Calligraphy Art Singapore

[Evelina Browder]

Minimum 2 students to start a class, Maximum 5 students per class.

* In the event that not enough students signup you will be notified via sms/whatsapp/email at least 3 days before. Otherwise, classes are assumed confirmed.

I intentionally host a small, cozy and intimate workshop. My goal is not just to share to you about art but to create an environment where you feel relaxed and at ease. Because of this limited seat availability, changing of booked dates are not allowed.

I am a self-taught creative who thrives in calligraphy and watercolor. Pursuing my creative dreams have led me to open doors that enabled me to work with various organizations and brands. Had been sharing my love of letterforms and watercolor through my workshops since 2014.

If you wish to specialise in traditional calligraphy, oblique dip pens and straight pens are the way to go. This comes with having to purchase nibs, which you can find at most large craft stores in Singapore. We recommend the Nikko G nib for beginners.

To practise, you can refer to samples written letter-by-letter by experienced calligraphers. The worksheets are separated into two categories: blank sheets with lines and exemplars featuring the alphabet. You can download free exemplars of traditional and modern calligraphy here and have a closer look at the differences between both styles.

Instead of buying calligraphy gift cards, learn how to write in the same style with this Modern Calligraphy Workshop by Artsy Nibs. To ensure that students get the most out of their lessons without crashing from data overload, the lessons are spaced out over the course of 3 weeks, with one session lasting 2.5 hours per week.

Those looking to learn brush and modern calligraphy, watercolour basics and designing florals, in one go can opt for the Watercolour & Calligraphy Workshop package. Copperplate Calligraphy classes are also available for those who want to be even more well-rounded and learn up traditional calligraphy in addition to the modern styles.

Held at Bynd Artisan at Holland Village, the workshop will train students to be well-versed with creating various types of styles and have a better understanding of word placement to ensure that each strategically written word fits in nicely to make the overall piece aesthetically pleasing.

We will perform scheduled maintenance on 3 August 2024, from 7PM to 6AM. During this time, you may experience intermittent downtime as we work to improve the performance and reliability of our systems. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

It evolved as an art form in the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE). During that period, poetry writing was combined with visual art practices using the Chinese brush. By that time, it had also become common to place calligraphic couplets at household doors, especially during Chinese New Year. This custom is still popular today, in the same way that calligraphy remains highly esteemed across East Asia.

Though having originated in China, Chinese calligraphy is practised all over the world today. It is not site-specific, and so can be done in homes, schools, calligraphy centres, community clubs or other settings. Exhibitions, demonstrations, and Chinese calligraphy classes have provided opportunities for people to learn more about the art form.

Dr Leong Weng Kee an independent artist, who first learned to write with the brush during his early education at a private school in Kim Keat Road. In the 1940s, he studied in Chong Cheng Primary School in the Kampong Glam area, where it was a requirement to write Chinese compositions with a brush. He credits the huaxiao (华校, Chinese-medium schools) of the past for playing a prime role in promoting basic knowledge of calligraphy among the young in Singapore.

You are graduating at a significant time for our country, for it coincides with the commemoration of the Singapore Bicentennial. As we explore the journey that our island nation has taken over the centuries, it is fitting that we also celebrate and preserve our heritage so that we may pass these skills, culture and unique traditions, such as calligraphy, to future generations of Singaporeans.

I thank the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore and its leadership for its ongoing work in running this programme for seniors, as well as for its efforts in preserving and promoting Chinese calligraphy. The Society and 书大 have once again trained another cohort of calligraphers, who, I am confident, will help invigorate and nurture this invaluable art form.

In ancient China and Japan, a boy who writes well is more attractive to a girl.

There is a Chinese saying that a man is the same as his handwriting, which shows that we still admire those whose writing looks beautiful. Even today, in modern times, training in calligraphy can make one:

These are the four stages of calligraphy. Calligraphers are required to learn each style. However, over time, everyone develops their unique font. Beginners start learning the official script and gradually learn the regular calligraphy script for the next three years. Mastering the running script takes another eight to ten years and finally developing ones unique cursive script can last a lifetime.

Chinese calligraphy and painting is commonly written or painted on rice paper, also known as 宣纸 (xuān zhǐ) in Chinese. Interestingly, the paper is not made mainly from rice, but from other plant fibres.

The traditional wet mounting method, though labour intensive, is non-invasive and reversible. Most importantly, your painting can be remounted in the future without any damage and the end result is more superior to machine or dry/glue mounting.

If the rice paper is in its raw original form, it will be too thin and fragile for framing. It needs to be mounted by a Chinese scroll mounting specialist to get rid of creases and add rice paper backing and mounted flat. Since mounting and scroll making are detail-oriented tasks that can be critically difficult and risky, the work is specially tasked to Chinese scroll mounting specialists (mounters, 装裱师 or 裱画师) before proceeding with framing.

There are several ways to frame Chinese rice paper paintings. The most economical way is direct framing. The frame comes directly to the edge of the artwork, no matboards are used and the glazing will rest on the artwork.

In the example below, the rice paper has gone through the necessary treatments to thicken the paper and a silk brocade border has been added to it by Chinese scroll mounting specialists. We then used direct framing method to frame it.

For a traditional look, we have options for silk borders, gold or dark wood frames. There are options for silk brocade borders like the above example, or if you do not want the glazing to rest directly on the artwork, you can choose to add matboard or silk borders to lift the glass off.

In recent times, more people have started using contemporary framing designs for Chinese rice

paper paintings and these have generated beautiful results for modern and contemporary spaces

and homes.

Chinese rice papers, also known as Xuan paper or Shuen paper and 宣纸 (Xuān zhǐ) in Chinese, are prone to becoming mouldy due to its material compound which are often made up of plant fibres. Its sensitivity to moisture also plays a part, especially in a high humidity environment like Singapore.

Unlike museums, most of us do not store artworks in an environment with controlled temperature and humidity, thus moulding can be inevitable. The mould spots however can be removed with restoration treatments done by professional art restorers.

The restoration work for chinese rice paper can be a risky process if the restorer lacks the necessary knowledge of the techniques and material involved. We work with professional restorers who are equipped with years of experience in restoring Chinese rice paper calligraphy and painting. Here is the range of services that they provide:

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