Cursive Italic Handwriting

[caliken]

This was written with a Manuscript pen fitted with a medium Italic nib and filled with Aurora black ink. The minuscule x height is 4mm.

 

caliken

 

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/zapf5601-1.jpg

[jjdeal]

My goodness, this is beautiful. I envy your ability to do this, although I know that you have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours perfecting this art. As a musician, I know the hour and hours of practicing necessary to develop such a skill. I always look forward to opening your posts, because I know something beautiful is awaiting!!!

[HDoug]

Wow, that is a wonderful "flowing" italic with some unique features. Thanks for posting yet another beautiful variant of italic!

 

Doug

[Yoda4561]

Outstanding as usual Ken. One thing that's always amazed me about good writers, is their ability to keep every line of text perfectly horizontal and aligned without the assistance of lines on the paper or a backlit writing desk. For me using unlined paper for more than a few words or notes is an exercise in frustration, my characters usually go from large on the left to smaller on the right, the line curving down the entire way. I also really like the underlinking, I think it makes the words easier to read as well as more attractive.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Yoda4561

[fiberdrunk]

This was written with a Manuscript pen fitted with a medium Italic nib and filled with Aurora black ink. The minuscule x height is 4mm.

 

caliken

 

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/zapf5601-1.jpg

 

 

So elegant! It gives my tired eyes a lift just gazing at it. Thanks for sharing. I can never get enough of this sort of thing.

[limesally]

I love this variant! can you tell us anything about Hermann Zapf - did he develop this as his everyday handwriting, and how did you come across it? I love the look of it anyway - elegant but not overly formal - somehow it looks friendly.

[Bronze]

- Beautiful work, and a pleasing script.. I seem to prefer the look of under-linking myself.

Edited December 22, 2010 by Bronze

[rcarlisle]

Ken,

 

Your work is so beautiful. Did Hermann Zapf ever publish a Handwriting handbook? I am going to study your example. I attempt a variation of Tom Gourdie's Chancery Hand. I want to compare this to his. You have inspired me to start practising on a consistent basis. I have reached a plateau and I am not progressing now. Thank you so much for all you contribute to FPN.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

P.S. I know Zapf was famous as a maker of type face. I did not know of his calligraphy.

Edited December 22, 2010 by rcarlisle

[caliken]

limesally & rcarlisle,

 

I know very little about Hermann Zapf, but I'm sure that others do and can fill in the details.

I do know that he has been considered a major calligrapher for many years. I believe that he is in his 90th year.

His typefaces are everywhere and you are almost certain to have used one in the past. Googling 'Hermann Zapf' is certain to yield a lot of information.

 

This example of his Chancery Italic derives from a little booklet of 32 pages which was published in 1985 jointly by Zapf and Rotring called "Creative Calligraphy, Instructions and Alphabets". I think that this is probably his usual hand as his signature on the last page looks very similar, complete with 'underlinking' of ligatures.

As a German, his work was less influenced by Edward Johnson than most and is refreshingly different.

 

Ken

[Jim 4]

Images pass us by at the rate of hundreds or thousands per day. Every once in a while, something in our brain says STOP, I want to look at this one for a while. For me, and I’m sure for many others, your calligraphy images are the kind I want to look at and live with for a while.

Thanks for sharing Ken.

Edited December 23, 2010 by Jim 4

[caliken]

I know Zapf was famous as a maker of type face. I did not know of his calligraphy.

Here's a link to a video of Hermann Zapf at work in the 1960s.

 

caliken

[Italicist]

What a beautiful variation on italic! The combination of underlinking and a slightly more generous spacing between characters than usual seems to give the text a feeling of liquid movement. It strikes me as the sort of text that is positively relaxing to read.

[Randal6393]

Hi, Ken,

 

So glad to see a fresh link to this video. So many of the basics of using dip pens are part of this video, it's almost a mini-course in using dip pens. Coupled with the thread showing Heather Held's Copperplate writing, one has a fairly thorough introduction to how to use dip pens. And a (very misleading) feeling that calligraphy is so easy.

 

That's a great variant of Italic, Ken. The under-linking is important and leads into the differences between cursive and formal italic.

 

Thanks for another artful contribution.

[Gobblecup]

I too look forward to caliken's posts, they are always a delightful treat for the eyes! I love this Italic style, thanks for giving us a look.

 

I also find many German fonts refreshing, being less inside the Anglo-American sphere of influence makes them different I suppose.

[treborefir]

WOW! That video was crazy good! I was glued to it and sad when it ended. I'll be researching more about him and his art.

Thanks for posting.

[benkalziqi]

You, sir, are a god. Incredible work as always.

[ru32day]

Great link - thanks so much for sharing

[ArchiMark]

Beautiful writing, as always, Ken!

 

Is he related to the 'Zapf Dingbats' font that I have on my Mac?

[ru32day]

A link to some variations of the Zapfino hand, translated from Mr Zapf's 1944 sketchbook

Zapf font

[markc]

Here is a really neat video on Hermann Zapf