Jump to content

Spencerian: Controlled Speed?


Mickey

Recommended Posts

  On 8/29/2014 at 3:48 AM, proton007 said:

Mickey, I've been reading this thread with interest, although I'm not practicing Spencerian currently.

 

Just a point to add, and I hope it will save others the wasted effort in practicing incorrectly. For smaller loops, the fingers play the devil. Our natural instinct is to offload small loops and turns to our fingers, which I realized during my practice yesterday, is a debilitating mistake. Once the fingers take over, getting the control back to the arm is deliberate, conscious effort, and the word never forms right because of a loss of rhythm.

 

 

Yup, and with the loss of rhythm goes repeatability. My practice is definitely pointed at repeatability. I wrote "E' somewhere between 60 and 80 times today, the last two dozen or so done one right after the other, trying to embed the rhythm. (Anyone want to advance the theory that Broca's area is involved in this process?)

 

One problem with formal mathematics, interesting as they can be, is that human bodies can seldom make direct use of them, even if they describe the end product of an activity fairly accurately. What is far more useful is a description of the physical activity which invisibly embeds the mathematics in a readily acquired skill or suite of skills. For example, there is the formula to describes a circle and then there is a piece of string with a pin on one end and a pencil on the other. The former is almost useless for someone wanting to draw a circle, whereas the latter is directly useful once one understands the principle of operation. I can do the mathematics, but I'm much more of a string and pencil sort of thinker.

 

(Yes, to some degree my idea came from work I did decades ago writing plotter drivers.)

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 85
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Mickey

    47

  • Anne-Sophie

    7

  • Iso*

    5

  • knarflj

    3

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

  On 8/29/2014 at 4:45 AM, Mickey said:

What is far more useful is a description of the physical activity which invisibly embeds the mathematics in a readily acquired skill or suite of skills. For example, there is the formula to describes a circle and then there is a piece of string with a pin on one end and a pencil on the other. The former is almost useless for someone wanting to draw a circle, whereas the latter is directly useful once one understands the principle of operation. I can do the mathematics, but I'm much more of a string and pencil sort of thinker.

 

(Yes, to some degree my idea came from work I did decades ago writing plotter drivers.)

 

I agree, but in my experience, a qualitative understanding of a mathematical or scientific principle helps a great deal. We don't 'explicitly' make use of formal mathematics in our daily activities, but implicitly the principles are at work as forms and patterns in nature.

The good thing is, sometimes glancing upon these formulas can bring insights which otherwise by experience or intuition would take a long time to be discovered. The bad thing is the maths.

 

I haven't really used Bezier curves anywhere apart from maybe a couple of Inkscape drawings, and neither did I know the maths until now (there are too many things in this world to know scientifically and mathematically), but after going through the explanations and writing the previous post, I'm much more clear about the concept of lines and curves in the context of handwriting.

 

Anyhow, please carry on. I'm glad I got something from this thread, and hope I've contributed something.

Edited by proton007

In a world where there are no eyes the sun would not be light, and in a world where there were no soft skins rocks would not be hard, nor in a world where there were no muscles would they be heavy. Existence is relationship and you're smack in the middle of it.

- Alan Watts

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 8/29/2014 at 5:31 AM, proton007 said:

 

I agree, but in my experience, a qualitative understanding of a mathematical or scientific principle helps a great deal. We don't 'explicitly' make use of formal mathematics in our daily activities, but implicitly the principles are at work as forms and patterns in nature.

The good thing is, sometimes glancing upon these formulas can bring insights which otherwise by experience or intuition would take a long time to be discovered. The bad thing is the maths.

 

I haven't really used Bezier curves anywhere apart from maybe a couple of Inkscape drawings, and neither did I know the maths until now (there are too many things in this world to know scientifically and mathematically), but after going through the explanations and writing the previous post, I'm much more clear about the concept of lines and curves in the context of handwriting.

 

Anyhow, please carry on. I'm glad I got something from this thread, and hope I've contributed something.

 

I agree utterly that any new way of looking at or understanding a problem is useful. Thank you for your contribution. It did give me a new angle on the topic. I wish I had an animation program (and the wit to use it) to display the visualization I described in #38. I think that might make my proposal a bit more intuitively clear and I'm curious what the velocity curves would look like (in effect, the letters with the rotational data subtracted. This might bring us a step closer to explaining how we actually write.

 

(Sorry for this next bit. I'm more than rusty in my maths, my last course of study being half a century ago and with only sporadic exercise since.) I'm not sure Bezier curves are quite the right tool for describing how we write this hand, since the shapes of the curves (in Spencer) are not predetermined by the starting condition, only constrained. (The order is undetermined.) A letter is still a performance. In my model, V (velocity), in lieu of Bezier control points, is dynamically and continuously variable. Perhaps we are talking about Bezier curves of order n, (hardly an elegant or particularly useful solution) or maybe we should be looking something a bit more straight forward. Any candidates?

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am reading (and practicing along with) this thread with interest! Thank you!

 

I need clarification on something to ensure i am not practicing incorrectly as I think I'm backwards. When producing the finer lines, I am going slower and when producing the wider lines I am going faster??? It seems I am doing just the opposite. ~This comment isn't much of a contribution, so I'll also add this just for interest. :)

 

 

Study as much as you practice.
Know what you want to execute.
Use only the best materials.
Keep your pens very clean.
Watch your slant carefully.
Master one style at a time.
Sit up, don't slouch, and breathe regularly.

- Louis Madarasz (view image)

So, what's your point?

(Mine is a flexible F.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 8/29/2014 at 3:08 PM, TXKat said:

I am reading (and practicing along with) this thread with interest! Thank you!

 

I need clarification on something to ensure i am not practicing incorrectly as I think I'm backwards. When producing the finer lines, I am going slower and when producing the wider lines I am going faster??? It seems I am doing just the opposite. ~This comment isn't much of a contribution, so I'll also add this just for interest. :)

 

 

Study as much as you practice.

Know what you want to execute.

Use only the best materials.

Keep your pens very clean.

Watch your slant carefully.

Master one style at a time.

Sit up, don't slouch, and breathe regularly.

 

- Louis Madarasz (view image)

 

Actually, both your question and the Madarasz quote are great contributions. (I've spent I don't know how much time, just on the S in study, and have learned a fair amount in the process.) One of the tenets of the approach I'm trashing out here is that linear velocity has mostly to do with curvature, not line weight: the slower the pen, the greater the curvature; the straighter the line, the faster the pen. Because shading increases drag on the pen, it usually results in slower pen movement and, consequently, more curvature. Of course, that can be easily mitigated by increasing the drive to the hand to maintain velocity. To allow the slowing or not is contextual: do you want greater curvature or not?

 

Today's practice was kind of a homeboys session. The holder was one of Musinkman's earliest efforts, made from a piece of old walnut I supplied, with its contour borrowed from my Magnusson holder. I made the flange from phosphor bronze. Likewise, I made the ink, an iron gall formula made from South African Red Bush tea. It is capable of very fine hairlines, but is somewhat treacherous to use, as it takes several minutes to hours for the marks to appear. (No separate dye in it, just a slight red/brown tint from the tea.) Kind of like working in the dark.

 

Today's letter is L, in honor of Lupfer.

 

fpn_1409330944__ls.jpg

 

 

Both are pretty acceptable, the biggest flaw being not enough curvature in the stem. (The first is the better of the two in that regard.) The fault is somewhat the result of the nib choice - fairly stiff, an Esterbrook 358 - and my emphasis today on smoothness, even to the extent of sacrificing form a bit. One of the things I discovered was that if I concentrated on smooth movement and continued rotation, I could automatically generate more (or less) velocity simply by seeing where I wanted the line (and pen) to go. In the case of the first gesture (loop), I tried not to rush the bottom of the turn while at the same time trying to finish the lower arm somewhat past the beginning of the upper arm. You can see the result. Not bad, even if I do say so myself. The difference in curvature is subtle and I think close to stylistically correct. (BTW, that opening loop is for me the most difficult thing to pen acceptably.)

 

I also took a couple of shots a the letter E to see if anything stuck from yesterday's practice. Evidently something did.

 

fpn_1409330923__e.jpg

Edited by Mickey

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 8/28/2014 at 4:10 PM, Mickey said:

(Thanks for your input, Iso. It's useful.)

 

But ovals (and ellipses) are not ubiquitous, they are virtually non-existent in Spencerian (or OP). It's one of the principle, possibly seminal difference between it and Copperplate. (Look carefully. You won't see ovals or ellipses.) Copperplate, on the other hand, is rife with ellipses, but Spencerian and its close kin have none. OP, as the term is generally used on the IAMPETH site, refers to extensions of Spencerian. (Engravers and Engrossers scripts, both of which prominently do show ellipses and are similarly extensions of Roundhand, and they have their own section on the IAMPETH site.) As such, OP is just as lacking of true ovals and ellipses as unornamented Spencer is.

 

The tracing of ovals and circle is useful for building muscle memory, but that doesn't mean they are a feature of these hands. They just aren't. Here's a way to understand what I'm saying. Tracing a circle or ellipse is an exercise with one important (Spencerian) parameter eliminated - net movement from left to right. Add that parameter (one eventually does) and you produce spirals. The circle or ellipse disappears as soon as rightward movement is added. You draw the circle or ellipse to embed the movement, to which you will eventually add net movement to the right. This is done, I firmly believe, by varying pen velocity, which will inevitably produce oval destroying asymmetry.

 

A true oval on a page of OP would stand out line a nude man in a ladies' locker room. It has a feature (an axis of bilateral symmetry) that the other gestures lack. The mathematics to describe ovals and ellipses cannot adequately describe Spencer or the OPs based on it. I would suggest that rather than studying the styles of Taylor, Zaner, Lupfer ** et al. (I would include Courtney, almost to the point of excluding everyone else), that you study their methods. Try to understand the reasoning behind the exercises, not their architecture. That's what I'm espousing in this thread.

 

Here's another visualization of the method (or technique) I'm intuiting. Imagine a sweep hand from a watch projected over the tip of the pen. The hand completes one rotation every second*, either clockwise or counter clockwise. The pen is allowed to travel only in the direction the arrow is pointing at any given moment Now, visualize getting the pen point from point A to point B. To get there (at all) you need to move the pen quickly and leave some amount time before the hand points to B. You will arrive at B with the hand pointing an equal amount late. (Think ballistics.) Remember, the pen may move only in the direction the sweep hand points.

 

Now, choose a pen speed. If your acceleration is infinite (or you begin your mark with the pen already in motion), the mark will be an arc, a section of a circle. At a slower speed; you will have to leave earlier and you will arrive an equal amount late. Choose a slow enough speed, and you will not reach B, at all. You will complete the half circle before reaching B. Choose a still slower speed, but accelerate continuously, and you may spiral your way to point B. Get the picture. It is this sort of movement which describes Spencer and most OP, not ovals and ellipses. The same mathematics which describe Spencer, can be used to describe most pen movement in OP. It's mostly a matter of fiddling the parameters.

 

Observation: Spencer was supposedly inspired by the shape of river washed pebbles. In a strange way, that fits in with this theory I'm promoting. A pebble resting (fixed) in a stream will wear away flatter of the side with the faster current. There is only one case where the stones would be ovals, down the center of a relatively broad stretch of river, such that there is no water movement from one bank to the other and current is uniform on both sides of the pebble. If, however, we (or geography) wish for the water to move from side to side (or for a line, to move up, down and left to right on the page and not simply draw a single ellipse ad infinitum), there must be changes of velocity. Oval and ellipse require that velocity be equal relative to the axis of symmetry. If, however, we wish the pen to eventually move from the left side of the page to the right, the net velocity to the right must exceed that going left. That pretty much guarantees asymmetry under the proposed regimen and thus a paucity of ellipses.

 

* or any other relatively short interval

 

** Take a close look at http://www.iampeth.com/artwork/Lupfer02.jpg Lupfer seems to be almost playfully avoiding ovals and ellipses, but only just slightly. Take a look at the first letter, that beautiful L. Those two huge loops are beautifully balanced, but they are not symmetrical, the bottom arm of both is slightly flatter, indicating the pen was moving faster. Notice also the subtle shade on the upper arms, (also suggesting a slightly a slower pen). This extra link balances the visual weight of the lower arm - all very subtle and quite beautiful, but there is not really an ellipse or oval to be found on the page. I guess what I'm trying to say, is if you lock yourself into seeing ovals and ellipses, you miss what's really going on, something much more interesting and inspiring (not to mention humbling). Also, locking yourself into seeing what you think was done can sometimes lock you out of intuiting or learning how it was done.

 

That beautiful L looks like it has been written backwards.

 

After another look, I now think, it was written like regular handwriting, totally lost now.

Edited by Anne-Sophie

Is it fair for an intelligent and family oriented mammal to be separated from his/her family and spend his/her life starved in a concrete jail?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 8/30/2014 at 9:51 PM, Anne-Sophie said:

 

That beautiful L looks like it has been written backwards.

 

After another look, I now think, it was written like regular handwriting, totally lost now.

 

Though nowhere near as well executed as Lupfer's, my two Ls in post #45 were written in the same manner as his, one continuous stroke starting top center. (Another couple reams of paper and a pint or two of ink, my L might be maybe half as good.)

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m not sure if the difference between gross and fine motor skill has been discussed in length here, please ignore this if this is old news.



When i practice italic i try to use quicker pen movements for arcs and slower for loops and other smaller details. The quicker movements seem to be controlled more by gross motor skill and smaller more by fine motor skill.



Transitioning from gross to fine motor skill is demanding. This is a factor that is taken in consideration when designing user interfaces. If a click target is small (for example the “Sign Out” button on the header of this page) a person has to first use gross motor skill to move the pointer close to the button. Then the person transitions to fine motor skill and positions the pointer exactly to the small click target.



If the small target is near the original position of the pointer the movement is controlled only by fine motor skill and the movement is quite slow. Moving the pointer from one edge of the screen roughly to the opposite edge is much faster as it is controlled by gross motor skill.



When the click target is too far for fine motor skill things get interesting. It seems to take about as much time to move the pointer 1/6th or 2/3rds of the screen to hit the small target. The time fine motor skill requires stays surprisingly constant regardless of the distance which is controlled by gross motor skill.



When drawing smaller or larger circles it feels like the amount of fine control needed is the same. Like the time required to draw a shape is not defined by the distance the pen travels but the complexity of the shape itself.



The transition from gross to fine motor skill feels – to me at least – as irritating regardless of the distance the pointer or pen travels.My feeling – that is again not based in any study – is that a steady rhythm helps to keep the “mental discomfort” from switching between fine and gross motor skill in check and more manageable. In the same way a person overall finds steady rhythm more pleasant than erratic.

Non notisi signi.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 9/2/2014 at 11:16 AM, j.a.j. said:

 

I’m not sure if the difference between gross and fine motor skill has been discussed in length here, please ignore this if this is old news.

 

When i practice italic i try to use quicker pen movements for arcs and slower for loops and other smaller details. The quicker movements seem to be controlled more by gross motor skill and smaller more by fine motor skill.

 

........

 

When drawing smaller or larger circles it feels like the amount of fine control needed is the same. Like the time required to draw a shape is not defined by the distance the pen travels but the complexity of the shape itself.

 

The transition from gross to fine motor skill feels – to me at least – as irritating regardless of the distance the pointer or pen travels.My feeling – that is again not based in any study – is that a steady rhythm helps to keep the “mental discomfort” from switching between fine and gross motor skill in check and more manageable. In the same way a person overall finds steady rhythm more pleasant than erratic.

 

 

If by 'here' you mean the penmanship subforum, gross versus fine motor control has been discussed at some length. As regards Spencerian and Ornamental penmanship, the topic has little relevance. This is true handwriting, some might even call it arm writing. (One famous practitioner had no hands or forearms, at all.) While the fingers may play some role beyond securing the pen to the arm, it is limited and, among most true adepts, exceedingly limited. (Watch the DeCollibus and Tysdal videos linked to this thread.)

 

Because of the way these hands are typically performed, any small motor skills employed are so deeply embedded in the overall activity that, to all intents and purposes, they have ceased being fine motor activities and are not consciously controllable at the moment of execution. Take the minuscule 'l', for example. Madarasz may have reached for the upper half of its loop, but this break with general practice was hardly at the service of a small or intricate features (the upper half of the loop certainly isn't), but an (acceptable for him) idiosyncrasy or extension to his technique.

 

"When drawing smaller or larger circles it feels like the amount of fine control needed is the same."

 

Correct - no fine motor control is necessary (or desirable).

 

"Like the time required to draw a shape is not defined by the distance the pen travels but the complexity of the shape itself."

 

This is true enough. Under the regime proposed in this thread, the time required to draw any shape is determined by the number of degrees of curvature, not the scale of the shape. Complexity = Curvature. (Obviously, this does not hold once the scale of activity ceases being writing and becomes lettering or sign painting.)

 

While I proved in another thread that fairly acceptable italic could be written with zero small motor activity (the fingers and wrist were constrained), fine control of edge orientation is useful in italic, but as there is no comparable activity in Spencerian or OP, there is no comparable role for the fingers (and thus, for fine motor controls generally.)

 

I think you make a good point that transitioning from gross to fine motor control creates a level of discomfort - I would call it a discontinuity - the sort which, in a hand where fineness and smoothness of line is prized, would be unacceptable. (Looking at my own work, I can see where small muscles intrude.)

Edited by Mickey

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I realize i should probably have used the term “control” when i wrote about drawing circles. I am a bit confused by the terminology. Some sources use “fine control” or “fine motor skill” to describe small muscle movement made with fingers or hand. And some include also precise control of the arm from the shoulder. In the context of my examples i meant the latter. For example the case of small click target occurs regardless whether the pointer is controlled with mouse wrist held immobile or with trackpad using only a finger.



At the moment i perceive the “irritation” between transitioning from “gross” to “fine” state even when practicing shoulder writing with 30cm high letterforms wrist and fingers held immobile. I have been practicing italic shoulder writing only for a few months. Now i’m very interested to see if the amount of irritation that occurs when penning the small details lessens over time as my muscle memory improves.


Non notisi signi.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 9/2/2014 at 7:10 PM, j.a.j. said:

 

I realize i should probably have used the term “control” when i wrote about drawing circles. I am a bit confused by the terminology. Some sources use “fine control” or “fine motor skill” to describe small muscle movement made with fingers or hand. And some include also precise control of the arm from the shoulder. In the context of my examples i meant the latter. For example the case of small click target occurs regardless whether the pointer is controlled with mouse wrist held immobile or with trackpad using only a finger.

 

At the moment i perceive the “irritation” between transitioning from “gross” to “fine” state even when practicing shoulder writing with 30cm high letterforms wrist and fingers held immobile. I have been practicing italic shoulder writing only for a few months. Now i’m very interested to see if the amount of irritation that occurs when penning the small details lessens over time as my muscle memory improves.

 

 

I believe the usual division of fine motor control and gross motor control puts small muscles group (fingers, hands, lips, tongue, toes) activities on one side and everything else on the other. So, fine motor control of arm and shoulder doesn't quite make sense.* I believe the distinction you wish to make is between what might be called gestural writing and other forms requiring more direct, real-time control of the individual muscles. Spencerian and OP are almost exclusively gestural, even when including small muscle groups.

 

* Large muscles are generally incompetent of direct fine control. One of the ways around this is damping or opposition, such as planting the forearm on the table to stabilize the arm and damp the large muscles of the arm and shoulder, putting their operation in their most linear range. Another technique is embedding, patterning, rehearsal, and visualization, some combination of which makes fair precision possible in activities which occur at speeds well in excess of feedback loop competence. This technique is employed for a lot of OP writing, where the arm is free of the table.

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  Quote
I believe the distinction you wish to make is between what might be called gestural writing and other forms requiring more direct, real-time control of the individual muscles.

 

 

You are probably right. I did some reading and re-reading on the subject and what i wrote really is a bit contradictory. On the other hand the phenomenon is credited to transferring from gross to fine motor skill but it is evident also in movement that is conducted only by larger muscles of the hand. I blame Alan Cooper :-)

 

It could be that the two states are more related to switching control from primary to posterior parietal cortex or somewhere near there. The “gross” hand movement moving the pointer near the small click target controlled by primary cortex. The "fine" movement moving the pointer exactly to the small click target would be controlled by posterior paretial cortex, or one of it's near friends, as it requires closer eye to hand coordination

 

This would also neatly explain why a easy shape in a letterform performed from muscle memory (mostly controlled by primary cortex) feels so different to me than a more complex shape that requires more planning (more controlled by posterior partietal cortex et al.)

Edited by j.a.j.

Non notisi signi.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here the subject of today warmup/practice/torture session, a majuscule G. Actually, this G has been my target for the last 3 days. It is far from my favorite form of the letter. It simply does not suit my eye, which is probably a good excuse for working on it. First, because it does not suit my eye, I will likely be more critical of my faults, and second, because I won't feel bad destroying it, time after time after... (Several pages later...)

 

 

fpn_1409850604__geemed.jpg

 

If there is anything I've done so far that confirms for me the validity of the method / technique I'm pursuing here, it's this particular G. If the rotation I've been harping about slows or hesitate for even an instant, the shape suffers. The most critical point for me is right after the first shade (the interior loop). Any hesitation there and the large shade will not align with the smaller, nor will the two succeeding 3 shades mirror it. I repeat, the geometry of the hand is embedded in the method. (I will continue working on the descender shade, which is still not quite right.)

 

I heartily invite others to post their efforts and let me know if this thread is helping their work.

 

BTW, the holder and nib are the same as with the letter L. The ink, however, is walnut, sold in crystal form by various vendors. The letter form is after an exemplar penned by Francis B. Courtney and published in Michael Sull's "Spencerian Script and Ornamental Penmanship: Early American Handwriting (Volume 2)."

 

p.s. Other than cropping, there has been no manipulation or clean up of the image, at all.

Edited by Mickey

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your Spencerian is most beautiful Mickey and your assiduous practice is paying off because that G capital is most pleasing.

 

I can see now, that your are using Seyes ruling, even more impressive because those lines are tiny.

 

I believe that you are right about Spencerian being fluid but not curvy.

 

 

I took some quick notes yesterday, hem, practice is needed.

Do you feel, that with your everyday serious practice, your everyday writing benefits?

Is it fair for an intelligent and family oriented mammal to be separated from his/her family and spend his/her life starved in a concrete jail?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 9/4/2014 at 5:37 PM, Mickey said:

Here the subject of today warmup/practice/torture session, a majuscule G. Actually, this G has been my target for the last 3 days. It is far from my favorite form of the letter. It simply does not suit my eye, which is probably a good excuse for working on it. First, because it does not suit my eye, I will likely be more critical of my faults, and second, because I won't feel bad destroying it, time after time after... (Several pages later...)

 

 

fpn_1409850604__geemed.jpg

 

If there is anything I've done so far that confirms for me the validity of the method / technique I'm pursuing here, it's this particular G. If the rotation I've been harping about slows or hesitate for even an instant, the shape suffers. The most critical point for me is right after the first shade (the interior loop). Any hesitation there and the large shade will not align with the smaller, nor will the two succeeding 3 shades mirror it. I repeat, the geometry of the hand is embedded in the method. (I will continue working on the descender shade, which is still not quite right.)

 

I heartily invite others to post their efforts and let me know if this thread is helping their work.

 

BTW, the holder and nib are the same as with the letter L. The ink, however, is walnut, sold in crystal form by various vendors. The letter form is after an exemplar penned by Francis B. Courtney and published in Michael Sull's "Spencerian Script and Ornamental Penmanship: Early American Handwriting (Volume 2)."

 

p.s. Other than cropping, there has been no manipulation or clean up of the image, at all.

 

Lovely! What a great looking "G"!

Find my homemade ink recipes on my Flickr page here.

 

"I don't wait for inspiration; inspiration waits for me." --Akiane Kramarik

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 9/8/2014 at 2:09 PM, Anne-Sophie said:

 

I can see now, that your are using Seyes ruling, even more impressive because those lines are tiny.

 

I believe that you are right about Spencerian being fluid but not curvy.

 

 

I took some quick notes yesterday, hem, practice is needed.

Do you feel, that with your everyday serious practice, your everyday writing benefits?

 

My morning warmup is almost always at a desk setup to encourage proper posture, good technique, etc. Most of my writing, however, is done on a lap desk, with my feet propped up, but I believe some benefit from the practice does carry over to the lap desk. As for Seyes ruling, it's a convenient size for me. My day to day handwriting is small, the x-height slightly under 2mm. I do practice at various scales.

 

Nothing to post today, but here is an observation from the morning's practice. Pay (more) attention to way you move the pen right. This is not just because most Indo-European cursive hands are written in that direction, but because of the construction of the (right) hand and the standard grips. Because the fingers of the writing hand are curled under, it difficult to curl them further, but fairly easy to uncurl them a bit. Consequently, it's easy to remember to move the entire hand when the pen must move left and equally easy to cheat and uncurl the fingers slightly when it moves right, destroying the carefully constructed relationship between page and point. Concentrate on feeling those last two finger nails (or the side of the little finger) slide to the right as you warm up. Holding a small ball of yarn in your palm discourages "cheating," as does the grip variation with the ring finger curled further in and the middle and last finger touching.

 

A very little bit of reaching up or down with the fingers may be acceptable technique, but turning or reaching rather than moving sideways is not. BTW, cheating with the fingers tends to disturb proper rotation and acceleration, thus it is relevant to this thread.

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's another post, again inspired by the hand of Courtney, this time it's a letter O.

 

 

fpn_1410464788__ooo.jpgThough certainly not up to Courtney's standards, I think these examples do show what I noticed. As long as I maintained uniform angular moment (i.e., I kept rotating evenly), all that was necessary to get the beginning and end points to connect smoothly (i.e., with the same curvature) was to control the pen velocity for about the last 180 degrees of rotation (from the point where the line crosses over itself a second time). From there, I in essence,I steered with the brakes. (These were written fairly quickly, no more than 1.5 seconds apiece.)

 

To draw these figures free hand, would be difficult for me, boarder line impossible, but by reducing the variables to one (linear velocity), the rusty old number cruncher behind my eyes can get the job done with very little effort. Again, I am amazed by the brilliant conception of this hand.

 

(BTW, Courtney does not connect the ends himself. Instead, he allows the hair line to become finer and finer until it disappears completely, leaving the viewer's eye to make the connection.)

Edited by Mickey

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today, we get to the letter S, chosen because I believe it offers an interesting perspective on letter performance, particularly on rhythm and tempo. By this I don't mean some vague sense of tempo or flow, but rhythms every bit as specific as those in a Bach invention, but as temporally malleable as a Chopin etude. For the non-musicians in the audience, tempo (it is presumed) was metronomically even in Bach's day, as steady as a clock or the pulse rate at rest (a common tempo reference, BTW). By the time we get to Chopin, time is as malleable as Salvador Dali's watch. Rhythmic notation is no less specific than in Bach's day, but tempo is allowed to change smoothly, not just shift abruptly (prolate), as was the case in Bach's day.

 

fpn_1410542289__s.jpg

The opening loop is an interesting time study in itself. The lower arm is flatter, ergo it is drawn with greater point velocity, but when do you start accelerating? For me, later than instinct told me. For me to make an acceptable S, I needed to allow the first turnaround to complete before accelerating, otherwise the loop ends up squashed, tilted, etc. So, the first loop starts at (1) one speed, (2) slows rapidly for a moment to reverse direction, (3) resumes the original speed for a moment, then (4) accelerate to a slightly greater speed. (My persistent error was to skip step 3.) It's all about tempo. If you're not clear on the concept, maybe this will help. Listen to how time is bent. (Probably easiest heard in the B section at approx 40 second in.)

 

Not quite the same thing, I agree, - I think Puccini comes closer - but the concept is similar. The following 5 esses were penned rapidly, a little over a second apiece. Not perfect, but I'm starting to get my rhythm changes together. (Pardon to all you jazz musicians out there for the pun.)

 

 

fpn_1410542352__esses.jpg

Edited by Mickey

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No pen work to post today, but a couple of observations. Do your daily practice with the best paper you can afford to use in vast quantities, - but don't be afraid to reach for a fresh sheet - and after every dozen or so sheets of practice paper (like HP 24 lb) use something something a bit more upscale, like Canson Pro-Layout Marker (c. $13.00 per 50). In some ways, such papers are harder to use than copy paper and in some ways easier. Pen angle is more critical, but finer hairlines are easier. (On this stuff, even I can produce hairlines that almost vanish into the air.) Every once in a while, give yourself a treat and a test at the same time.

 

Observation two, don't waste paper, ink, or time trying to practice after a heavy lunch (popover, salad, Kobe beef hamburger, fries, macaroons), a large glass of Pinot Noir, a cigar (Fuente Hemingway Perfecto 7 x 48), and a second glass of Pinot. Probably the worst offender was the cigar, a very rare indulgence for me, enjoyed only when I am at my club.

The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press; but if he publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he must take the consequence of his own temerity. (4 Bl. Com. 151, 152.) Blackstone's Commentaries

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have to agree with you on the paper front. I'm very much sad to note that I'm running dangerously low on Rhodia and Tomoe (standbys in the premium paper area for me) on account of my having so much fun writing on them. I suppose I could resort to local Bevania for practise, which is actually really good for the price (~PHP15/$0.33 for an 85gsm 10-pack), but that's very much like going for a Coors after accustoming oneself to craft :/

 

Still, nice to see this thread pleasantly buzzing. I'm a bit abashed at my lack of contribution, but at least I'm learning quite a bit following this, haha. Maybe I'll post the results of my daily practise in a few days, though I'll likely need a new nib first; my last one's quite worn in the tip already. Ah well!

 

 

Cheers!

 

Kevin

"The price of an object should not only be what you had to pay for it, but also what you've had to sacrifice in order to obtain it." - <i>The Wisdom of The Internet</i><p class='bbc_center'><center><img src="http://i59.tinypic.com/jr4g43.jpg"/></center>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    • TheQuillDeal Today 2:44
      Can anyone explain how the tariff war will affect fountain pen prices??
    • Penguincollector 30 Mar 15:07
      Oh yes, pictures are on the “ I got this pen today” thread.
    • lectraplayer 29 Mar 9:19
      Is it here yet?
    • Penguincollector 26 Mar 5:00
      I just got the tracking information for my Starwalker💃🏻
    • T.D. Rabbit 3 Mar 12:46
      @lamarax I am horrified... And slightly intrigued. But mostly just scared.
    • lamarax 2 Mar 20:38
      Oh well. In case of failure you can always wring the paper to have a nice -albeit somewhat stale- cup of coffee back.
    • T.D. Rabbit 2 Mar 10:20
      @Astronymus I could use cornstarch... Or i could distill it and make it very concentrated.
    • T.D. Rabbit 2 Mar 10:20
      @lamarax That's what I used! (In reply to black coffee).. But the milk might not be good at all for paper.
    • Grayfeather 2 Mar 0:08
      Good day, all.
    • Gertrude F 20 Feb 17:58
      Sorry think I posted this in the wrong place. Used to be a user, just re-upped. Be kind. 😑
    • Gertrude F 20 Feb 17:56
      Looking to sell huge lot of pretty much every Man 200 made - FP, BP, MP, one or two RBs. Does anyone have a suggestion for a bulk purhase house? Thanks - and hope this doesn't violate any rules.
    • lamarax 17 Feb 18:05
      Cappuccino should work. Frothy milk also helps to lubricate the nib. But it has to be made by a barista.
    • Astronymus 17 Feb 16:19
      YOu might need to thicken the coffee with something. I admit I have no idea with what. But I'm pretty sure it would work.
    • asnailmailer 3 Feb 17:35
      it is incowrimo time and only very few people are tempting me
    • lamarax 31 Jan 21:34
      Try black coffee. No sugar.
    • T.D. Rabbit 31 Jan 8:11
      Coffee is too light to write with though I've tried.
    • Astronymus 29 Jan 21:46
      You can use coffee and all other kinds of fluid with a glas pen. 😉
    • Roger Zhao 29 Jan 14:37
      chocolate is yummy
    • Bucefalo 17 Jan 9:59
      anyone sells vacumatic push button shafts
    • stxrling 13 Jan 1:25
      Are there any threads or posts up yet about the California Pen Show in February, does anyone know?
    • lamarax Today 20:27
      Putting coffee in a fountain pen is far more dangerous
    • asnailmailer 9 Jan 0:09
      Don't drink the ink
    • zug zug 8 Jan 16:48
      Coffee inks or coffee, the drink? Both are yummy though.
    • LandyVlad 8 Jan 5:37
      I hear the price of coffee is going up. WHich is bad because I like coffee.
    • asnailmailer 6 Jan 14:43
      time for a nice cup of tea
    • Just J 25 Dec 1:57
      @liauyat re editing profile: At forum page top, find the Search panel. Just above that you should see your user name with a tiny down arrow [🔽] alongside. Click that & scroll down to CONTENT, & under that, Profile. Click that, & edit 'til thy heart's content!
    • liapuyat 12 Dec 12:20
      I can't seem to edit my profile, which is years out of date, because I've only returned to FPN again recently. How do you fix it?
    • mattaw 5 Dec 14:25
      @lantanagal did you do anything to fix that? I get that page every time I try to go to edit my profile...
    • Penguincollector 30 Nov 19:14
      Super excited to go check out the PDX Pen Bazaar today. I volunteered to help set up tables. It should be super fun, followed by Xmas tree shopping. 😁
    • niuben 30 Nov 10:41
      @Nurse Ratchet
    • Nurse Ratchet 30 Nov 2:49
      Newbie here!!! Helloall
    • Emes 25 Nov 23:31
      jew
    • Misfit 9 Nov 2:38
      lantanagal, I’ve only seen that happen when you put someone on the ignore list. I doubt a friend would do that.
    • lantanagal 7 Nov 19:01
      UPDATE - FIXED NOW Exact message is: Requested page not available! Dear Visitor of the Fountain Pen Nuthouse The page you are requesting to visit is not available to you. You are not authorised to access the requested page. Regards, The FPN Admin Team November 7, 2024
    • lantanagal 7 Nov 18:59
      UPDATE - FIXED NOW Trying to send a pen friend a reply to a message, keep getting an error message to say I don't have access. Anyone any ideas? (tried logging our and back in to no avail)
    • Dr.R 2 Nov 16:58
      Raina’s
    • fireant 2 Nov 1:36
      Fine-have you had a nibmeister look at it?
    • carlos.q 29 Oct 15:19
      @FineFinerFinest: have you seen this thread? https://www.fountainpennetwor...nging-pelikan-nibs/#comments
    • FineFinerFinest 24 Oct 8:52
      No replies required to my complaints about the Pelikan. A friend came to the rescue with some very magnification equipment - with the images thrown to a latge high res screen. Technology is a wonderful thing. Thanks to Mercian for the reply. I had been using the same paper & ink for sometime when the "singing" started. I have a theory but no proof that nibs get damaged when capping the pen. 👍
    • Mercian 22 Oct 22:28
      @FineFinerFinest: sometimes nib-'singing' can be lessened - or even cured - by changing the ink that one is putting through the pen, or the paper that one is using. N.b. *sometimes*. Good luck
    • Bluetaco 22 Oct 22:04
      howdy
    • FineFinerFinest 21 Oct 5:23
      I'm not expecting any replies to my question about the singing Pelikan nib. It seems, from reading the background, that I am not alone. It's a nice pen. It's such a pity Pelikan can't make decent nibs. I have occasionally met users who tell me how wonderful their Pelikan nib is. I've spent enough money to know that not everyone has this experience. I've worked on nibs occasionally over forty years with great success. This one has me beaten. I won't be buying any more Pelikan pens. 👎
    • FineFinerFinest 21 Oct 4:27
      I've had a Pelikan M805 for a couple of years now and cannot get the nib to write without singing. I've worked on dozens of nibs with great success. Ny suggestion about what's going wrong? 😑
    • Bhakt 12 Oct 5:45
      Any feedback in 100th anniversary Mont Blanc green pens?
    • Glens pens 8 Oct 15:08
      @jordierocks94 i happen to have platinum preppy that has wrote like (bleep) since i bought it my second pen....is that something you would wish to practice on?
    • jordierocks94 4 Oct 6:26
      Hello all - New here. My Art studies have spilled me into the ft pen world where I am happily submerged and floating! I'm looking to repair some cheap pens that are starving for ink yet filled, and eventually get new nibs; and development of repair skills (an even longer learning curve than my art studies - lol). Every hobby needs a hobby, eh ...
    • The_Beginner 18 Sept 23:35
      horse notebooks if you search the title should still appear though it wont show you in your proflie
    • Jayme Brener 16 Sept 22:21
      Hi, guys. I wonder if somebody knows who manufactured the Coro fountain pens.
    • TheHorseNotebooks 16 Sept 13:11
      Hello, it's been ages for me since I was here last time. I had a post (http://www.fountainpennetwork...-notebooks/?view=getnewpost) but I see that it is no longer accessible. Is there anyway to retrieve that one?
    • Refujio Rodriguez 16 Sept 5:39
      I have a match stick simplomatic with a weidlich nib. Does anyone know anything about this pen?
    • The_Beginner 15 Sept 16:11
      dusty yes, glen welcome
    • Glens pens 11 Sept 1:22
      Hello, Im new to FPN I'm so happy to find other foutain penattics. collecting almost one year ,thought I would say hello to everyone.
    • DustyBin 8 Sept 14:34
      I haven't been here for ages... do I take it that private sales are no longer allowed? Also used to be a great place to sell and buy some great pens
    • Sailor Kenshin 1 Sept 12:37
      Lol…
    • JungleJim 1 Sept 1:55
      Perhaps it's like saying Beetlejuice 3 times to get that person to appear, though with @Sailor Kenshin you only have to say it twice?
    • Sailor Kenshin 31 Aug 21:06
      ?
    • Duffy 29 Aug 19:31
      @Sailor Kenshin @Sailor Kenshin
    • Seney724 26 Aug 22:07
    • Diablo 26 Aug 22:05
      Thank you so much, Seney724. I really appreciate your help!
    • Seney724 26 Aug 21:43
      I have no ties or relationship. Just a very happy customer. He is a very experienced Montblanc expert.
    • Seney724 26 Aug 21:42
      I strongly recommend Kirk Speer at https://www.penrealm.com/
    • Diablo 26 Aug 21:35
      @Seney724. The pen was recently disassembled and cleaned, but the nib and feed were not properly inserted into the holder. I'm in Maryland.
    • Diablo 26 Aug 21:32
      @Seney724. The nib section needs to be adjusted properly.
    • Seney724 26 Aug 18:16
      @Diablo. Where are you? What does it need?
    • Diablo 26 Aug 16:58
      Seeking EXPERIENCED, REPUTABLE service/repair for my 149. PLEASE help!!!
    • Penguincollector 19 Aug 19:42
      @Marta Val, reach out to @terim, who runs Peyton Street Pens and is very knowledgeable about Sheaffer pens
    • Marta Val 19 Aug 14:35
      Hello, could someone recommend a reliable venue: on line or brick and mortar in Fairfax, VA or Long Island, NY to purchase the soft parts and a converter to restore my dad's Sheaffer Legacy? please. Thanks a mill.
    • The_Beginner 18 Aug 2:49
      is there a guy who we can message to find a part for us with a given timelimit if so please let me know his name!
    • virtuoso 16 Aug 15:15
      what happene to the new Shaeffer inks?
    • Scribs 14 Aug 17:09
      fatehbajwa, in Writing Instruments, "Fountain Pens + Dip Pens First Stop" ?
    • fatehbajwa 14 Aug 12:17
      Back to FPN after 14 years. First thing I noticed is that I could not see a FS forum. What has changed? 🤔
    • Kika 5 Aug 10:22
      Are there any fountain pen collectors in Qatar?
    • T.D. Rabbit 31 July 18:58
      Ahh okay, thanks!
    • Scribs 29 July 18:51
      @ TDRabbit, even better would be in Creative Expressions area, subform The Write Stuff
    • T.D. Rabbit 29 July 11:40
      Okay, thanks!
    • JungleJim 29 July 0:46
      @T.D. Rabbit Try posting it in the "Chatter Forum". You have to be logged in to see it.
    • T.D. Rabbit 28 July 17:54
      Hello! Is there a thread anywhere 'round here where one can post self-composed poetry? If not, would it be alright if I made one? I searched on google, but to no avail...
    • OldFatDog 26 July 19:41
      I have several Parker Roller Ball & Fiber Tip refills in the original packaging. Where and how do I sell them? The couple that I've opened the ink still flowed when put to paper. Also if a pen would take the foller ball refill then it should take the fiber tip as well? Anyway it's been awhile and I'm want to take my message collection beyond the few pieces that I have... Meaning I don't have a Parker these refills will fit in 🙄
    • RegDiggins 23 July 12:40
      Recently was lucky enough to buy a pristine example of the CF crocodile ball with the gold plating. Then of course I faced the same problem we all have over the years ,of trying to find e refill. Fortunately I discovered one here in the U.K. I wonder if there are other sources which exist in other countries, by the way they were not cheap pen
    • The_Beginner 20 July 20:35
      Hows it going guys i have a code from pen chalet that i wont use for 10% off and it ends aug 31st RC10AUG its 10% off have at it fellas
    • T.D. Rabbit 19 July 9:33
      Somewhat confusing and off-putting ones, as said to me by my very honest friends. I don't have an X account though :<
    • piano 19 July 8:41
      @The Devil Rabbit what kind of? Let’s go to X (twitter) with #inkdoodle #inkdoodleFP
    • Mort639 17 July 1:03
      I have a Conway Stewart Trafalgar set. It was previously owned by actor Russell Crowe and includes a letter from him. Can anyone help me with assessing its value?
    • Sailor Kenshin 15 July 17:41
      There must be a couple of places here to share artworks.
    • T.D. Rabbit 15 July 12:45
      Hullo! I really like making ink doodles, and I'd like to share a few. Anywhere on the site I can do so? Thanks in advance!
    • Sailor Kenshin 6 July 17:58
      Pay It Forward.
    • AndWhoDisguisedAs 6 July 16:59
      where would I post wanting to trade bottle of ink straight up?
    • JungleJim 3 July 16:14
      @Bill Wood-- just look at the message below you that was posted by @PAKMAN. He is a moderator here on the forums.
    • Bill Wood 2 July 14:24
      Just checking on a classified section and where we are with that. Many thanks. Bill
    • PAKMAN 29 June 1:57
      @inky1 The software for the classified stopped working with the forum. So no we don't have a sales section anymore at FPN
    • inky1 28 June 16:49
      I am not sure which is the classifieds section
    • inky1 28 June 16:46
      IIs there a Fountain Pen Sales board anywhere on here?
    • dave c 25 June 19:01
      Hi. Anybody ever heard about a Royal Puck Pen. Very small but good looking.
    • Eppie_Matts 23 June 19:25
      Thanks! I've just ordered some #6's to experiment with.
    • Al-fresco 21 June 12:11
      @Eppie_Matts Shouldn't be a problem - I've just put a Bock #6 Titanium into a La Grande Bellezza section. Went straight in without any problem.
    • Curiousone11 21 June 4:35
      Any recommendations on anyone who specializes in original pen patents?
    • Eppie_Matts 20 June 1:32
      Hi all - I'm new to experimenting with pens and nibs. Can I put a bock 6 on a Pineider? Thanks!
    • penned in 16 June 17:33
      Hi, I'm new to this forum and was wondering where is the best place to sell a Montblanc ballpoint pen? Are ballpoints allowed here? It's a beautiful pen that deserves a great listing. Thanks.
    • ChrisUrbane 9 June 3:16
      I havent logged in here for a while. I have moved and when I try to change my location on my profile, when I go to save it, it sais 'page not found' and that I do not have authority to change that.
    • Dlj 6 June 20:19
      I am looking for someone who can repair a Waterman Preface ballpoint that won’t stay together
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...