What is Offhand Flourishing?

Offhand Flourishing is an ornamental branch of the penman’s Art. By combining a variety of calligraphic strokes with grace, harmony, and selective contrast, a penman can produce emblematic designs to compliment their writing or stand alone as testaments of their skill. The “offhand” nature of this style of work refers to the speed at which it is produced as well as the inherently improvisational approach to creating these complex designs.

Wesco, J. A. 1898. Offhand Flourishing. Masgrimes Archive.

“Flourishing is to a large degree conventionalized by nature. Forms are not flourished true to nature, but are slightly modified. The birds are more graceful and regular in outline, while the foliage is less complex and more symmetrical. Flourishing is in part a decorative art, not wholly pictorial. It is not one of the few Fine Arts, but one of the many arts that are pleasing and beautiful.” — E. A. Lupfer