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Brush it!!

Two day workshop with Julie Williams

www.julieannwilliams.com.au

Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th January, 2026

 

Brush lettering has often been overlooked as a means of creating calligraphic scripts.

You will learn the fundamental methods of how to use a more solid brush pen, before moving on to softer pointed and flat brushes using gouache and ink.

More relaxed and less traditional lettering styles will be our examples.

Time will be set aside to explore the use of larger brushes for expressive backgrounds suitable for both calligraphic compositions or for craft applications.

We will also make a cut and fold book structure from our creations from which you can add your own contrasting calligraphy.

Suitable for beginners and all who would like to ‘brush’ up on their skills.

Materials:

Please bring with you the following items

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BRUSHES

  • 1 x Tombow Dual Brush pen in black or other dark colour.

  • 1 x round pointed watercolour brush size #3 OR size #4. It should have a good amount of spring and come back well to a good point.

  • The following brushes are good for beginners without being too costly.

    • Roymac series 907 Taklon

    • *Neef series 970 Taklon Round

    • *Windsor & Newton Cotman 111 Synthetic round

    • 1 x flat, short handled brush suitable for lettering, brush width size from 6mm to

    • 10mm max – e.g. #4 (approx 6mm or ¼”) OR #6 (approx 7mm).

    • The following brushes are good for beginners without being too costly.

    • *Art Basics Golden Nylon Short flat series 1162B

    • *Roymac Achiever flat

    • *Jasart Short Flat

    • *Raphael Kaerell 8796

    • *Winsor & Newton series 995

(Note: the last two brushes are more expensive and hard to find in Australia)

  • 1 x flat edge large cheap soft bristle brush or synthetic soft house paint brush, approx 10cm (100mm) in width.

 

PAPER

  • A3 pad of good quality BOND layout paper eg Canson XL Series Marker, OR approx 30 sheets of good quality A3 photocopy paper that won’t bleed e.g. Reflex Ultra White

  • 1 x full sheet 70cm x 100cm of Fabriano Accademia smooth cartridge paper, approx 200gsm OR you can use any other good quality smooth heavy cartridge or watercolour paper. You may cut into quarters for easy transport… once cut down, you will have 4 sheets of approx. 35cm x 50cm.

  • Semi-transparent paper - 2 x A4 sheets of not too thin rice paper or wet strength tissue or similar paper that won’t fall apart when wet (not tracing or drafting paper)

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OTHER

  • 1 or 2 tubes of good quality artists gouache e.g. Winsor and Newton, in colour/s of your choice, mid to dark colours recommended e.g. red, black, blue. It would be good to also bring a white, but don’t buy especially.

  • Waterproof black ink (most acrylic inks are waterproof). Note: Sumi Ink is not waterproof.

  • 1 x coloured ink or walnut ink or bister ink etc

  • A4 size clear plastic sheet e.g. overhead transparency paper, sheet of thin acetate,

  • plastic sleeve etc, should be slightly rigid.

  • A white china small flat plate from home, or op shop for gouache (flat brush)

  • A small white palette dish or ice cube tray for gouache (pointed brush)

  • Small cheap bristle brush for mixing of gouache

  • An old plastic credit card or similar

  • Usual kit - pencil, steel ruler, eraser, sharp cutting blade, water jar, clean cotton rag, scissors

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