What is Foundational Hand?
Foundational Hand is a clear, round, upright text hand developed by Edward Johnston in the early 1900s, based on a 10th-century English manuscript. Written with a broad-edge pen, it is an ideal first hand for the beginning calligraphy class because it teaches the essentials of formal Western lettering: letter structure, pen angle, letter proportion, stroke order, and spacing. Once you know these, you’ll be ready to learn other formal hands.
In a calligraphy class, we’ll build a shared vocabulary for lettering. We’ll learn to use a dip pen with ink and paint. We’ll survey bookhand alphabets through history, including Carolingian, Humanist bookhand, and modern text hands. We’ll compare Johnston’s Foundational Hand with versions by later calligraphers. Along the way, you’ll learn to practice a hand, critique your work, and complete small pieces.
Classes will be held 9-11 am over the course of 5 Saturdays — Oct 24 and 31, Nov 14 and 21, and Dec 5 — at the Society for Calligraphy & Handwriting in Redmond, WA. The space has plenty of room to work, and the walls are hung with calligraphy to inspire you to dig deeper into lettering and the book arts.
Come ready to have a good time learning about calligraphy in general and the Foundational Hand in particular!
Register below to attend the Foundational Hand class beginning October 24, 2026.
Foundational Hand Calligraphy Class – 5 weeks – Oct 24, Oct 31, Nov 14, Nov 21, Dec 5
Foundational Hand – $125 for five 2-hour sessions – class to be held at Society for Calligraphy & Handwriting, 18080 NE 68th St, Suite B160, Redmond, WA