Calligraphy and the Left-Handed Scribe

Jodi Christiansen August 22, 2010

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Calligraphy and the Left-Handed Scribe:
Or, what Ive learned after 4 years of putting pen to paper
Most calligraphy teachers arent sure what to do with us lefties and I almost feel guilty
when I walk into a classroom and admit that Im left-handed. In the general
population, around 10% of us are left-handed. In calligraphy classrooms, however, we
are a rare and troubled group.
Left-handed calligraphers come in two flavors:
curlers curve their hand around the pen to mimic the writing angle right-
handers achieve naturally. (Some call these lefties hookers but that seems ill-
advised to me) ;-)
non-curlers write without bending their wrist.
Curlers and non-curlers approach calligraphic strokes in very different ways. What
works for a curler is almost never useful for a non-curler and vice versa. Often times,
things that are obvious to right-handed calligraphers elude us lefties. It can be
extremely frustrating to watch a righty easily manipulate the pen when all we can do is
smudge, smear and make wobbly marks on the practice sheet!
First off, Im a curler. Needless to
say, this makes calligraphy quite a
challenge. Heres a picture of my
awkward hand position (and my liver
spots).
Usually, following a period of
extreme frustration, I resort to
dissecting how a right-hander does
whatever it is thats plaguing me.
When Im lucky, I come to some kind
of understanding and figure out a
way to mimic or reinterpret their
movements to work for me.
After several years of classes,
workshops and practice, Ive had a few insights Id like to share.
1. PULL vs. PUSH: Right-handers pull almost every stroke. Curlers attempting
the same stroke must push. Pens, like people, dont like to be pushed and they
Calligraphy and the Left-Handed Scribe
Jodi Christiansen August 22, 2010


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resist. This is especially true of dip nibs as they tend to be quite sharp and dig
into the paper if pushed. To compensate, I have learned to draw letters from the
bottom up rather than top down. This way, most of my strokes are pulls which
makes the pen and me much happier.

With a very cooperative pen (like a parallel), I can use the right-handed ductus
successfully. However, the strokes are sometimes ragged along the edges due to
the resistance of the nib on the paper. I find its better to be consistent and
always draw from bottom to top.

2. SPACING: In the photo above, its clear that I cant see what Ive just written.
This makes it difficult to figure out where the next letter should start. Solving
this problem has not been easy. A combination of craning my neck, using small
target marks to give me placement clues and developing an eye-feel for spacing
help somewhat. This problem continues to plague me, but then I hear its not so
easy for right-handers either.

3. SMEARING: Again, the first picture
shows that the likelihood of smeared
ink is right around 100%. Ive cobbled
together a small platform that helps.
(Figure 2). Its clear acrylic with tiny
rods glued to the bottom. I rest my
hand on it so I can slide over wet ink
without bathing in it. Most of the
time, however, I just write very
sloooowy, so the ink dries before I can
smear it.

4. ARM MOVEMENT: Right now Im studying Black Letter for the first time.
Marian Gault, our instructor, believes its one of the easier hands to learn.
Making the straight lines that are fundamental to Black Letter has proven to be
nearly impossible for me and this makes me very grumpy.

Correct arm movement is key; its also very difficult. Using the forearm rather
than fingers and wrist gives a much straighter line. I rest my forearm on the
desk and press my elbow downward so my forearm can more easily pivot. It
takes soooo much concentration to do this consistently. Practice, practice,
practice!
Calligraphy and the Left-Handed Scribe
Jodi Christiansen August 22, 2010


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5. MUSCLE MOVEMENT and STRAIGHT LINES: Because I pull my strokes up
from the bottom, I use different muscles than right-handers. I suspect the
muscles that control upward pulls are not often asked to make straight lines so
they arent accustomed to it. Again, practice is probably the way to train them.
If not, Ill stick to round wiggly hands and avoid straight lines altogether.


6. NIBS: I started broad-edge calligraphy using a fountain pen. Its probably
good I did or I might have given up after the first lesson. Fountain pens are not
as sharp as dip nibs and are more forgiving of push strokes. Until I figured out
pushing vs. pulling, I did a LOT of pushing! Now that I understand how a nib is
meant to work, Im able to use some dip nibs.

The Hiro/Tape nibs (right-handed) are the best Ive found so far. They arent as
sharp as the Speedball C series and dont mind being held upside-down (see
hand position photo again). Mitchell nibs dont want to cooperate at all!
Parallel pens are especially adept at making push strokes, so it may be helpful to
have beginners start with them.

7. POINTED PEN: The first obstacle to overcome is getting an oblique holder that
works for a curler. The best I have found is the cheapo Speedball because the nib
holder (oblique arm piece) is circular and the nib can be inserted anywhere
within the circle. Curlers flip the holder such that the oblique piece is to their
right (for right-handers, its to the left)see photo below.

This arrangement allows curlers to
use the same ductus as right-
handers. However, because of the
curled position of the hand, its
very difficult to position the nib on
the paper so both tines get equal
pressure. Ive resigned myself to
wearing out nibs unevenly and just
doing the best I can! Its that or no
pointed pen and who can resist
Copperplate, Spencerian and all
the pointed pen variations of italic,
Calligraphy and the Left-Handed Scribe
Jodi Christiansen August 22, 2010


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uncial, etc.?

Here is a list of left-handed calligraphy reference books Ive found helpful. They
contain more information than any beginner could possibly digest, so reading and re-
reading as I gain more experience is a good way to pick up tips and tricks.
Insights into Left-Handed Calligraphy, Betsy Rivers, 1984
Left-Handed Calligraphy, Vance Studley, 1979
Basics of Left-Handed Calligraphy, Margaret Shepherd, 1988
Calligraphy is difficult enough without the added burden of being left-handed.
However, some of us enjoy the struggle and are stubborn enough to keep at it. Thanks
for taking the time to read this, if nothing else, youll understand why youre unlikely to
find yourself sitting next to a lefty in a calligraphy class!!