Contents 1
About the author - Patricia Lovett
2
Introduction
3-4
History of Writing
5-6
Beginning Calligraphy
7
Pen patterns
8
Nib angle and x-height
9-10
Foundational or Round Hand - minuscules
11-12
Foundational or Round Hand - majuscules
Guidelines - Foundational or Round Hand Guidelines - Italic Guidelines - Black Letter Guidelines - Uncials
13-14 Italic - minuscules 15-16 Italic - majuscules 17-18 Black Letter - minuscules 19-20 Black Letter - majuscules 21-22 Uncials 23
Filling your pen
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About the author Calligraphy text and lettering by Patricia Lovett Patricia Lovett is a professional scribe whose work often involves raised gilding and painting on vellum, and she regularly exhibits in the UK and abroad. Patricia studied at Art College specialising in Calligraphy, Heraldry and Illumination. Since then she has taught lettering to adults and children for more years than she would care to remember. She is CLAS Chief Examiner for the Gilding and Traditional Skills and the Early Hands Certificate Courses.
Her books on lettering include Teach Yourself Calligraphy, Calligraphy for Starters, Tools and Materials for Calligraphy, Illumination and Miniature Painting, Creating Letterforms and Starting Lettering, the last two being co-written. She has also made a video, Calligraphy for Starters, for beginners and improvers. Patricia is Chairman of the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society and Calligraphy Officer for Alphabugs. She is a Fellow of CLAS and the RSA.
Because of her interest in education, children and young people Patricia founded and runs L E T T E R S, which is a society for all those interested – but particularly youngsters – in all forms of letters and lettering.
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1
Introduction PARKER Calligraphy Set It is more than a century since George Safford Parker launched his company with the philosophy ‘make something better and people will buy it.’ Since then PARKER has been producing writing instruments designed to enhance the pleasure of writing, and over the years PARKER fountain pens have been used by famous people from many walks of life.
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PARKER calligraphic nibs are carefully crafted to a chisel edge, which is similar to the broad edge quills used by traditional scribes. This instructional application shows you how to achieve letters written with a broad edge nib.
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History of Writing Although people had communicated with each other by making marks and lettershapes for thousands of years, it was only two thousand years ago, in the time of the Romans, when letterforms reached a peak of perfection and took on the shapes that we now recognise and still use today. Letters cut into stone for monumental inscriptions provide the inspiration for modern letter designers. These letters were majuscules – capital letters, or upper case – it was some time before minuscules – small letters or lower case – which we would recognise today, were used in manuscripts. Uncial was one of the styles of writing which was used in the first books, or codices, which began to replace papyrus scrolls around the fourth century A.D. The books were made from animal skin, usually calfskin, limed and scraped to give a beautifully sympathetic writing surface still preferred by many scribes today.
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Those early scribes wrote with hardened feathers, cut to a pen-shape. The broad-edge nib gave the letters their characteristic thicks and thins. Quills were used for hundreds of years, and replaced by the metal nib only in the nineteenth century. As the years went by, the style of writing changed subtly. The small strokes extending above and below the guidelines for uncial letters evolved into full ascenders and descenders for Carolingian. This was a style of writing developed during the time of the Emperor Charlemagne (742–814ad) by the scribe Alcuin of York, whilst he was working at the scriptorium of St Martin’s in Tours, France.
A
Letters used on Roman inscriptions inspire modern letter designers – here Palatino designed by Hermann Zapf.
G
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History of Writing Later, in the tenth century, Carolingian was adapted by English scribes for their books, and this was the style chosen by Edward Johnston working in the early part of the twentieth century as a good start, or foundation, for learning calligraphy. It is often called Foundational Hand, after Johnston. The round letters narrowed and became compressed, and Black Letter, or Gothic, was the result. This style is often very difficult to read. In the southern parts of Europe rounder letters, called Rotunda, were favoured.
Then the broad edge nib was replaced by a pointed nib, which mirrored the metal burin used for engraving copper plates. This gave the writing style its name – Copperplate – and it was used throughout the nineteenth century. In modern times we use a variety of pens which suit our busy lifestyles; however, many want to learn these historic letterforms. This pen set and instructional application gives an outline of four alphabets and how they are formed. Perfecting them takes a little time, but it is well worth the effort.
Black Letter, written in northern France, about 1475 a.d. From the author’s collection.
In southern Europe, the rounder form of Rotunda was preferred. From the author’s collection.
During the Renaissance in Europe the Italic style was used both in books and for correspondence. It could be written fairly plain or with many flourishes.
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Beginning Calligraphy Your PARKER Calligraphy Set gives you just about everything you need to start – three nibs of various widths, guidelines and Parker ink cartridges. You will also need layout paper, a sharpened pencil with a hard lead, a long ruler and an eraser for removing the guidelines. Start with the broad nib in the set; this will show your letters clearly. Gradually progress to the smaller size nibs when you are happy with the lettershapes. •
Write on a board set at an angle of about 45°. This is a comfortable position for writing, and you should not then get aches and pains in your back. The angle of the board also controls the flow of ink from your pen. You can use a piece of wood for your board, and rest it in your lap; you do not have to buy an expensive drawing board.
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•
Pad your sloping board with white blotting paper or a couple of sheets of cartridge paper so that the writing surface is sympathetic and not too hard.
•
Fold a long piece of paper in half and use this as a guard sheet. Right-handers should tape the paper horizontally so that it is secure at both ends as in diagram A. Position the paper so that it is 1 inch or 2·5 cm below the most comfortable level for writing. Left-handers should set their boards up as in diagram B, with the guard sheet again 1 inch or 2·5 cm below the most comfortable level for writing. Positioning the guard sheet at an angle for left-handers means that the wrist is not strained so much.
A
B
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Beginning Calligraphy The guard sheet protects your lettering from ink spills and also from any grease on your hand. If you do not use a guard sheet it often becomes difficult to write on the lower part of a sheet of paper. •
The paper you are writing on slides underneath the guard sheet and moves up and down and to the left and right so that your hand stays at the same comfortable position all the time.
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•
Right-handers should have a good light source from the left-hand side. Left-handers should have a good light source from the right-hand side.
•
Use a sharpened hard pencil and a long ruler to draw guidelines. It is worth taking the time to do this so that your eye becomes used to the relative heights of the letters.
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Pen Patterns Making individual strokes and patterns shown here is a good way to become familiar with your Calligraphy pen.
45°
Always hold your pen nib so that it matches the angle indicated for each alphabet style. The thicks and thins of the letters will then be in the correct places. The patterns below are for a nib held at 45°. You can repeat the patterns with the nib held at 30° and at 10° for the other alphabet styles. Repeat the patterns and join them together to make stylish calligraphic borders for your work.
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Nib angle and x-height •
Measure out the correct height for the guidelines of each alphabet style by turning your pen so that it is horizontal and making a series of little steps. These should just touch one another and not overlap.
•
The main body of the letters fits between the guidelines for x-height. Ascenders, parts of the letter which go up such as on b, d, and f, extend beyond the guidelines for x-height, so too do descenders on letters such as p, q and y.
•
Hold your pen at the correct angle for each of the alphabet styles. Match your nib up to the angle shown for that alphabet. The lettershapes change when your pen nib is at a different angle.
•
Holding your pen at an angle makes the thicks and thins on the letters in calligraphy. Do not use your pen to exaggerate the strokes. Sometimes this can make the letters look silly.
90° 0°
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45°
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Foundational or Round Hand – minuscules Foundational or Round hand minuscules are based on a round letter o. Remember to keep your letters wide and fat. Start the second stroke of letters such as b, h, k, m high up on the downstroke. The width of all letters relates to that wide round letter o. The x-height for this hand is 4 nib widths. Ascenders, the parts of the letters which go up as on letters b, d, k are 7 nib widths in all. Descenders, the parts of the letters which go down as on letters g, p, q are also 7 nib widths in all.
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30°
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Foundational or Round Hand – minuscules Use the correct line guides at the end of this application for this Foundational or Round Hand minuscule style. Turn your PARKER pen until the nib is at 30° to the horizontal and practise the letters shown below. Remember that all the letters are based on a round letter o and take their form from that. The arrows and direction strokes show you how to form the letters from individual strokes.
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*10°
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Foundational or Round Hand – majuscules Foundational or Round Hand majuscules are based on the letters cut into stone In Roman Times. The most well-known examples of these are at the base of Trajan’s Column in Rome. Letters C, D, G, O and Q are based on a round letter O. Symmetrical letters – A, H, N, T, U, V, X, Y, Z are three-quarters of a square wide, asymmetrical letters B, E, F, J, K, L, P, R, S are half a square wide. The anomalies are I – a straight line, W – two slightly narrow Vs – and M which is based on the letter V with two slightly splayed downstrokes. The letter height is 6·5 nib widths.
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30°
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Foundational or Round Hand – majuscules Use the correct Guidelines at the end of this application for this Round Hand majuscule style. Turn your PARKER pen until the nib is at 30° to the horizontal and practise the letters shown below. Remember that some letters are wide and others narrower. Look back at the previous page to check this. The arrows and direction strokes show you how to form the letters from individual strokes.
~80° *10°
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Italic – minuscules These minuscules are based on an oval letter o. The width of all letters relates to this oval letter o. Start the second stroke of letters such as b, h, k, m, from the baseline to give lively springing arches. This results in a triangular white space between the downstroke and the arch. Note a similar triangular space at the base of letters such as a, d, and u. Letters slope at an angle of 5° – 7°.
45°
The x-height for this hand is 5 nib widths. Ascenders, the parts of the letters which go up on letters such as b, d, k are 9 nib widths in all. Descenders, the parts of the letters which go down on letters such as g, p, q, are also 9 nib widths in all.
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Italic – minuscules Use the correct Guidelines at the end of this application for this Italic Hand minuscule style. Turn your PARKER pen until the nib is at 45° to the horizontal and practise the letters shown below. Remember that the letters are based on an oval letter o and that the arches spring from the base guideline. The arrows and direction strokes show you how to form the letters from individual strokes.
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*10°
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Italic – majuscules Italic majuscules are similar to Round Hand majuscules but based on an oval letter O. Letters C, D, G, O and Q are taken directly from an oval letter O. Symmetrical letters – A, H, N, T, U, V, X, Y, Z are three-quarters of that oval wide, asymmetrical letters B, E, F, J, K, L, P, R, S are half the oval wide. The anomalies are I – a straight line, W – two slightly narrow Vs and M which is based on the letter V with two slightly splayed downstrokes. The height of letters is 8 nib widths.
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45°
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Italic – majuscules Use the correct Guidelines at the end of this application for this Italic Hand majuscule style. Turn your PARKER pen until the nib is at 45° to the horizontal and practise the letters shown below. Remember that some letters are wide and others narrower. Look back at the last page to check this. The arrows and direction strokes show you how to form the letters from individual strokes. ~60° *10°
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Black Letter – minuscules Black Letter or Gothic is an attractive style of lettering, but usually very difficult to read as there are few curves to the letters. It was used in Medieval times in highly decorated and illuminated manuscripts. Spacing is very important in this style. The white space between each letter should look about the same as the white space within each letter. The x-height is 5 nib widths, ascenders and descenders are 7 nib widths in all.
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45°
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Black Letter – minuscules Use the correct Guidelines at the end of this application for this Black Letter minuscule style. Turn your PARKER pen until the nib is at 45° to the horizontal and practise the letters shown below. Remember that spacing is important with this style, so try to make the white spaces within the letters look even. Use the left-hand corner of your nib to make the fine hairlines as on the letter r. The arrows and direction strokes show you how to form the letters from individual strokes.
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Black Letter – majuscules Black Letter majuscules are very elaborate and highly decorated. There are lots of diamonds, fine lines and ticks on the sides of the letters. This contrasts with the very rigid style of minuscules and it results in there being no large white spaces within these wide majuscule letters. The letters shown here are only one version of Black Letter. You can make your own style of decoration, perhaps with 3 diamonds instead of 2, or with one fine line instead of two.
45°
The fine lines are made by turning the nib so that it is vertical and drawing a line with the very edge of the nib.
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Black Letter – majuscules Use the correct Guidelines at the end of this application for this Black Letter majuscule style. Turn your PARKER pen until the nib is at 45° to the horizontal and practise the letters shown below. Black Letter majuscules are the only majuscules to be slightly higher than the ascenders of the minuscules at 8 nib widths.
*10°
The arrows and direction strokes show you how to form the letters from individual strokes. This style is a little complicated and it may take a while before you feel confident.
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Uncials Uncials are wide, round letters which look very grand. They were used for important headings in some of the first manuscript books produced. Allow a lot of space between the lines so that the style does not appear squashed and cramped. The height of the letters is 4 nib widths. Although this is a majuscule style there are some letters with ascenders and descenders. These should not be too large or too exaggerated.
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10°
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Uncials Use the correct Guidelines at the end of this application for this Uncial style. Turn your PARKER pen until the nib is at 10° to the horizontal and practise the letters shown below. Remember to keep the letters wide and fat. The arrows and direction strokes show you how to form the letters from individual strokes.
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Filling your pen When changing one nib unit for another always flush it with cold water before storing. To encourage ink flow, periodically press the nib onto a damp tissue.
Bottle ink Encre en bouteille Tintenglas Tintero Inchiostro in flacone Inktflacon Tinta em frasco
IMPORTANT: Always use PARKER ink or cartridges with this product. Never use Indian ink as this will be detrimental to the function of the nibs.
Ink cartridge Cartouche d’encre Tintenpatrone Cartucho de tinta Cartuccia d’inchiostro Inktpatroon Cartucho de Tinta
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23
Guidelines - Foundational or Round Hand
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Guidelines - Italic
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Guidelines - Black Letter
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Guidelines - Unicals
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