Carved in Paper: A Lettering Exploration
with
Alicia Márquez
This 5-day workshop invites participants to step away from conventional tools and explore the expressive potential of drawing letters using only a cutter or knife. Through cutting, layering, and assembling, students will create bold, tactile letter compositions using color transparencies and collage.
Workshop Focus
- Using a cutter/knife as the primary drawing instrument
- Exploring positive and negative space in letterforms
- Working with color, layering, and transparency
- Developing intuitive, hands-on approaches to composition
Expected Outcomes
- Participants will engage in a process-driven experience centered around material exploration and visual thinking through letters.
- Each participant will complete a series of cut and collaged letterform pieces, culminating in one or more final compositions that reflect their unique style and creativity.
This workshop is designed for artists, designers, typographers, and anyone interested in pushing the boundaries of letterform creation through hands-on methods and experimental processes.
Days 1: Introduction to Cutting Techniques
Participants will engage in hands-on activities to learn fundamental cutting techniques while experimenting with freehand letterforms.
Day 2: Exploration of Layering and Transparency
This day will focus on layering, transparency, embossing, and collage principles, encouraging participants to explore the interplay of materials.
Required Materials
- Cutter, X-Acto or Scalpel [recommended: Swann Morton Handle No. 3 & SM Mold Cutting Scalpel Blades #11]
- 1/4" Double-sided tape, such as ATG Tape
- Tacky glue
- Colored paper, 24lb/90gsm copier paper to 140lb/300 gsm watercolor type
- Translucent paper (please transport and store all paper flat, not rolled)
- Embossing tools or old dried up Bic pens
- Calligraphy or lettering works to use as inspiration, preferably large compositions
- pencils, pens, scissors, eraser, rulers and any other drawing materials you'd like to use
- Optionally, some special papers may be available for sale during class
Lightboxes, cutting mats and a selection of decorative and colored paper will be made available for use in the classroom
Class size is limited to 16 people. Registration opens on September 3.
About Alicia Márquez
Alicia Márquez is a letter artist who works with calligraphy and letter carving to explore expression in all its forms. She studied graphic design at the University of Buenos Aires, where she also taught typography, and later worked as an art director in agencies and design teams in Buenos Aires, Miami, and Chicago.
She’s been practicing calligraphy for more than 10 years and carving letters in stone for 8. Alicia describes herself as a curious observer and an eternal student. For her, the creative process matters more than
the final result, and she always welcomes different interpretations and honest feedback.
As a designer, she looks for clarity and simplicity. As an artist, she follows intuition. Those two sides of her meet in every project—and most of the time, they get along just fine.