Key commission

 Occasionally people ask me to do calligraphic commissions. I inevitably say no as I don't trust my calligraphy to be perfectly satisfactory for a special item. I usually refer folk onto the Buderim calligraphers who have any number of skilled calligraphers who do commissions.

This time around, I said that and the client replied that the calligraphers had referred them to me! Laugh. It became clear that I seemed to be a more likely person to take on a tricky writing on wood kind of commission.

After hearing the client's story of desperation and rejection to this point I agreed to have a look at the project, and in the end agreed to do it, with the writing to simply be nice handwriting.

I was to write a name and the number 21 on a large wooden key.

Of course, the writing needed to be around the top curve (and may I say there is nothing much harder than trying to write around curves) and the number was to below the small hole.

I got a few riding instructions and played around a bit with a pen as we talked.

Together we chose the fine black pen, which guests could also use to write and sign on the back of the key.

I drew a template  and tried to get a sense of lettering that might work. In the end, the unjoined letters looked too weird and I felt it needed a bit of flow, to make it around the awkwardness of the curve, so the letters became a bit joined up.

I thought I had it right, until I realised my second tracing had  not included the hole and the letters were going to fall into the abyss!

Trying to work out how to transfer - the rubbing of lead pencil on the back did nothing at all on the hard wooden surface, so I opted to tuck some carbon paper under the tracing paper and work with that.

It transferred OK and I was able to begin drawing into it with the black marker.

 

And so it is done. Not the most perfect or elegant resolution, but some nice handwriting to help celebrate a  special birthday.