His calligraphic lettering possesses a control and finesse that all of us can only hope to aspire to, while still maintaining a life and vitality that so much other work displaying such control lacks. In addition, Julian has taught and lectured often, not only in this country but throughout the world. He is much sought after for his skills in imparting his knowledge to calligraphy students of all levels, from novice to professional.

Julian Waters was born in England, but came to this country as a teenager when his parents, Sheila and Peter Waters, relocated so that Peter could take up the position of Head of Conservation for the Library of Congress.Julian is the scion of an impressive pair of parents; his father being one of the most noted bookbinders and book conservators of our time, and his mother still active as one of the finest calligraphers in the world – a mantle which she has quite readily passed on to her eldest son. Yet we should make no mistake about it, Julian is far from being a direct off-shoot of his parents’ influence. He, and they, would be the first to acknowledge that other calligraphers have exerted more influence on Julian’s work, particularly the post-war German-Austrian
calligraphers, and also the more experimental lettering artists at work in this country and abroad. 

Through these influences Julian has synthesized his own style which is hard to pin-point. His credo is “fitness for purpose,” and he strives for each piece of calligraphy to have its own personality. His lettering for the Bill of Rights stamp for the US Postal Service reveals a finish that is as perfect and refined as any of the professional lettering and type design work being done today for advertising, while his experimental pieces, done mainly for exhibition and his own artistic expression, are as wild and illegible as other contemporary work. 

I would recommend that one look at the assortment of styles Julian has provided for titles and jackets for the carefully produced series of children’s books published by Picture Book Studio to get some inkling of the wide range of Julian’s work. Here one can find examples of playful romans, noble majuscule letters, swinging scripts, inventive uncials, and many other styles, all used in an appropriate manner for the title at hand. 
One or two have been executed with a ruling pen or brush, one with a popsicle stick, and at least one had letters cut out of blackpaper to match the line quality of collage illustrations by Eric Carle.He does, however, use a broad-edge pen with panache in other instances.

Earlier in his career Julian briefly worked  in book design with Gerard Valerio at Bookmark Studio in Washington, D.C. More recently he has had his first typeface released by Adobe Systems – Waters Titling is an elegant multiple-master font available in many weights and alternate characters. 

Julian has been married for almost twenty years to Cathy, a graphic artist, illustrator, and calligrapher. They have two girls:Tasha, born 1989, and Madeline, born 1991. 

As mentioned above, Julian has taught and lectured widely, from California to Norway. This year he has been invited to teach and lecture in England, Japan and Hong Kong. Most calligraphic societies have sought Julian as a teacher, and many years ago they’d be likely to get a positive response from Julian, but in the more recent past the opportunity to study with him has become more infrequent. For a couple of years Julian taught regular college-level typography courses at the Corcoran College in Washington, D.C., but most of his teaching has been for workshops and calligraphy conferences.

It is significant that when Hermann Zapf stopped teaching his two-week calligraphy sessions at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1987, he recommended Julian Waters to take his place. Then, for a couple of years a group of students were able to study intensively with Julian, while also taking advantage of the academic setting and the exceptional Melbert B. Cary Graphic Arts library. 

Lest all these achievements make Julian seem like a stodgy elder statesman, we should hasten to point out that he is still in his early 40s and has an endearing and playful personality. I have personally seen him drink worthy bar buddies under the table, to say nothing of what he has done with his table-tennis adversaries. For those unaware of this side of Julian’s achievements, it should be mentioned that his accomplishments on the amateur table-tennis circuit almost equal hisachievements in the field of calligraphy. When schedule permits, he relishes attending international table tennis tournaments when they are held in the same town where he is leaching or lecturing.

One of his other major hobbies is piano playing, but these are stories for another publication. Yet I would recommend all interested to look up an earlier SOS newsletter where Anna Pinto reported on strange findings in the “Elvis Lives” realm, in connection with one Julian Waters. 
If you cannotlocate that article – or even if you can – you may want to attend his workshop to see for yourself, and to also get the chance to study with one of the finest lettering artists of today.
 

Jerry Kelly, New York 1998
 

Jerry Kelly is a widely respected book designer,
calligrapher and teacher. 
At the time of writing he was the New York
designer/representative for The Stinehour Press.