Inky T O D - Ink Pen Paper And Handwriting Musings #3 - Whose Handwriting Do You Like The Most?

[amberleadavis]

Inky TODs are Topics O'Day and are meant to generate conversation about a particular topic. Yesterday, my beloved nib guy (who is also a penpal) sent me the following following:

I was contemplating on some of the things you expressed about your handwriting.

I like to know what your opinions are concerning this matter as we leave our marks behind with the pen we use.

Personally, before I go six feet under, I like to impress my daughter and everyone that is left behind with the knowledge that I have acquired and mastered three handwriting script, of which I deemed most useful: Fraktur for the times when I want to be a little mysterious, Spencerian for all the times I like to show off, and for the everyday hand italics. These three scripts, I am currently nurturing and to perfect. The closer I get to it, the more I like it.

Musing one: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/334972-inky-t-o-d-ink-pen-paper-and-handwriting-musings-1-which-nibs-attract-you-and-why/?do=findComment&comment=4035298

 

Musing two: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/335042-inky-t-o-d-ink-pen-paper-and-handwriting-musings-2-what-do-you-like-about-your-handwriting/?do=findComment&comment=4036188

3. Whose handwriting do you like the most?

Now before Lapis asks why this topic is here (and not in another forum) - the answer is because for me the answer has something to do with ink. If it doesn't for you, that's okay.

For the best handwritten reply (or perhaps more than one great reply), I will send out a gift. (Nothing huge, but you can be surprised.) Enter as many times as you want. Only the handwritten posts will be considered for special gifts, but all posts are appreciated.

[lapis]

3. Whose handwriting do you like the most?

 

Yours!

[amberleadavis]

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2018-Ink/2018-04/slides/2018-04-08_Ink_01.jpg

[amberleadavis]

Yours!

 

 

You are too sweet.

[lgsoltek]

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2018-Ink/2018-04/slides/2018-04-08_Ink_01.jpg

 

I'm flattered, Amber!

[Torrilin]

 

Mine never comes out this pretty. And I tend to go rather rounder. But Ive always found Queen Elizabeth Is handwriting to be an inspiration to do better. Shes very legible, even if you dont know the hand shes writing in, and even in her rough drafts. There just arent many people who werent scribes who write this clearly... and theres an awful lot of scribes who were REALLY hard to read.

 

 

People have been bitching about cursive handwriting being hard to read since we invented the idea. Im not aware offhand of any particular examples of cursive cuneiform, but this is demotic script, or cursive hieroglyphs. This particular sample is from the Rosetta Stone, so the people who made it would consider it quite legible. Youre not going to write tax code changes in a way no one can read. Weve got examples of cursive from Ancient Greek, Phoenician, Latin, Etruscan... if a writing system was used for quick notes, we have cursive examples unless the corpus is REALLY tiny. (And the Etruscan corpus is not large mkay?)

 

And the medium you use to write absolutely affects the look.

[amberleadavis]

Wow, that's pretty nifty.

[Runnin_Ute]

Pelikan M200 Blue Marbled OB/KWZI IG Turquoise

TWSBI Eco 1.1/KWZI Pine Green

Pelikan 140 F/Pelikan 4001 Blue Black

 

[Torrilin]

Wow, that's pretty nifty.

Even niftier, a number of great rulers had tidy handwriting as one of their main contributions to good governance. Charlemagne is the one who always sticks in my head, tho Im not sure what to google to get examples of scribal hand before him. But its a real bear to decipher. After is easy, Carolingian hand is justifiably famous. Ive never tried learning it (I think mostly because my Medieval Latin never existed, just classical), but its very pretty.

 

But he wasnt the first, or anything like the first. Its a very common thing, but its not much emphasized in history class, even though its something most kids can relate to. We all know pretty early on that some people have easier handwriting to read than others.

[chromantic]

​I really like Knarflj's last example in his post (#6) in the Musings #2 thread; it's clear, well-defined and very readable. I see a lot of writing on this site but it really struck me.

[amberleadavis]

@RU - you really should create a font with with print, it is quite lovely.

[Runnin_Ute]

@RU - you really should create a font with with print, it is quite lovely.

Thanks, Amber.

 

I don't use it nearly as much as I did say four or five years ago. My cursive is a bit less of a hybrid now too. But I do take it out on occasion....

[amberleadavis]

@RU -- okay, you got me -- you should create that print font so that I can use it. I think it is much prettier than those out there today.

[Runnin_Ute]

I agree. It is nicer than a lot of the fonts out there. It is similar to an "architect" font, but different. (some of those are "stiffer". Look like they were drawn with a t-square and triangle.....)

Edited April 11, 2018 by Runnin_Ute

[knarflj]

​I really like Knarflj's last example in his post (#6) in the Musings #2 thread; it's clear, well-defined and very readable. I see a lot of writing on this site but it really struck me.

 

 

Thank you, chromantic! I consider that hand still very much a work in progress, but I'm encouraged to hear it's readable, since I am cultivating it primarily as a correspondence hand.

 

I see too many examples of lovely handwriting on this site to cite them all, but SMK and Bobje in this topic (which is just chock-full of beautiful writing, as is last year's version of the same topic) stand out to me as a couple of people with beautiful writing that also looks practical as an everyday hand.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/331473-qotw-2018/?hl=qotw

(Hope I did that link right!)

 

Jenny

[Aminah]

My mothers. This topic had me scrambling through the papers for proof. I used to say my mamma wrote script, no lines, LOL. She used to say when she was a child they were instructed via penmanship. Well, we were certainly taught how to write in elementary school but my writing never looked as beautiful as hers. No beauty to it at all. Is that something to be inherited?

 

I have a belief that a non-singer can not be taught to sing (acknowledging that belief does not make the statement correct); and I wonder the same about handwriting. Is it possible to take a person with nasty handwriting, like mine, and with practice, of course, it become beautiful? Id have to see it for myself. Some may say. beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Yet, who would argue the beauty of say Jake Weidemanns writing ✍🏽 ?

 

I picked two different samples for substantiation. Is it me or is Mommys handwriting not the cats meow? 😃

Edited September 18, 2018 by Lyric

[knarflj]

My mothers. This topic had me scrambling through the papers for proof. I used to say my mamma wrote script, no lines, LOL. She used to say when she was a child they were instructed via penmanship. Well, we were certainly taught how to write in elementary school but my writing never looked as beautiful as hers. No beauty to it at all. Is that something to be inherited?

 

I have a belief that a non-singer can not be taught to sing (acknowledging that belief does not make the statement correct); and I wonder the same about handwriting. Is it possible to take a person with nasty handwriting, like mine, and with practice, of course, it become beautiful? Id have to see it for myself. Some may say. beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Yet, who would argue the beauty of say Jake Weidemanns writing ✍ ?

 

I picked two different samples for substantiation. Is it me or is Mommys handwriting not the cats meow?

 

 

Your mother's handwriting is indeed attractive, Lyric.

 

There's a saying from somewhere: If you can walk, you can dance; if you can talk, you can sing. Not everyone has the gifts to be a world-class singer, of course, but anyone with a voice can indeed be taught to sing. Well, okay, if you are literally tone-deaf, it would be a challenge, but real tone-deafness is very rare. (This is something I actually know a bit about, and a favourite soapbox of mine, so I hope you will indulge me! )

 

Likewise, not everyone will achieve the level of beauty in their handwriting that Jake Weidemann does, but we can all improve with good models and practice. Be encouraged!

 

Jenny

[Bookman]

Fitzgerald

Mine, Better days

[amberleadavis]

Nice!! Also, I love Carson City.

[HalloweenHJB]

I have to say that my my mother's grandfather had extraordinary handwriting. I don't have a sample of his usual writing, but he developed an architect's hand in the early 1900s, and I love to try to imitate his delightful Art Nouveau letters. Here is a sheet he drew (for class?) around 1907 or so: