For those candidates wishing to accomplish an area of specialty, challenge themselves to a intensive, long-term, one-on-one, mentor-student program, Ink.Academy will be offering several specific Master Certification Programs in the Lettering Arts. The Master’s programs will consist of a wider and more comprehensive subject range than the Proficiency program, thereby providing the student with a thorough curriculum of theory, technique, knowledge of materials, history, and practical use of the skill-set being taught.

The first of these Master Penman/Penwoman Certification Programs to be offered at Ink.Academy will be based on the concept of the Zanerian College of Penmanship. Accordingly, and appropriately, Master Penman Michael Sull will be serving as each student’s personal Mentor.

This program is an intense concentration of study will require minimum of 12 months to a maximum of 24 month’s duration with a daily dedication to study and practice.

Similar to the academic degrees of Baccalaureate, Master’s and Doctoral (PhD) levels, the Ink Academy Proficiency and Master’s Certification programs will award the participant with the recognition of satisfying all the requirements in his/her particular field of study. The conferring of such professional designation is an acknowledged and accepted level of competency, and as such, the student is entitled to use the words or initials “Certification of Proficiency”, “CP”; “Master Penman” or “Master Penwoman”, “MP”, or “Master Calligrapher”, “MC” after his/her name to represent them-self as formally trained and credited at their respective level.

The calligraphy courses include 12 online lessons taught by Master Penman Michael Sull (Spencerian and Ornamental Penbmanship), MP Barbara Calzolari (Copperplate and Gothicized Italic) and Giovanni de Faccio (Fraktur). In these online courses you will learn all foundational drills from the very beginning to assure proper form and study path and experience a full exploration of minuscules, majuscules and their variations, numbers and associated techniques. You will receive 12 homework assignments to be completed between each class.

The “Basic” versions of our online courses include the full online video series taught by our Faculty teacher PLUS you will be assigned your own Master Student advisor that will guide you throughout the course. Your assigned Ink.Academy Master Student will correct your homework assignments and mentor your progress to assure you stay on track and supported throughout the full course. These courses are now available on our Indiegogo Campaign for $650 ($875 value).

The VIP versions of our online courses include the full online video series taught by our Faculty teacher PLUS you will be mentored by the same Faculty instructor that will guide you throughout the course. Your assigned Ink.Academy Master instructor will correct your homework assignments and mentor your progress to assure you stay on track and supported throughout the full course. Typically there will be approximately 30 minutes they spend to correct your homework plus an additional FaceTime video mentorship of 30 minutes per lesson (in this case 12). This option is now available on our Indiegogo Campaign for $750 ($1035 value)

• Spencerian Course (VIP option with MP Michael Sull available) - Anticipated release date Fall 2017
• Ornamental Penmanship (VIP option with MP Michael Sull available) -Anticipated release date Spring 2018
• Copperplate Course - Anticipated release date Spring 2018
• Gothicized Italic - Anticipated release date Spring 2018
• Fraktur Course - Anticipated release date Summer 2018

We offer these specialized courses for students that feel confident about their foundational skills in either Spencerian or Copperplate writing. These advanced classes will remain very limited in number as it involves the time of the Master instructor, who only has a finite bank of hours for mentorship. Our Indiegogo contributors will have the FIRST rights to “seats” in these classes so book your class now before they will be filled up for the year!

The Advanced Classes in Spencerian and Copperplate include a 5-part online video series taught by MP Michael Sull/Barbara Calzolari/Pat Blair, a course workbook, exemplars and special goodies! Your Master Penman/Penwoman will be your personal Mentor to correct the assignments and support you throughout the course. These courses are now available on our Indiegogo Campaign for $550 ($700 value).

• Advanced Spencerian - MP Michael Sull - Anticipated release date Spring 2018
• Advanced Copperplate - MP Barbara Calzolari or MP Pat Blair, Chief White House Calligrapher - Anticipated release date Spring 2018

These courses are for students who are at least an intermediate level. The Flourishing Classes put the finishing touch on your calligraphy work, bringing it to a new level of polish. These courses will bridge the gap between creating simple calligraphy and that of elegantly decorated, advanced calligraphy. As easy as accomplished calligraphers make this art form look, flourishing is actually quite full of rules, technique and guidelines. Without this guidance from experienced calligraphers, flourishing can easily look random, disconnected and without purpose—basically like spaghetti! Each of these classes will be comprised of a 4-part, online video series taught by the Master indicated, and the corresponding one-to-one mentorship with structured homework assignments. These courses are now available on our Indiegogo Campaign for $375 ($475 value).

• Ornamental Flourishing - MP Michael Sull - Anticipated release date Spring 2018
• Copperplate Flourishing - MP Barbara Calzolari - Anticipated release date Spring 2018
• Flourished Gothicized Italic - MP Barbara Calzolari - Anticipated release date Spring 2018