Hand-written Thuluth.
Never a font.

Every piece is written freehand onto canvas, in one pass, with no undo. If a letterform looks a little like mine rather than a textbook's, that is because it is.

Shop the work Commission a piece

Adil — self-taught calligrapher Writing Thuluth for over ten years Painted to order

The work

Quranic verses, and single words given full weight

Each piece is composed by hand — the letters balanced, stacked and interlocked until the whole sits right. Painted to order, in classic black or in colours of your choosing. Each one links through to its listing.

The Four Quls

Al-Kafirun, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, each written as a circular medallion. They are made as a set and hang as one.

Surah An-Nas

The final chapter of the Quran — a seeking of refuge in the Lord of mankind. Traditionally recited for protection.

Inshallah

"God willing." The phrase spoken before any plan or promise — quiet, everyday, and deeply held.

Surah Al-Falaq

Refuge in the Lord of daybreak from the harm of what He created. One of the four Quls.

Surah Al-Ikhlas

Four short verses on the oneness of God, said to equal a third of the Quran in reward.

Surah Al-Kafirun

A short, direct declaration of faith — "to you your religion, and to me mine."

How it is made

Thuluth means ثلث — one third

It is the most demanding of the classical Arabic scripts, and the one calligraphers give a lifetime to. I am self-taught and somewhere in the middle of that lifetime, still practising.

In Thuluth nothing is freehand in the loose sense. Every letter is measured in dots — the rhombic mark the nib leaves when pressed to the page. An alif stands a fixed number of dots tall, and every curve is struck against that unit. A single word can take days to balance properly.

A reed pen cannot hold a line across canvas weave, so these are written with an acrylic paint marker, straight onto the surface. There is no undo. A piece takes two to three hours, and nothing about it is reversible — which is also why no two are ever identical, even when the words are the same.

Script: Thuluth ثلث
Written with: Acrylic marker, freehand
Unit of measure: The nib dot نقطة
Surface: Cotton canvas
Training: Self-taught, ten years and counting
Made: To order, in the UK

Commissions

Send me a name and I will write it by hand

This is my favourite part of the work. A name, two names for a wedding, a child's birth details, or a phrase that matters to you — composed in Thuluth for your word alone.

First

Tell me the words

In Arabic or in English transliteration — either is fine. Mention any colours you have in mind.

Then

You see a sketch

I send it for approval before anything is painted, and keep adjusting until you are happy.

I paint it

Freehand onto canvas, in one pass. Two to three hours, then a day to dry.

Finally

It is posted

I send a photograph before it goes, so you see the finished piece first.

On colour

Most pieces are made in classic black, but the outline, fill, vowel marks and the Word of God can each be set separately. One commission was a full rainbow across a circular medallion — still one of my favourite things I have made.

Where to find the work

Shops and studio

Etsy Hand-painted canvases, digital files and custom pieces. Made to order, free delivery worldwide. Visit the shop → Pinterest Boards of finished pieces, by verse and by word. The easiest place to browse. See the boards → Instagram Work in progress — marker, canvas, and the moment a letterform resolves. Follow along → Redbubble A small selection of designs on prints and everyday pieces. Browse →

Enquiries

[email protected]

For commissions, questions about a piece, or anything else. I usually reply within a few hours.