Learning Italic

[Tuderte]

I went back to the First Episode of the Lloyd Reynolds video series on You Tube to watch his entrance strokes and, sure enough, at 5'30" there he is - making a curved entrance into the letter 'i'. In fact, it's the very first letter we see him make in the entire series!

 

It may well be my lack of ability to discriminate correctly between the entrance strokes but I think it's more the fact that I've been following the Fred Eager book 'to the letter' using the 'trace and copy' method and there, on the first page of 'Project 1' it says that the entrance stroke - which it refers to as 'serifs' - 'provide graceful entrances and exits for many letters'. It then goes on immediately to differentiate between the entrance stroke for the letters i, u, j and y which, it says, have 'sharp serifs' and the letters n, m and r which have 'curved serifs'.

 

So, at least, I now know why my entrance strokes are incorrect on certain letters. I shall have to do lots of practice on making the entrance strokes in the way that LR makes them in his videos because, yet to master the arches of these letters - but that's another battle.

 

I have bought a few calligraphy reference books from a seller in the UK (who doesn't post to Italy so I have had them sent to a friend in London and they will arrive with her at Easter). One of the books is Edward Johnston's 'Writing and Illuminating and Lettering,' another is Alfred Fairbanks' 'A Handwriting Manual,' and the third is Tom Gourdie's 'Italic Handwriting'.

 

I'm hoping that those three books (when they eventually arrive), together with the Lloyd Reynolds and Fred Eager books, should provide a sufficiently detailed guide for my italic writing going forward.

 

Can anyone suggest other books that they would highly recommend?

 

Tricia

 

 

[Tasmith]

Margaret Shepherd's Learn Calligraphy is excellent.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Calligraphy-Complete-Lettering-Design/dp/0767907329?SubscriptionId=AKIAJ2F6RDUSIYCWQMFQ&tag=sa-sym-new-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0767907329

[Inky.Fingers]

Wouldn't too many books confuse you as there are too many to follow as all have their charms? Stick with one and master it first?

 

Unless you are like me drooling on past writing masters works then you should visit.. pennavolans.com/bibliography

[dms525]

Hi, Tricia.

 

Fred Eager's book is well thought of. I have it and think it's okay. I have felt it is more a handwriting improvement book than instruction for "classic" italic handwriting.

 

I think you will find LJR, Fairbank and Gourdie quite compatible with each other. I know Reynold's saw Fairbank as something of a mentor. He admired Gourdie's work as both a calligrapher and a teacher. One of Goudie's books that I have includes a copy of a letter Reynolds wrote to him.

 

Johnstone's book is a classic work - as much of Arts and Crafts philosophy as applied to calligraphy as anything else. I have my favorite parts of it ... but I don't want to bias anyone. Just read it.

 

I really don't think you need more books at this stage, but I'm an accumulator myself, so in a poor position to credibly advocate limitations buying calligraphy books.

 

Happy writing!

 

David

[Tuderte]

Many thanks Tasmith, _InkyFingers and David for your input.

 

I must confess that I'm a compulsive book buyer and that's why I wanted some help with what people had found particularly useful for them in their studies. When I checked out the Margaret Shepherd 'Learn Calligraphy' on Amazon there's the ability to 'look inside' and, certainly, it looks worthwhile - even if the section on Italic is less than 40 pages in a book of about 160 pages. However, the other calligraphy hands look interesting, too.

 

I discovered the pennavolans.com website about a month ago and you're right, _InkyFingers - there are lots of drool-worthy things to be found there.

 

David, I think I'll wait until Easter rolls around and I can have a look at the Johnstone, Fairbank and Gourdie books before I start acquiring more at this stage. Also, I'm going to Australia next Tuesday and won't be back here until the beginning of April and, at this stage, I'm not sure how much free time I will have to practise my italic whilst I'm there. I have every intention of trying to set aside at least an hour every day but, sometimes, events overtake my best intentions.

 

Thanks again to you all for your thoughts.

 

Tricia

[dms525]

Safe travels, Tricia! And Happy Writing!

 

David

[Inky.Fingers]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/22931-books-on-italic-handwriting-and-calligraphy/

 

So many books, not enough time to drool over! Happy safe travel!

[Tasmith]

Safe travels!

 

You can practice on the flight to practice and pass the time.

[Tuderte]

Thank you all for your good wishes! Tasmith, I was wondering whether I might end up wearing the ink from my Osmiroid 75 if I tried to use it on board? I've read that fountain pens should either be absolutely full or completely empty if you take them in the cabin with you but then I decided I'd be safer to take it empty. I can always do some practise when I wake up jet-lagged at 2am for the first few days after I return (with no hope whatsoever of going back to sleep) - quiet time well spent ...

 

Tricia

[BaronWulfraed]

I'd suggest a carpenter's pencil, but since you'd never get the small pen-knife on board with which to sharpen the pencil...

[Randal6393]

A carpenter's pencil is a great practice tool. Most home-development shops sell a pencil sharpener for the pencils. Add a piece of sandpaper, say 250 grit, and a pack of tissues to collect excess graphite and you don't have to worry about carrying your writing kit on board.

 

Best of luck,

[hh1990]

Starting to practice again.

 

[Grayspoole]

Starting to practice again.

Hello Hushmi-

 

I was glad to see your post since the topic has been rather quiet. Your sample is lovely! I enjoy the green ink color, the crispness of your hairlines, and the contrast between the thick/thin strokes. What pen/nib did you use here?

 

I am still an italic beginner but I am reading and practicing as much as I can. I welcome feedback. My favorite exemplars probably are Cataneo's. The delicacy and, yes, pointed forms appeal to me. But I am also looking at many other sources. I am trying to settle on my preferred degree of slant. A more upright italic feels more natural to me. Another challenge is developing a good rhythm and a more instinctive feeling for spacing.

 

I've been practicing with John Donne's poetry. The sample below was done with an Osmiroid fine straight italic nib, set in a vintage Rapidograph pen, with Noodlers Purple Wampaum on Tomoe 52. I feel constrained when I use full guidelines, so this was with a baseline guide only.

 

Still figuring out joins and ligatures...and how to upload photos! I hope this works!

 

[hh1990]

Hello Hushmi-

 

I was glad to see your post since the topic has been rather quiet. Your sample is lovely! I enjoy the green ink color, the crispness of your hairlines, and the contrast between the thick/thin strokes. What pen/nib did you use here?

 

I am still an italic beginner but I am reading and practicing as much as I can. I welcome feedback. My favorite exemplars probably are Cataneo's. The delicacy and, yes, pointed forms appeal to me. But I am also looking at many other sources. I am trying to settle on my preferred degree of slant. A more upright italic feels more natural to me. Another challenge is developing a good rhythm and a more instinctive feeling for spacing.

 

I've been practicing with John Donne's poetry. The sample below was done with an Osmiroid fine straight italic nib, set in a vintage Rapidograph pen, with Noodlers Purple Wampaum on Tomoe 52. I feel constrained when I use full guidelines, so this was with a baseline guide only.

 

Still figuring out joins and ligatures...and how to upload photos! I hope this works!

 

D2039457-B769-4426-AC9B-24948214389A.jpeg

 

Hi Grayspoole, thank you for the kind words. That was done with an italic marker I picked up at Barnes and Noble. Unfortunately, I don't have one in front of me, so I can't give you a brand name, but it similar to one you could pick up from any art supply store. I prefer a marker to a pen and nib when practicing because I am left-handed and like that the ink dries quickly. In terms of pens, I prefer Pilot Parallels. I hold the pen in a funny way and have issues with ink flow on most single-slit italic nibs. It looks like you are making good progress. The only advice I can give is to practice regularly. Keeping it constantly in my mind helps a lot with issues of consistency of shapes and feeling a rhythm as I am writing.

 

Edited to add: It is a Faber-Castell italic marker

Edited December 11, 2019 by hushmi

[hh1990]

[hh1990]

[dms525]

[hh1990]

IMG_3480.jpg

 

Thanks for sharing David. I love the character in your script. What ink did you use for this? That is a really lovely royal blue.

[dms525]

 

Thanks for sharing David. I love the character in your script. What ink did you use for this? That is a really lovely royal blue.

 

Thank you, hushmi. That is my everyday cursive italic handwriting. It always looks better when written with an extra-nice nib. I wrote that with an M800 3B nib ground by Michael Masuyama to a crisp cursive italic. This nib plays best with a rather dry ink. The ink used currently is Stipula Blue. The color is quite similar to Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue ... a bit less red in it, I think.

 

Here's a photo of the nib. Isn't it a beauty?

 

 

Happy writing!

 

David

[bobje]

 

This is a 1.1mm italic ground from a Jinhao medium nib, on a Penbbs pen body. The ink is Diamine Communication Breakdown.