(alligrap hic STYLES Tom Gourdie— A Pentalic BoohT Tap linger Publishing Company New YorkFirst published m the United. States im 1979 by Tap linger Publishing Company New York). Coal © 1979 by Tom Gowrdie” A rights reserved First published in the U.K. by Studio Vistw, a division of Cassell Crd. No part of this book may be reproduced ov tromsmitted nm or mans, electrome pes wmneluding 2 ie photocopy, recording, or any information storage ond aetrieval system new known ov to be invented, without permission m writing from the Publisher, crcept by a reviewer who wishes to guote brie possagesm connection with areview wnitten fr indwsun mn a magazne, newspaper oy breadteast, Library of Congress Catalog Cord. Num ber: 79-52316 ISBN 0- 8008-1181" XContents Introduction The Pen Pattern-making A Simple Alphabet The Simple Capital A basic Hakte alphabet Practising your lettering Towards w modern Round Hand The Jolmstm Foundational Hand Italic alphabets, smatt-letter Ecapital Sguare ‘Capitals Rustic Capitals Unciels & Half Unciads Bane a pew ores alsch Letter Rotunda Curswe writing Static Handwriting Examples of Catt eae STA,(GALLIGRAPHLY, amd the historic AP AHAB ET S associated with tt are flourishing as never before with calligraphy groups mushrooming ,rwtably an America. Beginners need detailed mstruct- ion if letters ave to be properly formed, but if sion instruction is not available, then tt 65 obvious that a book must suffice. This vs an attempt to mect such aneed. The historic alphabets ave now being used most imaginatively, as can be seen in the amples which conclude the book, but there is also a growing awareness of the value of simple, basic alphabets which ove morein keeping with our own times. Beginning then with the baste alphabets, the prac- tice in mastering them wit wndowbtedly prepare one for the more demanding pen- i Z required for the various historic alphabets Dexterity 05, Fcourst, essential in this craft but pen-ttch- migue mmnst-not become an obsesson, especially with the wy-and- coming catligraphers. Go through this bork stowly - there-m lies success.THE PEN earns ‘tool as it provides contrast of stroke._As an intro- duction +0 the broad nib two pencils, bound together avith a rubber band, may be used . This twin- pointed trot enables one to get the edge of thepen flat om tothe paper, and, with the “ng exercises, shows if the pen vs being hetd properly or not. Cet the hand rest onits side and hold the pen between the thumb & fore -fi er with the middle _finger acting asa support, then let the whete hand move the pen, the movement coming from thewrvs. The first exercase involves pointing the pen to the writing line at an angle of 45¢ond making wp strokes at 45° then down strokes at the same angle. This produces the \ \ thinnest & the thickest ANN strokes. Now make Sas horizentol &vertico strokes — they are ually ght — ¥ wide. Circles are made | —s= —_—_—_______—_ an two movements -the duces strokes going gra- Y .y dually from thin to thick « and back agam to thm.alter n - Waking as an introduction to the lettering pen + essential if one vs t0 acquire supfrivent shih with this tot to produce reasenably wett-formed letters. Begun wth this exerase which wit help you ad hold the pen at an angle of 45° t the writing OMX XK XXX The upstroke isthe thinnest possible store and the down: stroke the thicket. +++++++ This wercise shows horizontal and vertical strokes equal in widlh. JN In cach of the yxercises of ANNAN thisgroip only poled strokes of the pen have been PLL used and pushed strokes wy avoided. The up-strvkes at VVVIWW1 stare calted sidled strrkes USERS ee they are more pushed than VV vrimectesnrheie LNW paper) they are allowed mn BVIV LBS fama calligraphy.Border designs based on cireutar lines PALMA NAY Ia the fire estcond of the designs shown LVVVYVY\ here the pen 1 frecly wed, the patterns be- KONONKOKONONY ting nade wvthout nade by super-vinpos- Ceacrarman siherrn 4, two strokes should be CROs gical ciel 7 13 w combination oF YOMMOWMONK inl strnghe hive Vertical stripe pattern exercises. a great an possible with an edged pen. Tf two colours are used, a is possible. This pon Art is an ideal intro- duction 0 lettering with the bread pon. HAHAHpatterns progression may be made wAlL: over pat: tems, using squared paper. 1 a a a All. over patterns. From seripe 6 Border b> O BY tf V Cd WY WHY Wi Ml WES Ls ae co co ) Le ca co wii Wi a co)A simple alphabet era ‘base Round Hand’ alphabet . Having acquired some shih with the edged or broad pin wn making patterns, the makwng of letters wilt be much easier. Letters can be most subtle sn form hut for the bequimer this very basic alphabet wilt be found suffeciently challenging. It 03 based on circles and straight linesand v3 derwed from the Carvhngiaw hand of a thousand yeous age. Tht Carcimgtan hand has new been reed twit — firt m the Renaissance Humanist style of the fifteenth , sixteenth centuries and then at the begmmning of this century by the caltigrapher Edward Tehnston. the Pen Angle: A ANN che Clonee ey eX -—_J). | o-oce -adgq- bp rf js tamrh cu x xvwyk- ifl-z 6The alphabet analysed F 2. Holding the pen atanangle of 45; do stoke "ar 1 and then add strvke 2. The pen need not be lifted for the vertical stroke 3. : The letter b is almost Q inverted, but for 1] RY the ascender, which 1 almost turce the body (er) eight. we Tn this alphabet, when-using the broad per every stroke is pulled, hence the reas for making such a simple letter im to stwhes. In making the second stroke flatten tt ent, like this ~, not lhe this. 12] } Render d simitarly to A, and make 3 the ascender almost twice X height. 2 E may be rendered on two or three strokes. t >> Gn the twnstrohe version the omss bar is org" carried down to the left without lifting the pen ?.As a three- stroke letter the pen vs lifted after 2 and the bar made from left to right, as a diagonat. 7s ‘AT F isan ascender letter. Think sf 0 as fiting S'5 into the tep part. Note how far the orvss-strvhe projects +0 the right.whice repeats the bony height. It 1a three stroke letter if one doesnot lift the pen before adding the descender. Think of the body of bas fitting into the descender. bLa Fis two-stroke letter. All the archesin 1] )2 thisalphabet are circular, therefore, done Start the second strvke tov low and thux Vg git an Stale’ lovk to the letter. Wf (| hand | ave so simple as to regure ttle fay | or ne analysts. Always remember the dots ! Ik 1 k and | ave also simple. Add the chevrm 1G ‘) G has the body of O but with a descender 3 1 of k ww one continuous stroke, but donot caaggerate it (<) — K should be the same as hm width, wy) Cotters of the alphabet freguently come rn pairs. and N are am cbvieus example. nm Remember always to make the arches rounded. >) O 1s, oF course, a completely circular Y letter, Jt 15 the key letter to the alphabet just as the oval O v5 the key letter of the Jtalic alphabet,ip Pand.q art another parr of simitar 1P; letters, although oppositesan construction. «G) Psa theee-stroke letter but G maybe made ‘ in two strokes, Note the_flattening of the * civowlar strobes as they connect with the ym Fs a simple two-stroke Letter. Take care 1 to flatten off the trp stroke just as we ded with C. S is a letter vequorig considerable cart and practice. It is based on two circles, (3 one above the other, the upper being stightly ‘ smaller. Tt may be rendered variously, oom, with the centre stroke first, then the base one “DQ and finally the toy stroke or one may stort 73 with the tp stroke, flowed by the centre one and then the base.Flatten off the ends of the letter and, 50 avvid making it look, lhe w hook. Lfe2 Pisancther simple letter, wniquem that ; , is only 3/4 ths as toll asthe sther ascencler UDy (letters. The crvss- stroke may begin stightly TT t0 the left of the down-stroke with the majer parton the right. One cross- strohe serves double f.U U 4s simply inverted. Take careto _flatten off the end of the first strvhe ~ this makes for a much mere pleasing Letter. V ¢3 cbviewsly only one of a. farniby W are half the width of the thick strvhes~ or should be f the pen is being hetd & re {| abcde XY 2% ighijk abedefghij kIm nopgrsfuvwxyz This simple alphabet 4 londtmtnenin. INNOP 1am aphab a thous NE en ne rst U aS RN VWXxyZ in its simplest possible 10he Capital Alphabet sin its basic _form with be used with the simple smatt- letter alphabet and also with the Italic alphabet. The proportions of the chassical Roman Capital (the Trayan Roman) have been chesely observed an the design of this alphabet. ABCDEFGHIJ KLMNOPQRS TUVWXY EZ TO EFH Ler IN; AKMNVW XYZ D:DBPR OO: OQ. CG: Sumadeup two civcles,ont on ay oe this 88. ithe Proportions of the Capital usted oe DO) seuare: M,OQ 0 34 seus AH NTUYV O %45u.:BEFJKLPRS Cl 34s: CGD IB seu : eE The alphabet anmlysed. : vA A medium width letter (3/4 sguare).Place >3\ the cress bar so that the areas above and below it appear equad — net A nor A. 1] DZ the upper loop is stightly smaller than the 2 lower one - Whew a centre line 1s drawn the Zapper loop shovdd rest ow it. This also applies to the centre stroke of E and the crvss- stroke of H. Note also K-X-¥-. Om” This letter isnot exactly circular but follows the Trajan Roman m beng slightlycompressed so that the letter stightly over laps the top and bottom lines between which the alphabet 1s drawn. The extremnties of the letter are also straightened cut 50 that tt does not look like a circle with aw bit cut away. iy Cthe C, Dus mostly civentar, therefore A “tt should go above & below the lunes. This 3 means that strohes will not mert the down-strohe exactly at right angles : ( fre [feu ) This avvids a me i = “drawn look to the letter. 1} Ss The arms of this letter are all the same L>* length. Cet the middle stroke rest on the 14 fs line dividing the letter. The lower stroke Gf Fis a trifle lower. «S The same applies to Gas to C. The vertic- E } al stroke barely comes wp to the centri line. ee of H +ext3 om top of the aN? | contre lone. | 05, ofcourse, pust a single stroke, The second stroke of Sis strought- —\' ewed owt to give the letter a better appearance . 2 BHK The angle of the two arms mecting(<) U 45 onest a right angle. Let them meet slightly above the centre of the down. stroke - where the centre stroke of E bequns. As with E so with L - the horizontal stroke 1s half the length of the verticat. JN i Th Seg aA aa ee ed anid OV" the V part comes below the centre ine — but not night to the base. The letter vs a square wide. IN|! It 1s sthdom that one needs to alter the pen- angle from \ to ~ but tb isnecessary to do so when doing the down-strohes (1 &/3) um order to make them more tender & more contrasted ta the diagonal. % Nc that the round letters be laterally compressed, to onake them more subtle mn appearance - ) the tai of Qmay have a stight turn at the md. Q may be written as a two- 2 strtke letter or as a three-stroke,with aJ)? Cike D, the loop of P begins with a stight 3 ise. The loep _firishes just below the centre line. Rvs simitar to P. but ofcourse has IRR Fer erbe ns eo naa I) (2) a (1) or, much more gracefully ad (2). & As with ‘salt’ s, the capital form is a ee ae The top circle imagine tue circles, ont above the other) ey slightly smaller than the lower and the letter stort hawe a stight forward Hope as a rest (see dotted lines). Also straighten cut the ends, to avoid making S locking like a butchers havk.. 72 T.a -mediwm-width letter (like H) & foowrse is rendered mn two strokes, GE Avather'medinm’ liter, Straighten ont * strche 1 befor metts the doun- strvhe. We V is simply an inverted. A but, frowrse, 2 without the oress- stroke. AVA Two V3 together produce W but they ave Hightly compressed to make W less wide. 1SWe ee ee fut above the centre line NY. The V part of Y rests on the centre line ~ YeXar tightly less than medium width. Zz Z showld observe the same oo tit as S. Tt is a two-stroke letter. Both alphabets together When the alphabets are brought tog makethe capitals 3/4 oF the eee lee Ab CAF AaBbCcDdEeFFGg HhIUjKkLIMmNn OoPpQgRrSsTt UuVv Ww xXx Yy andZzA basic Italic alphabet ébuue on the oval — the round hand, how- ever ,was based on the circle, One naturally springs fom the other for if ome speeds up the hand (as was done a thousand years ee precewrsor of cur round hand — the Carelingian hand ) the Italic characteristics (compression, stope Yeconomy of stroke) begin to emerge. she Clemens: WU DAO X enamrhk UW UW :bp Q:adgg OCC a eat |. 5 XZ Iie x OGL SThe alphabet L The Deahic alphar bet 1s largely the result of writing freely &/inform- ally, 50 that a natural slope 40 the right is develop- ed Erletters assume an oval rather than a ciroular form This abso comes from the way the writin ig toot (between the thumb and L fore-finger E supported. by the auiddle finger) and moved property ( by the whole hand wm a ing up and down movement from the wrist) the fltowi en patterns naturally emerge: f YN UUM UN Practise these before attempting the alphabet and. lke foes Oe ter ! (Al C isrendered in two strokes. The turn at Uh2 the base 13 quitt sharp. Make sure that fame Yen produce this wedge- shape between the here. up- stroke and the down try to-make , the letter slope to the same degree as this | AV Dias sirapig chet tartare Bartel wich the addition of the ascender, but the m2 turn at the top * 4s rounder. Observe the wedge shape | 18C 4s based on the oval 0 but note that the top is straightened out. Always try to incline the letter by balancing ut as indicated. Keep the back fairly straight. “i! dis simply A with am ascender which Pe eee less, as > here. His. a three-strohe letter. 4 € isa two-strche letter beginni like : ee ene 2 lovp jon the downstroke about half- wny. It shovtd be inclined yractly as C. 9 * F isa choce-strohe letter: Nite how OI 4 _fitsintw the topand hew we have gwen tht ovess-strokt a stightly inclined angle. A descender may be added - so.make asics f- 7 ieee OF A. Render the descender 50 that b fits snugly into it. pas Nwith an ascender. Cet the " ap-stovke swing up and away, | from the base — but donot waggerate the wedge! i 19| Eee coined would be almost N inverted. J Haan td eee. Gand i —~b fits into it. 1 I is ccracdasiebameetee asian poreha a Fh AH eam eeg in the ¥ loop with meet the diagonals where they cross and then descend the diagonal. lisa simple ascender stroke, #3 m) YN and Ylawe hey letters since they imeorporake the baste clockwise pattern. Po than tra nanal a eajether. Do net j make the turns too sharp at the top* a Oisanether very basic letter — in fact this tswhat gives the Italic alphabet its charac- ¥ ter ~its oval form | It should be melined at the same angle as the vest of the alphabet. 2 2 Pond g are almost wurrer , per ihe fH a apg ia round the top f P rather more (2). 20ee Vis a single-stroke letter with am arm at ee the top of the upstroke. Do not swing the up- ey stroke as much as that of, say, VI — Vnet C here 323 Sis inclined ak the same angle asthe other letters. Tt is made up ff two circles,one on top O of theother, the lower being stightly Larger. of - bisa 4A sized ascender letter with a oness- stroke level with the top of A. Note its length” Y isa singlestrche letter like Ninverted. 1 Vand Womay be pointed at the base or Wy stightly rrunded. Note how Vand W UV finish with a swingin to the up-strohes, and how the second down-stroke of W is WwW almost backhand in direction. NF and Z an imdlined similar tothe INL ret the alphabet and have the same eis Vi. may be rendered with a UoraV Jee ae aU body it is-nearer to m2 ya 21ractising your lettering The height of letters and the pen : 0 Pe b te g A A, ral g For most purposes the proportion of pen-width to x‘ height (the body height of the smatt- letter lpha- bet) should be 1:5, but where a heavier or lighter weight* is requsred this proportion wit be altered. In the example above O45 fire pen-widths high, b (and Mother ascender letters) vs nine, G is ten and the capitals sever. Spacing the letters should be quite sumple af ore attows the tye to fudge the arew between letters 50 that it appears equor . , Spacing te tte rs Lew a between oe MEET dimer. * qd In 1 the letters are strung out at an equal distance from each other. In 2 an attempt has been made to equate the AREA between letters. Spacing words (with a letter *) and. lines are also important. 22