The Art of Calligraphy

Calligraphers still going against type. (Los Angeles Times, 8/9/2011)

Excerpt: The black ink on DeAnn Singh's fingertips is almost indelible. It's an occupational hazard, and she's slightly self-conscious about it as she sits down at her desk. Today she is titling the pages of a scrapbook that belongs to Barbra Streisand.

Singh is a calligrapher and modest enough to be flattered by the assignment. Scrapbooks, wedding invitations, even thank-you notes are staples of the trade, but occasionally she'll land a job that's more ambitious.

When a Hollywood director wanted a letter to appear as if it had been written by Queen Victoria, she took the call. When a television producer asked for a book to look as if it had belonged to witches, she was hired. When Ventura County officials needed a masthead to adorn a declaration for civic achievement, they turned to her.

Singh has been practicing her craft for more than 30 years and is fluent in nearly 20 formal lettering styles. Keyboards and keypads may dictate the terms of the written word, but Singh's hand lettering is a reminder that words are not just a means of communication, items of sheer utility, but personal expressions of beauty and persuasion.

"Calligraphy is an art; typing isn't," she says. "When you see letters that have been handwritten, you make a connection that doesn't occur with type. Hand lettering leads to a broader, richer relationship to language."