Introduction to Arabic Type Design, Winter 2020
‘I will be giving another online Arabic type design class starting January 14, 2020 and I hope this course will be as great as the 2019 one! I have added 6 extra hours of teaching as I found that 24 hours in total is too little. The course will then be 30 hours of teaching spread over 3 months and with later sessions getting longer and farther apart in order to give the students more time to work on their fonts. Looking forward for another exciting class!’ — Nadine Chahine
Participants receive an extended trial license and can purchase their own full license at a discount.
Class: Introduction to Arabic Type Design
14 January through 21 April
weekly course starting at 5 p.m.
2–3 hours each
The course will be comprised of 12 weekly sessions of 2 to 3 hours each, following the plan below:
Session 1 — Jan 14: Introduction to the Arabic script and calligraphic styles; 2 hours
Session 2 — Jan 21: Introduction to Arabic typographic styles: Kufi + Glyphs; 2 hours
Session 3 — Jan 28: Review of Project 1 (structural analysis of one Kufi style); 2 hours
Session 4 — Feb 4: Introduction to Arabic typographic styles: Naskh; 2 hours
Session 5 — Feb 11: Review of Project 2 (structural analysis of one Naskh style); 2 hours
Session 6 — Feb 18: Type Design basics; 2 hours
Session 7 — Feb 25: Review of Project 3 (first draft); 3 hours
Session 8 — March 3: Review of Project 3 (basic character set); 3 hours
Session 9 — March 10: Review of Project 3 (expanded set); 3 hours
Session 10 — March 24: Review of Project 3 (full set); 3 hours
Session 11 — April 7: Refinement; 3 hours
Session 12— April 21: Refinement; 3 hours
Sessions always start at 5pm London time.
The participants will be required to prepare for each session and typically that will be comprised of the provided course readings as well as watching recommended videos. There will be 3 main projects, though the first two are more analytical in nature. Project 3 will be an opportunity for each participant to design their own new typeface.
Who?
Nadine Chahine
For Whom?
Anyone interested in Arabic type design! Those with previous knowledge will be able to progress more, but the course is structured in a way that no advance knowledge of either Arabic or type design is required. However, the participants need to have a strong background in design principles and DTP applications.
The course will have a maximum of 10 participants. This is to ensure that every student gets ample time for feedback.
How Much?
The course fee is £960 (£800 + 20% VAT) and is non-refundable.
Language
The course will be taught in English.
Prerequisites
The course will use the latest software in order to set up a virtual classroom and a resource centre for the course materials. Participants will need to join the weekly sessions via a video conferencing link that would be provided. A stable internet connection is required, as well as the Glyphs software on a Mac.
Registration
To register, please email nadine at arabictype dot com
