This is just to let you know, if you haven’t already noticed, that lesson 2, Roman Capitals is now available,
with FREE downloadable worksheets. Best viewed first in the slide show .
with a new video, published on YouTube,- Calligradoodles _0003, as a demonstration.
Keep watching this space.
It has been 6 weeks or so since Bill’s Space took off. This has been my first experience of anything www. orientated. Talk about learning curves! It has been very rewarding to see so many people taking advantage of the facilities. According to the meter at my disposal there have been 800 hits, give or take a few, but so far no feedback. I have many ideas as to how this site will progress, but it would be good to know what you, the visitor, make of it. I think some of you may be from the teaching profession – welcome! Were it not for you, I might never have even thought about lettering as an art form.
1 What do you need?
2 What do you want?
3 What would you like to see in a site such as this?
Please let me know via email:- calligraffiti@live.co.uk or leave comments in the various boxes throughout the site.
Ultimately I could host a network with instant messaging where like-minded people could get together. Could this become your support channel?
Keep watching this space …
We are going to begin with a Roundhand alphabet, also known as humanist or foundational hand by Edward Johnston.
This is a beautiful example of what we aim to achieve.
There are FREE downloadable worksheets
And do have a look at Richard’s worksheets for even more insight into this fascinating journey.
Best viewed as a slide show to begin with.
And a video, probably best viewed full-screen, to show how it’s done.
You don’t have to use double pencil; if you would rather use a pen, go ahead, but you will find if you use my method to start with, you will be able to see clearly how the strokes are made and how they join up. Any mistakes are glaringly obvious. There are 2 or 3 instances on the video that are not quite right – I wonder if you will notice.
Just remember to use 4 nib-widths for the lower case o-height and to leave space for the ascenders and descenders. For example, if the o-height is 1”, then the whole letter needs 3 lines and 3”. Your nib needs to be kept at approximately 30 degrees to the writing line except when writing w, x, y and z – here it is better to change to 45 degrees. Even when practising it is a good idea to try and get the spacing right. This can only be done by eye, but a good guide is to remember that OO are close, O l are further apart and l l further still.
You may ask, “Why start with this alphabet and not Blackletter or Italic?” All I can say is, trust me. If you can do a reasonable version of what is set out here, plus the Roman which comes next, all other hands are a doddle, ha ha!
I have set out here not to teach fancy lettering, but good lettering. A page of well-made and well-spaced letters is a thing of great beauty and something to which we should all aspire.
People say, “I wish I could write like that. You must have a gift.” I wasn’t born with this ability: my gift is, having seen this beauty on the written page, to actually want to sit for hours and try to emulate those scribes of yore, and yes, all the beautiful work that is being done today.
You can write like that if you really want to practise, practise, practise. I am still practising.
Keep watching this space …
Posted in ,calligraphy,calligraffiti,lettering, how to, Roundhand
Tagged arts, Education, Edward Johnston, Lower case
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