What My Spouse Thinks Of My Handwriting Habit.

October 25, 2013

I ordered Lloyd Reynolds's short book on italic caligraphy and handwriting, and I was discussing it with my husband.

"I'm really excited about this book, because I've gotten interested in italic handwriting. I love my Lamy 2000, which I got secondhand, but it has a broad oblique nib, and it doesn't work so well with my usual handwriting, which is looped cursive and it's kind of narrow and angular."

"So you're getting new handwriting to go with your pen."

"Yes. Is that weird?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

October 25, 2013

My wife thinks the same of my new obsession. I ended up getting The Calligraphy Bible at B&N and have been working on one of the scrips. After her telling me I spend way to much time "just writing," she now thinks my handwriting is actually legible.

Good luck to you.

Rube

October 25, 2013

If you like the Lloyd Reynolds book, don't forget to download his series of 1/2 hour videos. I believe there are 17 of them, originally produced for airing on Oregon Public Broadcasting back in the 60's. The sound is atrocious but understandable....for the most part. It really is helpful, though, to listen and learn, and then to refer back to his book(s). Here is a link to the web page that will take you to all of his recordings for OPB.

http://www.reed.edu/calligraphy/history.html

They are also on YouTube; look for "Lloyd Reynolds Calligraphy and Handwriting"

A quote from that Reed College page:

Reed library’s special collections now has Reynolds’ personal graphic arts library along with his papers and calligraphy samples. They are open to the public, and all of the collection is described in the finding aid available online at the library’s website.

You might also want to go online and look at the books available for free download; I would hate to see you pay for something that is available in the public domain. I can't find a link right now, but if you want to send me a message offline and give me your contact info, I will send you the pdf versions I have of both his book and accompanying workbook.

October 25, 2013

+1 for JeffPDX2. The Lloyd Reynolds series can be viewed several times and one will still pick up new tips on italic every time.

Agreed, the PDF versions are an excellent way to read over the material. I must feel that there is something special about having a portable, permanent, paper copy of an italic manual or two. Especially since many of the manuals, although often out of print, are not too expensive. The ones that I feel are really worth having are Lloyd Reynolds' Italic Calligraphy and Handwriting, Fred Eager's The Italic Way to Beautiful Handwriting, and Edward Johnston's Writing and Illuminating and Lettering. Of course, there are many others equally valuable.

Best of luck to you,

October 26, 2013

Thanks, JeffPDX2 and Randal6393. I don't mind ordering a bound copy of the book. The paperback wasn't expensive, and the format does make it easier to carry around. I have to snatch my practice time when the opportunity arises. I will be sure to take a look at the videos after I've had a chance to practice on my own a bit. I've always had trouble learning by watching, that's what makes a workbook so appealing to me.

I've heard great things about the book here on FPN, so I'm eager to get started. I'll let you know how it turns out.

October 30, 2013

You might also want to go online and look at the books available for free download; I would hate to see you pay for something that is available in the public domain. I can't find a link right now, but if you want to send me a message offline and give me your contact info, I will send you the pdf versions I have of both his book and accompanying workbook.

Edged Pen Alphabets was published with copyright notice. If this was renewed, it is copyright till 2049. Italic Lettering & Handwriting Exercise Book appears to have been published without copyright notice, and so should be public domain. Italic Lettering Calligraphy & Handwriting: Completely Revised Exercise Book was published with copyright notice. If this was renewed, it is copyright till 2058. It is quite possible that the copyright was not renewed for Edged Pen Alphabets and the Completely Revised Exercise Book and this is why they are on the Reed Digital Collections site. The last work of his published (that I know of) is copyright till 2048.

Edited October 30, 2013 by dhnz

October 31, 2013

I ordered Lloyd Reynolds's short book on italic caligraphy and handwriting, and I was discussing it with my husband.

"I'm really excited about this book, because I've gotten interested in italic handwriting. I love my Lamy 2000, which I got secondhand, but it has a broad oblique nib, and it doesn't work so well with my usual handwriting, which is looped cursive and it's kind of narrow and angular."

"So you're getting new handwriting to go with your pen."

"Yes. Is that weird?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

This is sounding sort of like the conversations I have with my husband over me ordering ink....

"But really dear -- this *is* a different color!"

"It's blue. How many blue inks do you need?"

"Yes, but this one is a *brighter* blue, and this one is a medium blue, and this one has violet undertones to it, and that one has teal undertones, and that other one is an iron gall blue-black so it will oxidize on the page and turn more grey-black -- as opposed to *this* iron gall ink which stays more blue when it oxidizes. And that one over there has the color without being an iron gall ink, so it's lower maintenance, and this one has got a huge amount of sheen to it -- isn't it pretty?..."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

November 1, 2013

This is sounding sort of like the conversations I have with my husband over me ordering ink....
"But really dear -- this *is* a different color!"
"It's blue. How many blue inks do you need?"
"Yes, but this one is a *brighter* blue, and this one is a medium blue, and this one has violet undertones to it, and that one has teal undertones, and that other one is an iron gall blue-black so it will oxidize on the page and turn more grey-black -- as opposed to *this* iron gall ink which stays more blue when it oxidizes. And that one over there has the color without being an iron gall ink, so it's lower maintenance, and this one has got a huge amount of sheen to it -- isn't it pretty?..."
Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Gee, I thought I was the only one to have conversations like that with my spouse. She has threatened to make me use her Amazon account only so that she can keep track of my ink purchases.

Enjoy, Randal Carter