Learning Italic

[bobje]

Exciting news about the work by Jaki Svaren, David.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

The Pilot Pluminix B nib is such fun to use.

Ink is Pelikan 4001 Violet.

 

 

[Torrilin]

I’ll bet. Tho if I had to use it on a Plumix body I’d probably cry. (I only have the M, and now that I have it on a Kanuko I really like it)

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Ill bet. Tho if I had to use it on a Plumix body Id probably cry. (I only have the M, and now that I have it on a Kanuko I really like it)

As a matter of fact, all my 3 pluminix nibs are in other pens. XD

Two are in wing sung 698s and one is in a caliarts ego 2.

I'm debating whether to buy another body for my kakuno nib...

Edited June 23, 2018 by RoyalBlueNotebooks

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

 

 

 

 

 

[tartuffo]

 

Lloyd Reynolds was opposed to practicing by writing each letter over and over. ........ In other words, he didn't like "exercises" very much. That said, I know of two exceptions he made: He used a chain of m's, called in his work book an "arcade" for getting the rhythm and consistent nib angle right.

 

 

 

I enjoy practicing the " Arcade " ....

 

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Lamy 1.5.

J. Herbin 1670 Anniversaire Rouge Hematite.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz.

 

J. Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite with a drop of RK Sepia.

 

Rohrer & Klingner Verdura.

 

 

Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa (IG).

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Pilot Pluminix B, Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun.

 

 

 

Lamy 1.5mm, Pelikan 4001 Brilliant-Brown + RK Cassia.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun

 

 

 

MIX of Pelikan 4001 Brown and Rohrer & Klingner Cassia.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun:

 

 

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Mix of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown and Rohrer & Klingner Cassia:

 

 

 

 

Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun:

 

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Diamine Macassar:

 

 

[bobje]

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Bobje, love the way you end your G, P and Y. I need to work hard on that!

 

Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun:

 

Diamine Macassar:

[bobje]

Practice with Roman caps.

 

[Tuderte]

I wonder if someone could explain to me why 'most' cursive italic seems to be written with a Medium nib at an x-height of less than 3mms? I understand that the x-height and the nib size (or nib line size) are inextricably related, but I'm just wondering why the desired x-height is so small - or, is it perhaps that I'm the only one who finds less than 3mm as 'uncomfortably small'?

 

I've only been learning the Italic hand for a couple of months and I'm teaching myself using Fred Eager's 'The Italic Way to Beautiful Handwriting - Cursive and Calligraphic' for daily exercises and practice and I've also printed out Lloyd Reynolds' 'Italic Calligraphy and Handwriting Exercises and Text' which I'm also working through while watching his television programs via YouTube. I find the Lloyd Reynolds' videos invaluable for the ability to see how he writes the letters and his explanations of why he does things in a particular manner.

 

I've now reached Project VI in the Eager book where I've changed from the Broad nib down to the Medium nib which, according to the Eager book, is the most 'commonly used size'. When I set out on this journey I bought myself an old Osmiroid 75 fountain pen and a set of six Osmiroid italic nibs, which I've been using since I started and I find them completely enjoyable.

 

My problem now is that, for the cursive italic mode the Medium nib is meant to be used with Guide Sheet 5, which has an x-height of 2.5 or 3 mms (it is ruled at both but, because they're so close together it looks either cramped or messy, whichever I choose).

 

Because I'm learning the Italic hand for my own enjoyment and, because I'm never going to need to be able to write at speed, I'm asking myself whether my education will be incomplete if I decide to not pursue the smaller nibs?

 

I'm happy to use the Medium nib but I really wonder why I would want to use the Fine, let alone the Extra Fine nibs which will mean a corresponding reduction in the size of my writing. In fact, I'm struggling with the present 'less than 3 mms' using the Medium nib and I find that in the exercises - no matter how hard I try - when I have to join from the lower case 'e' it ends up being 'filled in' - which I hate. I also don't really agree (nothing like someone who knows nothing having a strong opinion on the subject) with the way the Eager book tries to join almost every lower case letter unless it precedes a letter with an ascender or follows one with a descender - I find a lot of these joins quite ugly - I know they're possible but I don't see how anyone could describe them as 'beautiful'. I wonder whether this is something that's only done in pursuit of speed, which I don't need?

 

I would be very grateful for any replies - I note that this thread doesn't seem to have much activity but, hopefully, someone might read my query and respond.

 

Tricia

[Inky.Fingers]

http://i.imgur.com/bG7Mt3i.jpg

[Tuderte]

Thank you for responding to my query _InkyFingers. I must say that I do prefer the appearance of the writing with the broader nib. Would I be right in guessing that the lined page you've written on would be spaced at around 7mms? Does that mean your x-height of the broader nib is around 3 or 3.5 mms?

[Inky.Fingers]

paper ruled at 8mm..Clairefontaine.

 

pen: Shaeffer Broad, ground to 1.5-1.7mm formal italic

 

pen2: smaller nib is a dip pen, steel made my Esterbrook 0.7-0.8mm

Edited January 24, 2019 by _InkyFingers