Aquiline Two Font Identification

February 23, 2012

Can anyone out there identify this handwriting style? Im trying to start using "Aquiline Two" as my everyday handwriting, but I cant seem to find any actual samples aside from downloadable computer fonts, or even the origins of the aquiline two font. Id like to actually see someone writing like that and not just computer generated script. I can gather that a flex nib is necessary due to the blotches on certain letters like l, b, A, etc. The first picture is (dont judge me hahaha) a sample of handwriting from a Harry Potter movie that I thought closely resembled Aquiline Two. The second picture is the actual aquiline two font. Anyone have any clues about it? Of even what style of writing the first image is?

February 23, 2012

Excuse me, the BOTTOM writing is the harry potter sample, and the top one (in red) is the actual aquiline two font. Pictures got switched when I posted.

February 23, 2012

I have a little book a friend gave me titled; A Book of Scripts by Alfred Fairbank. One of the scripts looks very much like the one you are asking about. According to the book the script is from Le Scrittor' et brieve Segretario, Bologna 1574. There are two other examples that are very similar, both from England from the 1600's. The script from The Pen's Excellencie or the Secretaries Delight by Martin Billingsley, London, 1618 has capitals very similar the the font in question. To me it appears more like an Italic script.

Edited February 23, 2012 by linearM

February 23, 2012

Out of curiosity I looked up Aquiline. The origin is the mid 17th century and means like an eagle; hooked or curved like an eagle's beak.

As with most things one thing leads to another. As you can see your question got me curious.

February 23, 2012

Anyone have any clues about it? Of even what style of writing the first image is?

It looks like a version of Bastarda Espanola. I've written this in the style used by Juan Rubel y Vidal in 1796.

Ken

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/BastardaEspanola600.jpg

February 23, 2012

Whoa, thanks for all the feedback everyone, I wasnt expecting as much help as I've received. Im going to try to get my paws on that Fairbank book. I've started to save pictures of handwriting samples I really like and might try to emulate them, and to have them for reference. Im still in the infancy stages of my what is slowly becoming obsession with writing styles and fountain pens. The d and h especially are almost dead on with the Bastarda Espanola. Im going to assume that a pen with a reasonable amount of flex would be needed to get those... I dont know what else to call them, "blotches?" at the tops of the d,h,l etc. I have an Ahab I've been practicing with but I dont think it gives enough line variation to really pull it off. A friend got a Namiki Falcon med. nib as a present and doesnt use it so I lucked into a free Namiki, that too seems like it doesnt have enough flex. You think a nice deep flex is what is needed? Again, I'm probably biting off way too much too fast.

February 23, 2012

Im going to assume that a pen with a reasonable amount of flex would be needed to get those... I dont know what else to call them, "blotches?" at the tops of the d,h,l etc.

This is actually written with an rigid, edged, nib with no flex. The solid "blotches" are made by forming a little clockwise stroke at the top of the letter and then turning smoothly down to the baseline.

The open "blotches" are formed with a short stroke to the right; the nib is then turned onto the right corner forming the short, anti-clockwise hairline and then the nib is turned back to its normal position to produce the downstroke to the baseline. All this is done smoothly, without stopping, of course.

Ken

Edited February 23, 2012 by caliken