My Handwriting: Looking For Opinions

[elderberry]

Hi all,

 

Here's another one looking for ideas on how to improve her handwriting. Here's a sample (the picture is fairly bad, but I can make a better one later... or with another nib... whatever is helpful ):

 

 

Problems I'm already aware of (and don't know how to solve):

- the base line magically drifts upwards. This is especially the case when using a pen I'm not used to or a pen which is (in this case) very smooth and wet with little feedback. It has improved a bit from the beginning but I have to work really hard to keep more or less straight lines on blank paper which is very annoying.

- the loops of letters like h, l, f etc. tend to be "spiky" and wavy, in large writing equally as in small one and with any kind of nib. Even more so if there are 2 loops in immediate succession, the second one almost always fails. Dumb practicing doesn't seem to help.

 

Any advice would be great!

[Newjelan]

I'm no expert, in fact I know nothing, but I think much if it looks good. It seems to me that your slope is a little too much and that makes the letters a little "spiky". I must say though, your slope is much more consistent than mine as is your writing.

[peterpen53]

First of all, your writing gives a very pleasant overall impression and to me is quite readable. I recognise the problem of the upward drifting baseline, which is why I still tend to use lined templates under blank paper (and it does not always help me I'm afraid).

Are you a fast writer? Maybe slowing down a bit would already give you what you're looking for. This may also lead to decreasing the slant a bit as Newlejan suggests. And don't change the spacing, that very much contributes to the good overall impression.

 

That said I would give some attention to the following:

- the form of the lower case o. The cross stroke leaving the o is very low, making it often look like an a, and if the context is insufficiently clear this could lead to confusion. I suspect this may have something to do with the up-and-down flow of your writing perhaps.

- you use two different types of r and sometimes it looks as if you're stuck somewhere between the two. Look at improve and the difference between the r's in elderberry. Try to stick with one type.

- the n seems a bit too open, for lack of a better word, and tends to resemble a u. Try to let the upstroke leave the stem a bit higher and you're OK. this is less prominent with the similar m.

- your uppercase F looks very original, but some people might think it was a glitch.

 

Edited for better composition.

Edited August 12, 2012 by peterpen53

[Andrew H]

Which pen/ink? How's your grip?

[elderberry]

Thanks for your feedback! The Os, circles in general, are something I didn't practice much since I found them annoying - they avenge themselves by being irregular. Sigh. The r's are definitely lazyness, sometimes I can't seem to be bothered to move the nib all the way back up to the stem. Maybe I should use another "r" which can be written more fluidly.

 

AndrewH: This is written with a Danitrio Genkai pen with stub nib (a gusher) and Iroshizuku asa-gao ink. Using the usual tripod grip.

[dickydotcom]

For me handwriting should be two thing:

legible, I can read every word of your without a problem.

pleasant to look at, I think your is very nice.

 

Keeping straight on plain paper, I use a heavily lined sheet underneath. I just created one in on the computer and printed it out.

Which has just made me think, I might create a couple more with different spacing.

 

Dick D

[Mickey]

Your handwriting is legible enough, but, as has been pointed out, the slant is a bit excessive at around 45 degrees. (Remember, the lower arm of the loops is going to be even flatter.) 52 to 55 degrees is probably as slanted as you want to be.

 

Another thing that will help is consciously slowing down as you near the top of the loop, not a lot, just a little. This will allow enough time to turn the corner smoothly, not simply reverse direction, and create a round enough transition to keep the loop from collapsing. Embed the proper timing, the rhythm of the loop in your writing, not just the shape.

[Paludes]

You may have change it since 2012 but I created an account just to tell you I really like your handwriting. Mine is awful so I'm trying to change it and I'm working on your basis handwriting, trying to form letters like you. I think you should keep it as it is, seems perfect to me. If you have other examples pictures I'd be glad to see them in order to get more and more practice and have a nicer writing!