Suzie Beringer
C501 Fabric Explorations
Have you always wanted to create on fabric, but didn’t know where or how to start? Our exploration begins with surface design and crisp letterforms using cotton muslin as our base.
Emphasis is on small Roman capitals using a pointed nib. Our time will be spent reviewing the hand before we incorporate them onto our fabric. These tiny, delicate letterforms are used to create a sense of depth and texture in your work.
Many exercises are inserted along the way giving you options you can incorporate toward your design. To expand your skills and understanding, different tools and lettering styles are addressed.
I will share with you many different finished samples that were done on fabric to help inspire you. You will come away with your own masterpieces as well as a book covered with book-cloth that you designed and created.
Supply List
- Pen/pencil for note taking
- Uhu glue stick
- Bone folder
- Binder clips (3 – 4)
- Apron (or old shirt)
- Kitchen sponge (these will be cut down to small pieces)
- Roll of paper towels
- Scissors
- 6-well palette
- Water pot
- 1" foam paint brush
- C-Thru ruler: 2" x 18" or 2" x 12"
- Waterproof black marker .03 (Micron or Pitt)
- Poems/quotes of your choice
Brushes & mark making tools
- 1/2" synthetic flat brush (Simply Simmons multimedia)
- 3/4" synthetic flat brush (Simply Simmons multimedia)
- #4 synthetic round brush (inexpensive)
- Small natural bristle loading brush (bristle also works well to clean your nib)
If you are not familiar with using a pointed pen I suggest using a Zebra Comic G nib as they are stiffer. If you are comfortable using a pointed nib I would recommend the Hunt 56 as it is softer and more flexible.
- Straight nib holder (not oblique) plus 1 – 2 of the above nibs (your choice)
Our focus will be on small drawn letters or art but I encourage you to bring tools you want to experiment with on fabric such as: folded pens, Automatic pens, ruling pens, Tape/Brause pens/nibs. Please remember that you will be using acrylic ink which can be stubborn to remove.
Acrylic ink & paint
- Black acrylic Ink (Amsterdam, FW, Holbein, Magic Color)
- Either white or gold acrylic ink (my recommendation: Holbein super opaque white; Amsterdam light or deep gold)
- 3 colors of acrylic paint or Golden fluid acrylic (your choice)
Optional supplies
- Badger mixer
- 2.4 or 3.8 Parallel pen
- Schmincke Tro-Col-Bronze powder (I will bring some)
- Disposable gloves (if you don’t want to get your hands dirty)
- Derwent Inktense pencils (only if you have them; I will bring some to share)
- Iron (only if it is easy to bring; I will be bringing one
- If you have any experimental tools you would like to try, please bring them.
Materials Fee
Suzie Beringer is a lettering artist who makes her home in the Pacific Northwest. With a degree in commercial art with a life-time passion for calligraphy, she is constantly exploring new possibilities and pushing herself creatively. Her work has been published in Letter Arts Review. As a teacher she loves to share her passion for mark making and design with others. As an artist Suzie loves the challenge and discovery that lettering on different surfaces brings. It has been said, that if something around her doesn’t move quickly enough it may end up with letters on it! You can see more of her work on Instagram: penstrokedesignstudio.