Learning The Palmer Method Of Business Writing

[fast14riot]

Ok guys & gals, I am going to try the Palmer Method. Now I have some questions for you more experienced typographers, I have been using a semi connected print, zero to negative slope (for a right handed person, slope to the left), almost vertical pen grip but not squeezed to death hand for nearly 20 years now. Many people think I have very legible handwriting, but it is basic. It is left over from my training in drafting, and lack of cursive training beyond part of my 3rd grade year.

 

Now with my grip and how my nibs wear, when I try to hold the pen in the Palmer way, it is very scratchy. All my pens are vintage, so new nibs isn't always an option. Should I buy a new pen to begin my training without the handicap of the distraction from the scratchy nib? Should I practice the basic cursive letter forms before going further with the Palmer method?

 

Hopefully by tomorrow I can post up my samples from day one, or at least go get a new pen for training.

 

 

-Xander

[Sailor Kenshin]

You're asking on a fountain pen forum whether to buy a new pen? :roflmho:

 

By all means!

 

Maybe try a basic model like a Hero 616 or a Lamy Safari (even though that triangle section is not to my liking) or a Hero 616 or a Pelikano or a Hero 616....

[fast14riot]

You're asking on a fountain pen forum whether to buy a new pen? :roflmho:

 

By all means!

 

Maybe try a basic model like a Hero 616 or a Lamy Safari (even though that triangle section is not to my liking) or a Hero 616 or a Pelikano or a Hero 616....

 

Well, maybe I will buy a new pen. I have never bought a brand new pen before. The Hero 616 seems to be stuck in my mind for some reason, wat do you think?!

 

 

-Xander

[Sailor Kenshin]

You're asking on a fountain pen forum whether to buy a new pen? :roflmho:

 

By all means!

 

Maybe try a basic model like a Hero 616 or a Lamy Safari (even though that triangle section is not to my liking) or a Hero 616 or a Pelikano or a Hero 616....

 

Well, maybe I will buy a new pen. I have never bought a brand new pen before. The Hero 616 seems to be stuck in my mind for some reason, wat do you think?!

 

 

-Xander

 

 

Heeheeheeeee.... just be sure you get them from a reputable dealer like isellpens. They're bulb-fillers and hold a good amount of ink IF you first slip off that little metal tube that guards the bulb.

 

I always have at least one inked. This week, two.

[fast14riot]

Well, D. Lindenbaum, I have decided to commit to learning to write in cursive again, via the Palmer Method alongside you. Currently, your handwriting is vastly superior to mine, I literally have to stop and think about each and every letter and how it is shaped! Over 20 years since I wrote anything in cursive, been printing exclusively. I would love to see some photos or scans of your progress to date. If it isn't considered derailment of your thread I would like to post my own progress. Hopefully we can get some of the finer penslingers here to give critique and criticisms as we go. What say you?

 

 

-Xander

[Sailor Kenshin]

Whether this is real Palmer or not...if I could find a pen that wrote like this, I'd be pretty happy.

 

 

 

There are some mean comments, but it's YouTube. Happens all the time.

[fast14riot]

Well in my lessons last night I wrote approximately 2 pages in cursive. Did the straight line and oblique exercises with little progress. I felt fidgety and unrefined in my coarse motor skills! Holy cow! Even though I am able to write a bit neater and faster now, when I focus on all the minutiae involved with just sitting at my desk I can see why it takes the better part of a year to see decent results. I will post pics of my drills tonight along with a daily update of my writing.

 

I am glad that I am able to take 30-60 minutes, sometimes more, everyday to practice. If I didn't commit fully I would end up procrastinating until I just stopped all together.

 

 

Update in a few hours, after work.

 

 

-Xander

Edited November 19, 2011 by fast14riot

[fast14riot]

Well here is today's update on my continuing lessons with oblique straight lines and ovals. I have not done any writing before I started this page of drills, and only wrote the quick panagram at the end while I was still running the "writing machine." Some observations, oblique straights started uneven and spacing was inconsistent. By the end of the first block, uniformity began to set in, my hand was almost levitating over the page and I literally starred with my mouth agape as my hand drew these even lines! Now it is not as perfect as the examples on the website, but for me it is quite the improvement! My ovals are in desperate need of attention. I feel as though the M nib on the college ruled paper is almost too wide for me. But I don't have a pen that is as smooth as this one is on this paper (EDIT, I dug out another school pen with a F nib and it works fine). The areas circled in red are the oblique straights that I feel are up to par and the blue is the best ovals I could summon from this session. The panagram at the end just amazes me in that most of it is of the same x-height, flow from letter to letter was much smoother and more automatic.

 

Please, do offer criticism and encouragement!

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/fast14riot/2011-11-18224717-1.jpg

 

 

-Xander

[fast14riot]

So I have a question, should I be focusingon these drills in order, mastering one before starting another or should I be mixing it up a bit? Seems that when I am practising the ovals, I get stuck in a string of bad ones and regrouping my mind-muscle equilibrium is difficult. Briefly redirecting my practice to either sentences or doodles helps a bit, but could I be more productive by switching to another drill? When I taught sailing I always made it clear to my students, practice makes permanent. PERFECT practice makes perfect. I just want to be sure I am following my own advice.

 

 

-Xander

[DLindenbaum]

Here's a sample of more of my progress, sorry I haven't updated anyone of you recently:

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/2uthjxj.jpg

 

The good thing is that I've recieved many great and wonderful comments on my cursive penmanship; from my teachers as well as my friends.

[fast14riot]

nice hand writing!!!

[fast14riot]

UPDATE

 

Well seems as if I have hit my first plateau in my learning. I made good strides towards a legible form of cursive, but have somehow managed to unknowingly modify my textbook body position into something more comfortable and now it is showing in poor handwriting again. Inconsistant, more mistakes, and too hasty. I really need to focus on a perfect body position before I try and go any farther. I am still writing daily for at least 30 minutes and am enjoying it. Now if I can figure out how to change thing up so I can work past this plateau, I think more steps towards progress will soon follow.

 

Please, any and all advice is welcome, even if you are learning too. Maybe you have had the same issue and figured out how to work through it.

 

 

-Xander

[pmhudepo]

Here's a sample of more of my progress, sorry I haven't updated anyone of you recently:

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/2uthjxj.jpg

 

The good thing is that I've recieved many great and wonderful comments on my cursive penmanship; from my teachers as well as my friends.

 

This is very nice! I really love visiting threads like this.

 

I recently started reading Self Instruction in Modern Writing (by A.N. Palmer) and decided to do some of the drills. It felt a bit silly, going back to square one, but never mind. During earlier practice sessions this year, I regularly found myself gripping the pen too tightly as soon as I started writing actual letters. I had already discovered, at the start of my Fun with Handwriting Practice thread, that doodling and other fun stuff helped relax the hand, but that relaxed state disappeared quickly during actual writing. Perhaps I just needed to do more drills, and wait a little before focusing on letter forms?

 

So, like earlier this year, I got up this morning, made some tea and sat down. Loads and loads of circles, as quick as possible, wavy shapes up and down, weaving together like large intestines (I guess I forgot about the textbook drills at that point). Tried some letters, which worked reasonably well, but I soon felt my hand tightening. Have breakfast, back to drills. Swift movements, focus on down stroke, down, down, down, down.

 

And then it sort of clicked, the pieces of the puzzle just fit. I created letter forms with the loosest grip I ever managed. It definitely was not my prettiest or most precise lettering, and it was way too large still, but it just worked. Just like when I learned how to ride a bicycle, or learned to swim. I could just feel the tension flowing away towards the paper, as if the feed and nib sucked it up and spit it out along with the ink from the pen.

 

You may think I'm mad as a hatter, but I hope it will give some encouragement. Keep at it, keep loosening your grip, do the drills with rapid circles and ovals.

 

Have fun!

 

Wanted to add that, for me, this seems to work better with a slightly bigger, wetter nib, one that can keep up with rapid movement without skipping or scratching.

Edited November 29, 2011 by pmhudepo

[fast14riot]

UPDATE

 

Well seems as if I have hit my first plateau in my learning. I made good strides towards a legible form of cursive, but have somehow managed to unknowingly modify my textbook body position into something more comfortable and now it is showing in poor handwriting again. Inconsistant, more mistakes, and too hasty. I really need to focus on a perfect body position before I try and go any farther. I am still writing daily for at least 30 minutes and am enjoying it. Now if I can figure out how to change things up so I can work past this plateau, I think more steps towards progress will soon follow.

 

Please, any and all advice is welcome, even if you are learning too. Maybe you have had the same issue and figured out how to work through it.

 

 

-Xander

 

 

RE-UPDATE

 

Managed to get through that little plateau I was stuck on for a bit. Started writing and gave myself permission to write how I thought I should, in the Palmer Method. I wrote 3 pages of mental notes and observations about my posture then stopped. I got up, got a drink and came back to read what I wrote, and look at my letter formation. Totally regressed to the start. Read the Palmer site on posture. Copied it word for word, then read it again. This time as I wrote it out, again, I made sure to stop and thoroughly analyze each piece of the puzzle.

 

I found that focusing so intently on my writing side (right for me) I was neglecting my weak side! My left shoulder was tense and rising as I tried to push my elbow through the top of my desk, my left foot was now behind me bracing against the leg of the chair, and my left hand was balling up. Reset my body position, and voila! My handwriting came out better than before! My drills were looking better, too. I suddenly had an urge to write for some length, so I started a letter. 6 pages and it still looked good! WOO HOO!!! It is not perfect, yet, but many of the little inconsistencies are starting to show up less and less.

 

I tried to stretch out my inter-letter spacing but it felt very unnatural to me. So I went to double spaced and use more vertical distance for my ascenders and decenders now, which pushed my letter spacing out a bit more without thinking about it. This looks better yet. Easy to read, and easy to write. Slowed myself down and found my sweet spot on the paper that I try to keep the pen in by moving the paper a little. I am pleased with how this is coming long.

 

My camera is dead, will try to post pics in a few hours.

 

 

-X

[fast14riot]

Here is the pic that belongs in the above post. ^^^^^

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/fast14riot/2011-12-03023356.jpg

 

 

-Xander

[Bingy]

That looks really good. I am practicing the palmer method drills too. They look easy when you see them on the web but the are very hard to do. I have been doing ok untill i got to the "capital" a and the C. Very wobbly! I havent practiced writing real words yet - more drills required i think.

 

Its a while since your last posts, so how is your cursive writing now?

[sirShiggy]

In the theme of Copperplate, Spencerian, and Gothic... I present, in association with A.N. Palmer...

 

http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh533/sirShiggy/PalmerLetslearn.jpg

 

TRANSCRIPT:

 

Let's Learn Palmer!

 

Hey you! Don't have time to learn spencerian or copperplate*? Need a faster, neater hand? Learn the Palmer Method! In fact... Let's do it together!

 

Setting

 

I've always wanted a nice, neat hand. My first introduction to penmanship was my grandmother telling me about the palmer method a long time ago. I'm moving to the USA in a few months from the UK, and I want to impress with a really neat hand . Finally, I know most of the FPNers already know Palmer's from their school days, so I thought there would be lots of help! I know I'm not alone in wanting neater handwriting, so come on, join the fun!

 

Pens...

 

Lamy Safari, Medium Nib (need a F or EF, right?)

Lamy Joy, LH Nib (writes like a M/F cross)

 

Resources!

 

Palmer method guidesheet made by 'dreupee' on the forum

 

www.palmermethod.com (no association) An online version of the original guide by A.N. Palmer, found on the IAMPETH website.

 

The alphabet, written by my grandmother, and other exemplars on the internet

 

THE PLAN

 

30 minutes a day of practice on one of the thirteen exercizes available on the palmer method website.

 

So... Who's with me!?

 

LET'S GO!

 

Cue Rocky montage song.

 

 

 

 

 

*May not be easier to learn, see store for details, offer ends 12 December 2012, limited supply only, while supplies last.

Edited May 18, 2012 by sirShiggy

[Flake]

I'll play! I didn't know about the website, so that's pretty exciting. I'm finding that as I work on copperplate, my cursive isn't getting better, so I just write in an ugly copperplate.

 

I need a good daily hand. Palmer method here I come!

 

as an added bonus i'm still rolling over here about the website's instructions for "very fat boys and girls"

[wallylynn]

i forgot, what's the main differences between spencerian and palmer?

[pencils+pens]

In a gross over simplification, Palmer is a stripped down Spencerian. Most of the flourishes are gone. Aside from the appearance, Palmer advocated shoulder-arm movements for writing over finger writing. Palmer or the Palmer Method was also meant to speed up the writing process. In theory, a skilled Palmer Penman could keep up with the early typewriters.