ES 2023 Nameplate Showcase

The Nameplate Project

These DIS Engrosser’s Script students were tasked with penning a nameplate to be hung on the door of their first engrossing studio in a make-believe scenario that encourages each Dreamer to imagine themselves pursuing the pen for a living. Students are encouraged to let their individuality and artistry shine through in their selection of a personalized tagline and use of artistic ornamentation (if they see fit!)

Below, you’ll find each nameplate has an image and an abstract written by each student. I look forward to seeing these nameplates each year, and I deeply appreciate each student that applies to this exhibition. Without further delay, it is my honor to present the following specimens.

“I really enjoyed this project and appreciated learning some about layout, writing on a nice piece of paper, dabbling with the retouching skillset and doing my best to create a tagline that could represent some piece of my world.

Since I have two B’s in my name, I knew that I really wanted those letters to match. Unfortunately, the first B that I wrote was a bit narrow, so instead of throwing the whole paper aside, I decided to just try to match that second B to the first. As always, there are other issues within this piece that could be improved upon, but overall I’m feeling pretty satisfied with it as a marker of where I am at this point in my penman journey.”

Brynn Burns-Holm – ES 2023 Dreamer

“I very much enjoyed the nameplate project. In most of my penmanship practice, it has been just that, practice. I avoided attempts at making finished work out of a desire to keep penmanship low stress and fun.

Producing this piece pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ve never spent so much time preparing, executing and retouching. Interestingly, when it came time to write, I wasn’t anxious or incredibly nervous. There was tension, I knew the importance of the piece, but I found that I was able to continue on without a major error.

I credit David’s thoroughness for this change. The instructions were incredibly detailed and gave me confidence that I knew every aspect of the challenge ahead.”

Gray Harris – ES 2023 Dreamer

“I wanted to feel what the penmen of old felt in the making of the Nameplate.Especially the feeling of starting up your own business and having to direct potential clients to your office in the bustling central business district. That feeling of opening your own practise and getting to offer the world your services is surreal to me!”

Mwangi Ndegwa – ES 2023 Dreamer

“I had an orchestra conductor who, before a major performance, addressed the ensemble with the following advice: “Something will go wrong tonight – you’ll play a wrong note or miss something you’ve practiced many times, and you won’t expect it. Move on, and don’t let it bring down your night.” Sound advice that I’ve applied to this piece, as well. The original caption was “classic compositions;” however, I started that first C way too far to the left and didn’t realize until I was mostly done with the word. In an attempt to salvage the piece, I realized I had room to add an “-al” to the end — which ultimately, I liked a lot better!

Like recorded music, “mistakes” in print can be preserved indefinitely. Yes, the Cs aren’t exactly the same, and the shades of my ascending loops are placed too low… but what I remember about this piece is the sense of pride that came with lining the project, stacking the terminal of the N and the tittle of the i, and upon erasing the lines, seeing written text that is is well-centered and straight. A significant part of my growth as an artist in this course has been to appreciate these projects as snapshots of my work, noticing small wins and areas of opportunity equally.”

Neil Foglio – ES 2023 Dreamer

“While I enjoy handwriting greatly, this class has been my first experience with Calligraphy. It’s an art I’d previously discounted for my personal use, since I viewed the precision of these formal scripts as unattainable.

Looking at the “final” work, here, I see places I wish I’d done better, things I’d like to improve, little places that would benefit from more delicate handling of a knife or a more delicate hand with the pen. But, compared to where I was a year ago? This is already well beyond what I thought I could achieve. And that with modest–but consistent!–effort.”

Paul McEnaney – ES 2023 Dreamer

“This was a challenging but fun project to undertake! The design incorporated many aspects, showcasing our technical skills and creativity. The Nameplate is a testament to our Engrosser’s Script skill levels at that point during the programme.

This is high-fidelity script, indicating our diligent effort in achieving the best versions of the letter forms we could pen. I chose a design that focused solely on the traditional forms we had learnt, highlighting my competency in the skill. We were taught correction techniques as well, but I couldn’t use them due to a hand injury at that time.

I enjoyed the formality of this project, as it taught me various aspects of designing layouts and taglines. It was a good progression from practice work. We learnt quick drafting techniques, which have since served us well in tackling new projects. We also learnt how adjusting the size of our script requires making several other adjustments, which need to be considered before putting pen to paper.

The most important lesson this project taught me is to embrace imperfections and celebrate our successes. While I can see a number of flaws, I can appreciate many more things that went well. It’s comforting to acknowledge that I put my best effort into this project, and I feel proud of the perseverance and acceptance it taught me.”

Sneha Lakhotia – ES 2023 Student Mentor

“Designing the nameplate was not an easy task. But we have had ES practice throughout the course and it’s time to show what we have learned. David gave us all the instructions on how to do it and I cannot thank him enough for all the attitude and encouragement he gave us throughout the course. Even if the nameplate looks easy, it really is not. Although I can see quite a few mistakes and the interval in my final draft is a bit tight and some of the terminals are not consistent, I’m quite proud of the way it turned out.”

Tadas Vosylius – ES 2023 Dreamer

“The nameplate projects was challenging, but rewarding. It is starkly different from regular practice or writing block text. Here, we are trying, with touch ups, to create the best possible forms we can for each letter. That is a daunting task! I especially appreciate that David provided historical reference of excellent penman touching up their imperfect work. It is a reminder all we can do is the best we can with what we’ve been given. It will be great to look back on this project in a few years time to gauge how far my script has come. Can’t wait!”

Tony Esposito – ES 2023 Dreamer

“Crafting this name plate was a wonderful project, that I thoroughly enjoyed. For my description, I chose “mom” because my children bring me immeasurable joy and inspire everything I do. This name plate now embodies a fusion of my two greatest passions: my children and the role they give me as mom and my enthusiasm for calligraphy. It symbolizes the essence of my life—a beautiful blend of my two greatest art projects, Connor and Jack. As well as the hard work to perfect each letter to the best of my ability.”

Victoria DuDasko – ES 2023 Dreamer

It is with great honor that I present this nameplate in honor of our classmate Steven Wilson, who passed away during last year’s class. Steven was a charming and optimistic man. His cheerful exuberance was felt among his classmates and his enthusiasm for penmanship was palpable. I am confident that he would have pursued the program to completion had his health allowed for it.

Farewell, brother! We shall endeavor to heed to lessons of your noble and inspiring life!

Steven Wilson – ES 2023 Dreamer (Grimes Scr.)

View the Nameplate Specimens from 2022.

View the Nameplate Specimens from 2021.