Looking For Certain Spencerian Exemplar

[Andrew H]

I found a snippet of Spencerian that I really enjoyed:

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CZ949_spence_NS_20090123220308.jpg

[src]

 

Where can I find a full exemplar?

[fiberdrunk]

Wow, that is pretty. Wish I knew, too. I have the older Michael Sull Spencerian book (vol. 1 and 2) and it doesn't quite look the same as what is in his book.

[caliken]

Where can I find a full exemplar?

If you go to www.iampeth.com you'll find all that you need.

 

Ken

[Andrew H]

Where can I find a full exemplar?

If you go to www.iampeth.com you'll find all that you need.

 

Ken

Before posting, I looked around IAMPETH but I couldn't find the exact Capital style in any of the documents.

[H.M. Murdock]

Ahh, something about penmanship I know! That would be Walt Whitman's handwriting. I would recognize it anywhere. This should be helpful for you.

The good (and bad) thing about Whitman's handwriting was that it was as erratic and mood-driven as his writing. So while the bad news is that there's no de facto "Walt Whitman script," the good news is that there are, in fact, dozens of "Walt Whitman scripts" to choose from and emulate.

[Andrew H]

Ah, thanks but I was looking for the Spencerian letter forms behind Mr. Whitman's sample.

 

Found it!

http://moreintelligentlife.com/files/fckeditor_files/image/62%20spencer%20alph.JPG

[tdzb36]

very nice...........

[fiberdrunk]

Ah, thanks but I was looking for the Spencerian letter forms behind Mr. Whitman's sample.

 

Found it!

http://moreintelligentlife.com/files/fckeditor_files/image/62%20spencer%20alph.JPG

 

What's the source, then? Those are really nice models.

[Andrew H]

I believe it is a scan from a book somewhere. Which book, I am not sure. I found the low-res image here:

http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/script-scribble-kitty-burns-florey-defends-pen

[thang1thang2]

I believe it is a scan from a book somewhere. Which book, I am not sure. I found the low-res image here:

http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/script-scribble-kitty-burns-florey-defends-pen

 

I used the image and did a reverse search which can be found here. Where to go from there I don't know, but it might help someone?

[Andrew H]

I believe it is a scan from a book somewhere. Which book, I am not sure. I found the low-res image here:

http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/script-scribble-kitty-burns-florey-defends-pen

 

I used the image and did a reverse search which can be found here. Where to go from there I don't know, but it might help someone?

That's essentially what I did. There are no higher resolution version that Google knows of.

[thang1thang2]

That's essentially what I did. There are no higher resolution version that Google knows of.

 

If you want I can attempt to load it into illustrator and convert it into a vector and enlarge it? It'll be a smidge time consuming, however.

[Pincel]

I believe it is a scan from a book somewhere. Which book, I am not sure.

Is this THE BOOK?

[Andrew H]

Is this THE BOOK?

EDIT: Looks like it, but some capitals don't line up. The E and the Z, for example.

Nice find though. Now I need to poke more through IAMPETH, it looks like.

Edited January 3, 2013 by Andrew H

[fiberdrunk]

I think I finally tracked it down. It can be found in Script & Scribble by Kitty Burns Florey (the book mentioned in the article). This book is about the "rise and fall of handwriting." The model was provided in the chapter about Platt Rogers Spencer (and the Image Credit page credits it to "148 Spencerian workshop image"-- whatever that is!) The bibliography includes The Theory of the Spencerian System of Practical Penmanship by Platt Rogers Spencer from 1874.

 

From pg. 62 of Script & Scribble:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8225/8367198705_68bf03c168_b.jpg

 

From the back cover:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8367197665_4251df327a_b.jpg

 

The back cover doesn't seem to have a credit. Book and jacket design is credited to Carol Hayes-- perhaps she did the lovely exemplars, if not Spencer?

 

I thought it might have been Platt Rogers Spencer's own model, but I have the Spencerian copybooks and they don't include a nice model alphabet all on one page like these exemplars. Script & Scribble also includes the original Palmer model in the chapter about Palmer, which made me think the other one was Spencer's own hand, too.

 

I'm enjoying reading Script & Scribble. Besides Spencerian and Palmer, it has much smaller exemplars for Zaner-Bloser, D'Nealian, Handwriting Without Tears, and Getty & Dubay's italic (the original models for all these). If you have an interest in the history of penmanship, I think you'll like this book. And of course, it asks if handwriting is really important today (and judging by the above exemplars, why would beauty ever become obsolete?) Recommended!

Edited January 10, 2013 by fiberdrunk

[caliken]

At the risk of immodesty, can I suggest this exemplar?

 

Ken

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/225300-depository-of-handwriting-and-calligraphy-styles-and-discussion/page__view__findpost__p__2402474%3Cbr%20/%3E

Edited January 10, 2013 by caliken

[thang1thang2]

At the risk of immodesty, can I suggest this exemplar?

 

Ken

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/225300-depository-of-handwriting-and-calligraphy-styles-and-discussion/page__view__findpost__p__2402474%3Cbr%20/%3E

 

Nothing could ever be immodest coming from you.

 

As a tool for learning spencerian I would recommend using Ken's Exemplar until you have a firm understanding of it. Reason following

 

1. Very gentle shading, you can do this sort of practice with a fountain pen (or really any pen, just skip the shading)

2. Very minimalistic and straight to the point. However it doesn't erode the elegance of the Spencerian style in any respect, it just simply doesn't have any un-necessary lines.

 

Brief note on 2: You might consider the first clockwise circular stroke of the 'u' or 'v' to be extraneous, but it would be replaced (in the absence of that stroke) with a curly-q similar to what's shown on the 'c' of Ken's exemplar. This is no more easier, and if anything it's harder as you now have to get the proportion of the circle right, and the shading on the downstroke of it. I prefer the circle rather than a large upstroke personally, but I'd still recommend the large upstroke shown in Ken's for a simple easy distinctive style that can be picked up easily. If one likes, they can learn another one.

 

3. Before one learns to run, one learns to walk. The basic fundamental shape of an 'a' only looks pretty with flourishes all over it as in the above exemplar if the 'a' is made already very well. As a beginner exemplar there's not any around that I can find that any simpler, and if they are they usually have extremely large shades. Ken has some how managed to find the balance between minimal shading ( to work on form ) and adding the hint of flourishing, which allows the student to experiment on his own

 

Examples of experimentation that I find fun to try are taking the loop on the top of the c and playing with it, or extending the top of the a and morphing it into the above example. Perhaps taking the very first upward clockwise stroke of the 'u' or the 'v' and turning it into a sweeping stroke that starts below and in front of the letter and then drops down into a shaded capital (or nonshaded, if you like that).

 

I dunno, I like the aesthetics of the more complicated exemplars more, but they have too many details for those who haven't already master the one that Ken did. If you're looking to learn Spencerian? I'd stick with Ken's first. It's actually the one I'm going to use to reference to my capitals now.