What Does Your Handwriting Look Like

[brim]

Last weekend, my wife and I took Deborah Basel's calligraphy class at the Philadelphia Pen Show. The class was great. It introduced us to basic italic writing and she sent us home with some good practice sheets.

 

I thought I would write a quick note to my wife this week in this new style that we learned. This is the very first time I've actually written italic, so I'm obviously still getting the hang of it! Just thought I would share. What I learned: writing actual words is quite different than just practicing individual letters. The spacing is quite difficult!

 

Note: these words are not mine, I am no where near this poetic! I'm hoping she'll forgive me for stealing a quote this time!

 

[IPv6Freely]

Here's mine:

 

 

well, here's a contribution of my daily hand :

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/yuckkie/Scribblings/writingsample.jpg

This post is simply too interesting its hard not to reply !

leo

 

^ This is my favourite in this entire thread! I would LOVE for my penmanship to look like this!

[Skyppere]

Not the clearest picture but it gives you a GENERAL idea..

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/skyppere/IMG_0607-1.jpg

[ToughHouseRook]

Here is a sample of my pretty basic cursive, I wish my writing had some of the personality of many of the other samples.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6789729461_58342458aa_z.jpg

[Miles R.]

When I was ten years old, I grew so impatient with the inelegance of my cursive handwriting that I quit using cursive and made it my practice to use only print.

 

Eventually, at age 21, I decided that it ill befit an adult to be incapable of cursive writing, and undertook to teach myself to write cursive again. For a long time, my cursive writing was so bad that I would not use it on any document that was for the eyes of another person. It was a struggle to keep at it, because, during that time, not only could I write more neatly in print, but I could write more quickly that way! But I compelled myself to stick with the cursive at least for personal notes, such as this one from 1983, which was already at least a year into my adoption of cursive. This is written in ball-point pen.

 

Sample 1: 1983

 

 

Admittedly, that was written in haste. Even at that time, I could write much more neatly when I was comfortably seated. But it was a while before my cursive hand became capable of equaling the neatness of my print. Nonetheless, I found that, try though I might, I could not make my cursive writing slant. Those years of printing seemed to have ingrained the vertical orientation into my writing hand too deeply. Whenever I would try to slant my writing, it would refuse to settle into a consistent angle and would eventually return to the vertical. As my signature was the lone direct descendant of the slanted cursive hand that I had used up to the age of 10, I ended up with two cursive hands: a slanted one for my signature and a vertical one for everything else.

 

Here is a sample from 1985. I can't tell whether it was written with a fine-point fountain pen or a fine-point Pilot felt marker ("Razor Point"), as I recall that I used both at that time.

 

Sample 2: 1985

 

 

I wish that I could write with the same degree of neatness and consistency today, but at the same time, I find my handwriting of that period to be a bit short on character, and perhaps a bit girlish.

 

Over the following years, I was continually making changes to the way that I formed various characters. One significant change occurred after I received letters from an Austrian correspondent, who formed her small T's without a pen-lift--a habit that I attribute to her education rather than to personal idiosyncrasy. I resolved to master the same technique. Though it took me a while, I eventually got it down, but, as you can see from the sample that follows, I am not always able to get the stem of the T properly aligned: it sometimes floats just above the line. The following sample, written in Pelikan black with a Waterman Carène medium point, dates from 2008:

 

Sample 3: 2008

 

 

I think that the writing has more of a personal character than the sample from 1985; but unfortunately there is also a loss of consistency. Many characters are out of alignment, and some have a certain jerkiness to them.

 

More recently, I resolved, at the age of 50, to train myself to write on a slant, so that my customary handwriting should at last, after 40 years of being alienated from my signature, return to agreement with it. It took a few months of practice before the habit took hold, and I still sometimes have a lapse if I am trying to write very small or get my hand into a cramped position. But in general, I now write on a fairly consistent slant. The following sample, from a few days ago, reflects not only the change in my handwriting but my discovery of colored inks. I now no longer use black at all! This was written in Lie de thé by J. Herbin with a Huashilai 3000 (and does not look as reddish on the page as it does in this image, for some reason):

 

Sample 4: 2012

 

 

Unfortunately, my writing still suffers from occasional jerkiness and lack of alignment. If those defects are not apparent in this sample that is because I selected the sample to exhibit my present writing at its best. I think that it has improved since I adopted the slant, but it still has some defects that I hope yet to mend.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Miles R.

[rdtrade]

It's taking a long time, but at last my handwriting seems to be loosening up a bit. For me, the secret seems to be - to write in a hurry with a pen that's almost dry!

This is a slight enlargement. The envelope is 8 1/2" wide.

 

caliken

 

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/Graphicenvelope901.jpg

 

Really beautiful! Having rediscovered a Pelikan M730 I bought years ago, I've decided to improve my penmanship. I love this style and would like to learn to write it. Is this style featured in any of your books or do you have an alphabet sheet I could learn it from? Thanks

[Mike 59]

Hi all, I was comparing a few pens, and the few inks I have, thought it was worth showing.

[caliken]

Really beautiful! Having rediscovered a Pelikan M730 I bought years ago, I've decided to improve my penmanship. I love this style and would like to learn to write it. Is this style featured in any of your books or do you have an alphabet sheet I could learn it from? Thanks

Look at "Chancery Italic Script Instructions" by Ann Finley at the top of this forum.

 

She shows the breakdown of this style with instructions on how to write it. It's best known as "Cursive Italic" (joined-up).

 

Ken

[jwar2003]

Hi all

 

I have recently purchased a new duofold international and some diamine imperial purple ink. I now have beautiful tools but very poor hand writing, I am looking for ideas on how to improve my scrawl. please could you help?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jannis]

I tried to improve handwriting some weeks ago. Still a beginner, I am rather contented in the meantime. Wrote with a Cerruti 1881 Ring Top M nip with Standardgraph ink in tulip red.

Edited February 4, 2012 by Jannis

[Philosophy Student]

Here is a shot of my reading notes that I jot down quickly into a Rhodia A5 booklet. The writing is what I would consider to be the result of years in post-secondary education. I posted this shot because I am not concerned with my writing and just getting down the main idea from the different sources for future reference. I cannot remember but I think this was written with a Park Vac with Montblanc ink and possibly written on my lap.

 

Anyways I figured it was time for me to post. Please note that the content ought to be ignored and is not meant to be considered correct.

 

The pen on the book is a Soennecken 112 with a wonderful medium steel nib. Quite possibly the best nib I own.

 

Thanks,

[OneGoldenAfternoon]

I've been meaning to make a new sample to post here, but haven't had taken the time. In the interim, here's one I posted a couple months ago:

 

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/396/sampleb.png

 

Fine nib Duke Red Graphite, with Noodler's Kiowa Pecan.

 

I adore your handwriting.

 

Anywho, here's mine: (Sorry 'bout the shadowing and all, didn't look too evident on my phone )

Written with a Waterman Harmonie filled with Poussiere de Lune, and a Cross ATX filled with Black Swan in Australian Roses, two of my favorite pens with two of my favorite inks.

[Pendoodle]

 

Here's my handwriting for scrutiny. I know I spelled brown wrong. I really can't stand my cursive.

[Miles R.]

Here's my handwriting for scrutiny. I know I spelled brown wrong. I really can't stand my cursive.

 

What ink did you use for that sample?

 

I don't know of a good all-around source of guidance for improving one's handwriting on the Web, but Nan Barchowsky's videos at Monkeysee are fairly helpful. I suspect, however, that the most useful thing for you, if it were possible, would be to get advice from someone who could observe how you hold and move your pen when you write. Handwriting instruction tends to concentrate on the technique of forming the letters. Such technique is certainly essential to good writing, but an exclusive attention to it will not remedy more systematic problems. I think that when someone's writing displays inconsistency in the shape, proportions, spacing, and alignment of letters, as yours does, the cause usually lies in the posture and movement of the writer's hand and arm. I suspect that you are trying to make your hand do things that it just doesn't want to do, so to speak. If you can find a more natural posture--"natural" here meaning "effective" rather than "habitual"--then the details of letter-formation will become much easier.

 

By the way, I say this as someone who is dealing with his own difficulties in hand posture and movement. I posted samples of my own writing in this thread and I know that it is well short of optimal.

 

And while we're on the topic of scrutiny:

 

Moe: Say, what's a good word for "scrutiny"?

 

Shemp: "Scrutiny"!

 

Moe: Thanks! (Pokes Shemp in the eyes).

 

--Hold That Lion

Edited February 6, 2012 by Miles R.

[Pendoodle]

Here's my handwriting for scrutiny. I know I spelled brown wrong. I really can't stand my cursive.

 

What ink did you use for that sample?

 

I don't know of a good all-around source of guidance for improving one's handwriting on the Web, but Nan Barchowsky's videos at Monkeysee are fairly helpful. I suspect, however, that the most useful thing for you, if it were possible, would be to get advice from someone who could observe how you hold and move your pen when you write. Handwriting instruction tends to concentrate on the technique of forming the letters. Such technique is certainly essential to good writing, but an exclusive attention to it will not remedy more systematic problems. I think that when someone's writing displays inconsistency in the shape, proportions, spacing, and alignment of letters, as yours does, the cause usually lies in the posture and movement of the writer's hand and arm. I suspect that you are trying to make your hand do things that it just doesn't want to do, so to speak. If you can find a more natural posture--"natural" here meaning "effective" rather than "habitual"--then the details of letter-formation will become much easier.

 

By the way, I say this as someone who is dealing with his own difficulties in hand posture and movement. I posted samples of my own writing in this thread and I know that it is well short of optimal.

 

And while we're on the topic of scrutiny:

 

Moe: Say, what's a good word for "scrutiny"?

 

Shemp: "Scrutiny"!

 

Moe: Thanks! (Pokes Shemp in the eyes).

 

--Hold That Lion

 

 

I appreciate your comment very much. I already knew it was bad. I have tried to use my forearm and shoulder to do the writing but I can't seem to get it to work. It just doesn't make sense. By the way the ink was Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher.

[franzrogar]

Hello,

 

Here's a sample of my fast writing with a new pen I got today :-D

 

It's fast writen but relaxed (being fast and nervous makes me do not flex the nib at all... So boring!)

 

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3945/doricadjustable7.jpg[/url]

[beesbees]

Every school report I ever recieved stated that my handwiritng should be my main "target" for improvement and that it probabaly cost me exam marks. However, I never did try, it was never very important. I was very much focussed on Maths and Science subjects at school, and for English/History etc. I typed most of my essays and only ever did long handwritten pieces in exams.

 

Now, at 21, and just about to finish University, I figured I really should give it a go. I still get comments from people saying my handwritten notes are hard to read! I will post some samples some other time but this thread provides some inspiration.

[Miles R.]

I am going to reproduce here Swavey's photo of a sample of his handwriting because it evokes in me such a deep wish that I could write with similar perfection. While I appreciate calligraphy, I regard it as a special decorative art in its own right, quite distinct from handwriting in the everyday sense. The person who can do calligraphy has a skill that I lack; the person whose everyday handwriting combines elegance with simplicity and the appearance of ease is better than I am at something that I try to do well. So I can only hope that with further study my handwriting will approach this standard.

 

 

 

[ethernautrix]

I've been enjoying this thread immensely, all the different handwriting styles.

 

I just added a sample of my handwriting to the thread Analyzing Writers' Personalities From Their Handwritten Manuscripts, and this is the sample:

 

 

 

Some of the samples in this thread make me want to practice cursive, see how that feels.

Edited February 7, 2012 by ethernautrix

[Pierce]

And here is mine. Nov 28th and today side by side. I am trying my best to improve it.

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/3535yqq.jpg