Italic Handwriting with regular fountain pens

[Free Citizen]

  James Pickering said:

I may replace this image because it was written in haste on very "toothy" paper (Fabriano, I believe) and I don't like the quality of the letter forms -- especially the ugly majuscule "L" on the first line. It is a useful hand, however, because it can be written at great speed. I hardly use it any more, though, because I am so enarmoured with the beautiful Cataneo style cursive Italic (Cancellaresca corsiva).

Please don't. I find something appealing about this style. Choppy perhaps but there is consistency in form that makes it highly legible. And by no means is it ugly. This is a good demonstration of what Italic writing at speed looks like.

[Free Citizen]

  JDShaffer said:

Would you mind if I try doing this (video)? Then you might be able to see how I'm trying to write...

 

Jeffrey (with the tired forearm!)

Jeffrey, I think what Mr. Pickering is trying to imply is that there is little or no wrist nor finger movement at all when writing in this manner. It is good that your arm is tired. That is good exercise that will see you developing a strong arm for writing. Writing is not for wimps. I wonder if that is what they mean when they say, the pen is mightier than the sword.

 

Ps. BTW, you can post a link here to your video. I want to see it too!

Edited December 3, 2004 by Free Citizen

[James Pickering]

  JDShaffer said:

..... Perhaps I could shoot some video of my trying to write and send you a link to view it. If you have Apple's Quicktime 6 (or newer) on your computer, you can see the movies I can make (don't worry, they're small and load rather quickly.)

 

Would you mind if I try doing this (video)? Then you might be able to see how I'm trying to write.....

That sounds exciting, Jeffrey, I would like to see that. I don't have apple Quicktime+ however.

 

As Lim mentions, we should post it here on the Forum so all can see.

 

James

Edited December 3, 2004 by James Pickering

[James Pickering]

  Free Citizen said:

..... I find something appealing about this style. Choppy perhaps but there is consistency in form that makes it highly legible. And by no means is it ugly. This is a good demonstration of what Italic writing at speed looks like.

Here is an intermediate Italic style, Lim. Ligatured in the style of formata but with kerned ascenders in the style of corsiva. I can write my Cataneo style cursive just as rapidly as this -- however, speed of writing is of far less importance to me these days than is beauty and elegance -- besides, I can write my beloved cursive almost as rapidly as the ligatured running hand styles.

 

This exemplar is a wedding invitation insert I did for my youngest daughter's wedding -- Osmiroid fountain pen with fine nib using Osmiroid sepia ink on Dickinson's Three Candlesticks paper. Versal letter and decorative element outlined using a Gillott crowquill pen and Higgins India ink and colored using Winsor & Newton designer gouache.

 

http://www.jp29.org/cal112.jpg

[Free Citizen]

  James Pickering said:

This exemplar is a wedding invitation insert I did for my youngest daughter's wedding -- Osmiroid fountain pen with fine nib using Osmiroid sepia ink on Dickinson's Three Candlesticks paper. Versal letter and decorative element outlined using a Gillott crowquill pen and Higgins India ink and colored using Winsor & Newton designer gouache.

Wow! The invitees must have been impressed to see this invitation. I bet they were doubly thrilled when they found out you wrote them. I wonder if they still have it for keepsake.

[JDShaffer]

Quicktime: I'm not sure I'll be able to "video tape" myself writing today, but as it's not too difficult, I will try to do so soon. As for quicktime, it can be downloaded for free. Let me see if I can find a link for you...

 

Quicktime Download

 

Above is a direct link to the Quicktime download. If you click it, it will take you to the download webpage where you can get the latest player for free. It's actually very nice software, very stable, and does nothing bad to your computer that I am aware of.

 

That being said, of course follow your own opinion on such things. If you are wary of any software, I recommend you not installing it!

 

Cheers to all,

 

Jeffrey

[Free Citizen]

  James Pickering said:

Actually, I think the following is a better illustration:

Yes, indeed it is. There is consistency in form and the swashes makes it beautiful and pleasant to the eyes. If only I could write like this, no one will cash my cheques I wonder how long it will take me to achieve that level of proficiency.

Edited December 7, 2004 by Free Citizen

[James Pickering]

  Keith with a capital K said:

.......... my quickly jotted notes aren't too shabby ..........

They certainly are not -- they are very nice. Would you list the pen and paper that you used, please?

 

  Quote

.......... I'll submit a little of my more formal writing and everyday handwriting a little later..........

I am looking forward to that.

 

James

Edited December 4, 2004 by James Pickering

[James Pickering]

We need some exemplars from the esteemed Adam Frank.

[James Pickering]

  James Pickering said:

This exemplar is a wedding invitation insert I did for my youngest daughter's wedding -- Osmiroid fountain pen with fine nib using Osmiroid sepia ink on Dickinson's Three Candlesticks paper. Versal letter and decorative element outlined using a Gillott crowquill pen and Higgins India ink and colored using Winsor & Newton designer gouache.

Here is the other side:

 

http://www.jp29.org/cal117.jpg

[James Pickering]

http://www.jp29.org/cal118.jpg

[Free Citizen]

  James Pickering said:

  James Pickering said:

Versal letter and decorative element outlined using a Gillott crowquill pen and Higgins India ink and colored using Winsor & Newton designer gouache.

James, you mentioned the use of designer gouche. How are they applied?

[James Pickering]

  Free Citizen said:

James, you mentioned the use of designer gouche. How is it applied?

In two different ways, Lim:

 

I use 000 and 0000 watercolorist brushes for versal letters or vinework.

 

I use reservoired "dip" pens to write out text -- please see the "Writing using dip pens" topic.

 

James

Edited December 10, 2004 by James Pickering

[James Pickering]

  James Pickering said:

  Free Citizen said:

James, you mentioned the use of designer gouche. How is it applied?

I use 000 and 0000 watercolorist brushes for versal letters or vinework.

 

Normally, I draw out the decorative elements using a crowquill pen and india ink. However, for very simple and quick illumination, I sometimes use a very fine nibbed fountain pen for this purpose as shown in the following exemplar. There is an error in the description -- fine, colored ballpoint pens were used for the coloring:

http://www.jp29.org/File0030.jpg

[Keith with a capital K]

James and all -

 

My usual paper for most notes and letters is Mead/Cambridge legal bond in ivory as I find it has the perfect finish and complements my favourite brown inks. These are Pelikan brown, Waterman brown, and Noodler's Eternal Brown.

 

The same paper in white has less sizing, will add a little tooth, and is not as friendly to lighter inks that have a higher tendency to feather (ie. Sheaffer). It is still quite good when using the right inks.

 

I also have a nice selection of high quality bond paper for special letters and occasions and will quite often use inkjet paper as well due to it's good performance and relatively low cost. I will have to check the markings on the bond paper as I cannot recall where all of it came from... much of it was sent as gifts.

 

Cheers!

Edited December 7, 2004 by Keith with a capital K

[James Pickering]

Many different materials and utilizations in the following exemplar. Heraldic depiction outlined using crowquill dip pen and India ink -- Winsor and Newton gouache and watercolors applied using 000 watercolorist brush on Barcham Green paper. Main text using Rotring art pen (1.1 mm nib) and Waterman black ink on Clairefontaine paper. Address cartouche outlined and written out using 1938 Mabie Todd "Swan" pen (#2 nib) using Waterman black ink on Barcham green paper. Reproduction master laid out on Clairefontaine paper.

 

http://www.jp29.org/File0074.jpg

[JDShaffer]

Beautiful work, as always, Mr. Pickering. I'll have to dabble in color one of these days.

Sorry I've been quite silent these last few days. Work and graduate school both have me buried in work at the moment -- we're at the end of the fall semester for both (I work at a university.)

 

BUT, I am still practicing my writing every day. I'm trying to get a good feel for the "writing from the shoulder", and I feel I'm making progress as one particular "pen hold" and "arm hold" feels right to me. WHich, of course, probably means it's wrong!

 

I'll post an update to my "improvement" thread when I have some not to embarrassing to share!

 

 

Cheers,

Jeffrey

[James Pickering]

Transferred due to "thread drift".

 

James

Edited December 12, 2004 by James Pickering

[James Pickering]

Now messages like the attached make all my time and effort worth while! Of course, it relates to my website and one reason I wanted to post it is because it gives me an opportunity to mention that I am in the process of revising my web pages. I have already re-written the Introduction, Basics and Supplemental hands pages and I should have the rest re-written (and the scanned exemplar pages updated) in the next several days.

 

Because of the above project -- and the fact that I have been spending so much time here recently -- I have fallen way behind in my committed work. In consequence, and for other personal reasons, I find it necessary to relinquish my position as resident Expert/Moderator for this Penmanship Forum. I may not be able to post here for extended periods of time in the future.

 

Thanks to all who have participated. Here's to good handwriting!

 

James

 

http://www.jp29.org/cal129.jpg

 

(Used with permission of Mr. Whately)

Edited December 17, 2004 by James Pickering

[ChrisV]

Beautiful penmanship! Nice swan too