cut glass figures themselves.
When it turned out that they couldn’t even cut a straight
strip, they ran back to the market, shouting and cursing.
“He fooled us, the swine! He swindled us!”
The master then took the rejected instruments and did
wonders with them, cutting figures even better than before.
There are no bad pens, but there are half-hearted
students.
Awaking from this memory, I continued teaching. And
suddenly I heard “ta-ta-ta.” That was Sidorova again,
writing as if she were firing a machine gun. I shivered and
went to look for an aspirin.
65
Note
Maxim
Vladimirovich
Glukhovtcev
was born in 1968.
After finishing art
school, he worked
as a retoucher of
commercial printing
in Krasnodar. He
also served in the
army. In 1994, he
graduated from
the Ivan Fedorov
Polygraphic
Institute with great
distinction. He now
works as a technical
editor in the
Krasnodar Regional
Art Museum.
1. Composition (computer).
2. Untitled (broad pen, gouache, paper).
71
Mariya Sergeevna
Rudnitskaya
was born in 1946. She
graduated from the Grecov
Rostov-on-Don Art School
and has participated in 1
Russian and international
exhibitions. She is the
member of the Union of
Russian Artists. Marsha
likes to repair to her dacha
and pamper her pet, Maha.
3
1. Inscription “Doctor Faust” (flat pencils, paper).
2. Orakul (flat pencils, paper).
3. Behind a mirror (flat pencils, paper).
4.“My Philosophy–1” (flat pencils, paper).
5.“Reflections” (ballpoint, paper).
6.“My philosophy–2” (flat pencils, paper).
7.“My philosophy–3” (flat pencils, paper).
73
4 5
7
6
D’Artagnan turned pale just once
6 7
1 2
Semyon Alexandro-
vich Chaly
was born in 1979.
He graduated from
the Graphic Arts 3
Department of Kuban
State University. He
now is a teacher and
a research student at
the university, where 4
he is writing his
dissertation.
5 6
The answer:
Specialists discovered long ago that a
computer in the hands of a dilettante is
a worthless and even injurious toy.
Monstrous examples of ads made by
amateurs are all over the place. In just one
block, you can encounter signs such as
“Musical Theater,” “Shashlik House,” and
even “Toilet” using the same computer font.
alligraphy , drawn print, is
C irreplaceable in the sphere of graphic
design for everything from book plates, to
book design, to advertisements. The art of
lettering is an individual skill that must
be mastered. Written letters have a beauty
and a meaning that even the most perfect
patterns of computer or typographical fonts
lack. Advertisements made by an actual
artist can give an impression of strength
or constancy, grace or movement, richness
or refinement. The prime consideration
is the emotional orientation of the
letters. Of course, professional inscription
demands thorough training of the hand
and eye and a feeling for composition.
These are the fundamentals of
mastery, and designers who use
computers today sadly lack them.
87
89
91
A trick
-
8
103
or more than a hundred
F years, artists have depicted
people, birds, animals, and
things with the help of the
letters. Geoffrey Tory, Auguste
Renoir, and Salvador Dali
worked fruitfully in this field.
Under this rubric, we should
also mention calligrams. The
term “calligram” was coined by
Guillaume Apollinaire. It is a
poem (although it can also be a
phrase or single word) in which
the typeface or handwriting forms
an important part of the focus,
“creating a visual lyricism,”
as he put it. Apollinaire saw
this art as a synthesis of music,
painting, and literature.
But several works made
before and since could be called
calligrams, as well: Cross (Tory,
in the fifteenth century), Oracle
of the Bottle (Rabelais, in the
sixteenth century), Wounded
Dove and Fountain (Guillaume
Apollinaire, in the nineteenth
century), and Anna (Villu Toots,
in the twentieth century), to
name a few. The “crow letters”
by Alexandr Chaly on page 107,
and some other works specially
created for this book, are part of
this tradition in calligraphy.
105
2002
1
Alexandr Pavlovich
Chaly was born in
1953. He graduated
from the Graphic Arts of
Department Kuban State
University in 1977 and
served in the army. He 2
is a regular participant
in town and regional
2&3
exhibitions, showing both
paintings and graphics.
He is a professional
interior designer. Sasha
is a romantic person
and dreams of finding
hidden treasure. When 5
he does, he will share
4
it with everybody.
2002
1. Drawing (brush,
colored chalks, paper).
2. Inscription “Excavator”
on note-book (felt pen,
broad pen, paper).
3. Inscription “Excavator”
(felt pen, paper). 2 3
4. Inscription (felt pen,
gouache).
5. Athos, Porthos, Aramis
and d’Artagnan (felt
pen, paper). 4
6. Letter, fragment
(ballpoint pen, paper).
7. Drowing (colored
pencils, paper).
8. Hero (ballpoint pen,
paper).
9. Letter, fragment
(colored felt pens).
10 Father (colored pencils,
gouache).
5 109
8
7
9 10
Dream
Note
istory supplies
H numerous examples in
which the creative work of
artists, writers, and scientists
continued in their sleep. The
English writer Robert Louis
Stevenson acknowledged
that he dreamed everything
that he described in Treasure
Island, down to the smallest
details. At night, even when
Stevenson was in the arms
of Morpheus, the writer’s
relatives sometimes saw
him sitting at the table and
continuing to work. After
awakening, the author read
the pages that he had written
with great surprise.
The chemist Dmitri
Mendeleyev likewise claimed
that the saw the periodic
table of the elements in his
sleep. If that is so (although I
personally think that the old
man pulled the wool over our
eyes), why couldn’t Sidorova
see a calligraphic composition
in her sleep?
115
Andrei Borisovich
Skripka was born in
1956. He graduated 1
from the Krasnodar
Specialized School of
the Arts in 1984. A
painter, he has taken
part in many inter-
national exhibitions.
He is a member of
the Russian Union
of Artists. Andrei’s
hobby is calligraphy.
In English, his
surname means be
2
“Violin.” He draws
letters the same way
that a good musician
plays a Stradivarius.
3
117
Note
Yuri Ivanovich
Serenko was born in
1958. He graduated 2
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban
State University of in
1986 and served in
army. He has worked
as a restorer in the
Folklore Museum and
devotes himself to
book and commercial
graphics.
1. Company symbol
(computer
graphic). 3
2. Inscription “Cuban
Gold” (computer
graphic).
3. Poster (computer
graphic).
4. Company symbol
(computer
graphic).
5. Company symbol 4 5
(computer
graphic).
127
Vladimir Ilyuch
Cherkashin was born
in 1942. He graduated
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban
State University in 1979.
His favorite work is
book design.
2
A caricature
There is free
cheese only in
a mousetrap …
143
1
Evgeni Evgenyevich
Kazitcin was born in
1951. He graduated
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban
State University and
served in the army. He
has organized many
exhibitions in Krasnodar.
His work has been shown
widely in Krasnodar,
throughout Russia, and in 2
international exhibitions.
His pictures have been
bought by the Museum
of Fine Arts in Krasnodar,
and by private collectors
in Russia and abroad.
He is a member of the
Russian Union of Artists.
Evgeni is good-natured
and full of energy. He
likes jokes and plays. 3
Evgeni helps me collect
tops from vodka bottles.
He been trying to quit
smoking, though.
4 145
-
5 6
10
11
Answer:
ood, fluid ink of a
That’s a
G uniform thickness
can be made from the light
nice scent in green incrustations on oak
the empress’s leaves. Put them between
suite two layers gauze and squeeze
out the juice into a glass,
fragrance! then add some iron sulfate
solution. Let this mixture
stand in the light for seven
to ten days and you can
begin to write with it using
quills or reed pens. Metal
pens don’t do well with iron
sulfate.
In Russia, ink was made of
soot from the stove. It was
diluted by sugar-sweetened
water. It was also made with
rust (usually from old nails)
and cherry-tree gum. This
gave it a brown tint.
In Ancient China, Japan,
and throughout the East,
in order to neutralize the
unpleasant smell that
develops in ink that has
been stored for a long time,
aromatic compounds such
151
Viktor Egorovich
Saliev was born in
1940. He was an engi-
neer, but he has never
been indifferent to
beautiful lettering. He
has been a freelance
calligrapher since 1988.
3
4
Note
Answer:
Everything enters into this issue—habit,
temperament, the character of the material,
paper, the tools, and many other things. It’s
essential in any case to preserve readability and
aesthetic expressiveness. Certainly, if an artist
needs to solve complex, untraditional problems
in interpreting a text visually, then readability
can take a back seat to expressiveness, and
sometimes it’s possible to disregard it. But that
is another issue… .
Question:
What is the optimum speed for beginners to
write?
Answer:
First of all, they should pay attention at the
careful completion of every stroke and observe
the proportions of the letters. Speed will come
later, together with manual dexterity. I advise
167
Question:
How long does it take to learn to write and draw letters
beautifully?
Answer:
One student, whose passion was to copy difficult
calligraphy works (E. T. A. Hoffmann’s “The Golden
Pot”) noticed that his confidence grew with every word,
which luckily were turning out well, and along with his
confidence, his know-how grew, as well. I don’t know a
better answer!
169
Pavel Vasilyevich
Martinenko was born
in 1975. He graduated
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban State
University in 1988 and
has participated in local, 1
regional, and national
exhibitions. Pavel also
takes part the Group
Thirteen exhibitions. He is
a member of the Russian
Union of Artists.
Natalya Alexandrovna
Martinenko was born 2
in 1974. She graduated
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban
State University in 2000.
Since 1988, she has taken 3
part in local and regional
-exhibitions.
175
he term “graphology” was first used by
T Jean Hippolye Michon (1806–81) in 1875.
Today, specialists try to use formulas and
computations to discern the age, sex, education,
profession, and other personal information about
people from their handwriting. The German
calligrapher and scientist Albert Kapr thinks that
you can achieve such results by analyzing printing
done by masters of the art. And the Russian book
designer and lettering artist Evgeny Gannushkin
declares flatly: “No matter how an artist draws a
line or makes a scribble, he cannot hide: He will
be completely reflected in his printing, along with
his nature and his attitude toward life.”
It is known that everyone’s handwriting changes,
depending on their age, state of health, emotional
experiences, and other circumstances, but it’s
not very probable that by judging either ordinary
handwriting or an artist’s printing even
experienced specialists could correctly divine a
person’s character. In support of this skepticism
is the fact that English scientists not long ago con-
cluded that it is impossible consider graphology
to be a serious science.
177
1 2
Alexandr Mikhailovich
Yakovlev was born
in 1956. He graduated
from the Krasnodar Art
Specialized School in
1975 and from Kuban 3
State University in 1983.
He is a splendid graphic
designer, painter, and
calligrapher. Sasha likes
powerful sensations and
very often finds himself
on unusual adventures.
5
4
1. Symbol for a graphic design group (ballpoint pen, paper).
2. Inscription (broad pen, gouache).
3. Gallery art (broad pen, flat felt pen, pointed pen, paper).
4. Inscription (broad pen, gouache).
5. Poster (pointed and broad pens, gouache, paper).
6. Composition (broad pens, gouache, paper).
179
6
11
10
3
189
7
The cockroach
4
Quotation marks
M
bottle!”
I let the noisy neighbor in. Waving an
envelope over his head, Markovitch began
singing: “Well, dance, come on, dance!
Yadadadada!“
,
arkovitch, who’s a bit dotty, pounded on
the door with his fist and cried in a hoarse
voice: “Ivanych, you bastard, you owe me a
, , ,
,
207
1
Elena Leonidovna
Pronenko was born
in 1969. She graduated
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban
State University in 1992.
Since them, she has de-
voted herself to book
2
design, advertising,
commercial graphics,
and calligraphy.
12
13
14
15
10
16
17
213
18
cloud similar to a
A grand piano passed
by,” Chekhov once wrote
217
7
A swan song
23
2
225
227
229
231
Yacheslav Zakharo-
vich Shakhov was born
in 1969. He graduated
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban
State University in 1993.
From 1993 to 1994, he
worked as a designer
for the chamber of com- 1
merce and in industry.
From 1994 to 1995, he
was an art restorer in the
Folklore Museum. Now
he is a freelance artist
and makes signs, logos,
symbols, and illustrations
for books. Slava is very
modest and friendly. 2
233
8
4
1. Communications brochure
(computer).
6 2. Composition (flat brush,
gouache).
3–7. Logotypes and symbols for
various firms (brush, gouache,
computer).
8. Poster for a food shop
7 (computer).
Yuri Nikolaevich
Pyliow was born in 1981. 1
He graduated from the
Mathematics Department
of Kuban State University
and works as art designer
and illustrator.
2 3
Alexsei Petrovich
Balandin was born
in 1965. He graduated
from the Graphic Arts
Department of Kuban
State University in 1991. 2
From 1992 to 1995, he
was a teacher of graphics.
Now he is a freelance
artist. Aleksei is painter,
graphic artist, and calli-
grapher and has exhibit-
ed widely in Krasnodar
and throughout Russia.
He says that his dog
and his wife help him
very much.
5–6
One more
T 251
Rabindranath Tagore, 194
Sergei Vladimirovich Taranik,
202
Mikhail Aleksandrovich
Tarashchuk, 220
Villu Karlovich Toots, 12, 103,
192
Geoffrey Tory, 103
Y
Alexandr Mikhailovich
Yakovlev, 178
Russian Calligraphy
One Teacher, 222 Students
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