What Does Your Handwriting Look Like

[CatBookMom]

This is my calligraphy as a work in progress, not my "handwriting". This is a sheet of practice writing. I've been working with Lloyd Reynolds' Italic Calligraphy and Handwriting: Exercises and Text, an excellent book.I don't practice everyday as I should, but I do carry a small Rhodia pad in my briefcase and if I'm sitting around waiting for something, I'll pull out the pad and practice. I do try to do at least 45 minutes of real work, sitting properly at a table, on weekends. I've been trying to be more serious about my calligraphy for about the last 6 months.

 

This sample is with a Platinum music nib which was customized by Richard Binder to what he calls a "crisp" italic; regrinding it to a sharper italic shape. The paper is Rhodia, ink is Noodler's Eel Blue.

 

My biggest problem is an unsteady hand. I don't have Parkinson's (and I mean no insult to anyone who might), I'm just very unsteady. If I "float" the pen as recommended by Reynolds, using a very light touch on the paper, my hand, not a naturally artist one, is unsteady. If I bear down a little harder, I can reduce the unsteadiness, but then lose the needed light touch to execute beautifully formed letters.

 

I would appreciate any advice from more steady-handed folks for any exercises or practices to achieve a steadier hand.

 

Maurizio

 

 

I don't have any advice to cure the unsteadiness - and quite honestly, a real close-up of my own letters shows some wavering - but your practice piece looks very good.

[mbrossar]

This is my calligraphy as a work in progress, not my "handwriting". This is a sheet of practice writing. I've been working with Lloyd Reynolds' Italic Calligraphy and Handwriting: Exercises and Text, an excellent book.I don't practice everyday as I should, but I do carry a small Rhodia pad in my briefcase and if I'm sitting around waiting for something, I'll pull out the pad and practice. I do try to do at least 45 minutes of real work, sitting properly at a table, on weekends. I've been trying to be more serious about my calligraphy for about the last 6 months.

 

This sample is with a Platinum music nib which was customized by Richard Binder to what he calls a "crisp" italic; regrinding it to a sharper italic shape. The paper is Rhodia, ink is Noodler's Eel Blue.

 

My biggest problem is an unsteady hand. I don't have Parkinson's (and I mean no insult to anyone who might), I'm just very unsteady. If I "float" the pen as recommended by Reynolds, using a very light touch on the paper, my hand, not a naturally artist one, is unsteady. If I bear down a little harder, I can reduce the unsteadiness, but then lose the needed light touch to execute beautifully formed letters.

 

I would appreciate any advice from more steady-handed folks for any exercises or practices to achieve a steadier hand.

 

Maurizio

 

 

I don't have any advice to cure the unsteadiness - and quite honestly, a real close-up of my own letters shows some wavering - but your practice piece looks very good.

 

I concur. I quite like your sample. I did read somewhere that part of good penmanship was establishing a good rhythm in your writing. If I recall, it was a reference to cursive, but I can see it applying to any writing. I find when I slow down, my strokes waver a bit. Of course, if I go too fast, it just gets sloppy, but there's a balance in there somewhere. I find my writing is at its best when I am relaxed, and thinking light and rhythmic. Just a thought.

[losskywalker]

This is a sample of my daily writing(in this case, taking notes.)

Although I mainly write in Chinese, there are still some situations in which I would have to write in English, for example, taking notes in the classroom:)

and I've been trying some Copperplate and Italic for penmanship these days.

Ji.

[Rogue07]

Howdy everyone.

 

I've attached a sample from a recent "therapy" session (as it's come to be called). I've only recently become interested in nibs that flex and the attached has been written utilizing a very inexpensive and super fun antique dip pen. I really, really enjoy the line variation you can get with a flexible nib like that. The ink is Noodler's turquoise. I'm waiting patiently for the bladder in my recently acquired Conklin Crescent #20 to come in so I dont have to stop between letters/words for ink!

 

Anyway, please let me know what you think. The attached is after only four or five hours of practice. I'm very hopeful for what it might look like in a year or two...

 

By the way, I apologize for the iphone pic.

 

Enjoy. And thanks.

[pelikan500]

Howdy everyone.....

 

WOW ...hi ...i really like it ...just looking at the "overall" is nice ..then i started to "analyse" what i like about it ...

 

firstly ..its your style .. i like how you have broken convention ..."stay" with elongated "t" and in middle of a word ...elongated down strokes, nice ...

 

i like "alone" is bigger for emphasis .. and how it sways & hugs each letter ..i also love that "a" with a big belly ...

 

i love to see "character" in handwriting and how one's personality comes out ...especially in "free" writing with enough discipline that there's consistency to make the writing very pleasing to the eye ...

 

please keep it up ..& post more "therapy sessions" ... i also love reading quotes (thats i what constantly write in my journals) ...

 

you managed to combine my 2 loves ... the written form & its meaning ....cheers ... really great start to my day ..

 

here's a sample of mine

 

and a typical one i like ..sorry i forgot to note the credit for it ....i aspire to have something as free & as beautiful as this

 

Edited March 29, 2011 by pelikan500

[Rogue07]

Thanks so much for the kind words and encouragement. I appreciate the candid feedback and wonderful compliments! I'll certainly continue posting. I really enjoy your style as well! It seems we have something in common with the journaling of quotes. Interesting!

 

I really enjoy your handwriting style as well. I particularly like the pseudo italicized feel. And, wow, aspirations to replicate such a beautiful composition are warranted and admirable. I'd frame something like that and put it on my wall!!

 

Cheers.

[waterman1924]

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/officer_dread/samplewrite.jpg

[seahunter]

Just a quick one to see how this uploads.

[Korybas]

Here's a pic of some recent notes I took,

 

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/9202/cimg0736.jpg

 

Pilot Prera with a Fine nib, Namiki black ink

 

I really wish I could improve the legibility of my handwriting. =/

 

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with your handwriting, in fact its perfectly legible to me!

[CatBookMom]

I don't think there is anything wrong with your handwriting, in fact its perfectly legible to me!

 

 

+1. There's a lot of slant, but it's quite readable, a good individualized handwriting. If you can write that well when making notes, I'd expect that it only gets better when you have a chance to slow down a bit for a letter or student paper.

Edited April 3, 2011 by CatBookMom

[CatBookMom]

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/officer_dread/samplewrite.jpg

 

 

Very nice. I like the flourishes.

[CatBookMom]

Just a quick one to see how this uploads.

 

Oh, very nice! I'm learning cursive italic too, and I see that you've got some lovely upper-case (majuscule?) letters. Do you find it difficult to align the vertical stroke of the lower-case (minuscule?) 'd' with the oval? That right-leaning stroke seems right with 'b','h', 'k', 'l', but my brain insists that it's wrong for the 'd'. And what do you do for the end of the 'q' downstroke? I've been doing a short serif kind of angled cross-stroke.

[seahunter]

Just a quick one to see how this uploads.

 

Oh, very nice! I'm learning cursive italic too, and I see that you've got some lovely upper-case (majuscule?) letters. Do you find it difficult to align the vertical stroke of the lower-case (minuscule?) 'd' with the oval? That right-leaning stroke seems right with 'b','h', 'k', 'l', but my brain insists that it's wrong for the 'd'. And what do you do for the end of the 'q' downstroke? I've been doing a short serif kind of angled cross-stroke.

 

Thanks CatBookMom! Yes, that "d" and the other slants are difficult, especially since my "normal" writing has always been straight-up vertical. I STILL remember this, but I had a great slanted cursive in grade school, and my darn fourth-grade teacher thought it was too much, so she MADE me change it and its never been the same. I have to constantly remind myself of the slant. My "q" just starts like a "g" but at the bottom of the downstroke I just kick it off to the right if that makes sense.

[CatBookMom]

Oh, very nice! I'm learning cursive italic too, and I see that you've got some lovely upper-case (majuscule?) letters. Do you find it difficult to align the vertical stroke of the lower-case (minuscule?) 'd' with the oval? That right-leaning stroke seems right with 'b','h', 'k', 'l', but my brain insists that it's wrong for the 'd'. And what do you do for the end of the 'q' downstroke? I've been doing a short serif kind of angled cross-stroke.

 

Thanks CatBookMom! Yes, that "d" and the other slants are difficult, especially since my "normal" writing has always been straight-up vertical. I STILL remember this, but I had a great slanted cursive in grade school, and my darn fourth-grade teacher thought it was too much, so she MADE me change it and its never been the same. I have to constantly remind myself of the slant. My "q" just starts like a "g" but at the bottom of the downstroke I just kick it off to the right if that makes sense.

 

 

That's more or less what I've been doing, too. My cursive tends to have too much slant, and I've found working with some of the practice paper that has slanted lines helps. The Linugraphy page will let you adjust the height and the slant, and choose whether you want it in letter or landscape orientation. Here's a link to a couple of templates that will print french-ruled (Seyès ruled) paper; these were developed by another FPN member; they're helping me a lot to get the proportions more.

[seahunter]

Thanks for the links, I think we may have been chatting about those on another thread too. I use the templates to practice, but it looks like some people actually send notes/letters on lined practice paper too - is that "acceptable"?

[seahunter]

By the way CatBookMom, The Boss in your avatar on the bookcase is beautiful!

[CatBookMom]

By the way CatBookMom, The Boss in your avatar on the bookcase is beautiful!

 

Thanks. Midnight was a lovely cat, though my husband used to say she was proof that blondes come in all colors.

 

About sending letters with practice lines, I expect it depends on the recipient, though someone who would complain about getting a beautifully written letter having lines on it may have some slightly skewed priorities, IMO

Edited April 5, 2011 by CatBookMom

[Emoo]

 

/cringes. Yeeeeep. That's mine alright. It's so weird. I've been trying to improve for ages, but nothing doing.

[Flaneurette]

Emoo - that is honestly the loveliest handwriting I have ever seen, totally charming!

[Emoo]

Emoo - that is honestly the loveliest handwriting I have ever seen, totally charming!

 

Aww, thanks. Still wish my handwriting was a little more regular though. But my random long tails on *certain* letters make me giggle. Like n's and s's. XD