Letters & Numbers - Let's See Your Cursive / Print Examples

[AndroiDad75]

I have been wanting to find a website that would have a comprehensive listing of different scripts for letters & numbers. The best I seem to be able to find is FONT sites for computers.

I am hoping that the great members of the NIB would indulge me with a pic of your letters - both cursive and print. I would like to find something that I want to work on and thought that the collective penmanship knowledge here could help out. If you have a website that you used to mimic your letters, please feel free to post that as well.

I figure this picture view of different types would also be helpful to all the newbies, like me, to the NIB area - particularly when they are wanting to improve their penmanship.

So B&B, let's see some examples of your letters

 

[AndroiDad75]

I will start this off, showing my meager cursive letters - knowing that this is what I am hoping to improve /get ideas from folks in this thread.

My print isn't too different, but I'll post that in a while.

 

[Cynomys]

I have been wanting to find a website that would have a comprehensive listing of different scripts for letters & numbers. The best I seem to be able to find is FONT sites for computers

There are several websites related to penmanship in various styles and a number of books as well. Let me start by mentioning one very interesting and readable book by Kitty Burns Florey, "Script and Scribble: the Rise and Fall of Handwriting". I will be re-reading this book in the next few weeks and will post a full review once I am done.

As for handwriting styles, in the 20th century when penmanship was taught in schools, the Palmer method was the hands down favorite. It replaced the earlier Spencerian and (even earlier) Copperplate. Descriptions of these styles (with examples) can be found on the IAMPETH web site along with manuals for their learning. Just go to the "Lessons" subsection for innumerable such manuals and pages of exercises and examples.

John Neal Books has numerous books related to penmanship instruction and examples as well Once you decide which style (Copperplate, Spencerian, Palmer, etc) you want from looking at the examples, the next step is to get an instructional book. For Spencerian (which I am learning), the two main choices are the set of exercise booklets reprinted by Mott Media, originally published ca 1870 by Platt Rogers Spencer; and Michael Sull's modern instructor in the same script.

 

[AndroiDad75]

Thanks Cynomys for the information. I have been using the Palmer method document from the IAMPETH website.

I just know that many here have adapted other letters, etc... I was just curious to see what people have, and where they picked it up. I was hoping it may help others as well.

 

[nemo]

 

[Vercin]

 

[gdgeorge]

What a neat thread. Thsnks for the info.

 

[AndroiDad75]

nemo & Vercin,

Thanks for throwing up a pic!!!

Keep 'em coming guys...

 

[Cynomys]

What is the best way to post such pictures? Do you scan the page and then post, or do you take a picture with a camera and upload the image? Which image comes out best (clearest)? What about file size?

 

[AndroiDad75]

Cynomys,

I think everyone who has posted so far has taken a picture of it and uploaded it. You could also scan it. That would work too.

 

[Vercin]

if you have good light in the room, you can do it with anything. I personally had troubles getting the right ink color when I was scanning my ink reviews. Now I take pictures with my mobile next to the window when the sun is at its peak for best results.

If you go with attach in the post it will re-size the picture if it is large .. if you like to post a large picture you will have to attach it via some other service like imgur or say dropbox etc.

 

[The Knize]

Seems shaky blown up large like that.

This is basically my best attempt at implementing Kate Gladwell's recommendations. No difference between printed and cursive letters. In actually writing, some letters are joined and others are not. Essentially an italic style. I can see that my sizing/height, slant, and letter spacing are all off to one degree or another.

Bless you if you can learn anything from my handwriting, other than to use it as a "bad example"! But these letter forms--if my execution were better--seem relatively easy to execute, distinct, and fast. For some reason my lower case "q" is pretty good. And here my lower case "f." My lower case "t" should be shorter.

Edson Badger and Blade LE 1, with Pendleton Brown modification of M nib to a rather crisp italic. I was thinking the ink was B&B Noodlers 5 O'Clock Shadow, but I am not sure. It may actually be a mix of that one with one that is a pure black.

 

[Vercin]

you can go edit .. then activate Go Advanced .. and in the lower part you will see .. Manage Attachments .. there you can edit the attached images

 

[AllenG]

 

[The Knize]

This actually raises a question I have been meaning to ask: Is it okay to use more than one form of a given letter? Does doing so hurt legibility/readability? I seem to go back and forth between more cursive and more italic s's, d's, f's. I think I have managed to convert to a consistent italic r. I am talking lower case.

 

[AllenG]

This actually raises a question I have been meaning to ask: Is it okay to use more than one form of a given letter? Does doing so hurt legibility/readability? I seem to go back and forth between more cursive and more italic s's, d's, f's. I think I have managed to convert to a consistent italic r. I am talking lower case.

 

[Nightshade18]

Beautiful hand Allen. Is there a given name for this or is it just your style?

 

[AllenG]

Thanks.
Spencerian Business hand but not really using the flex in my nib because it feathers too much on that paper.

 

[The Knize]

Allen, that is a nice hand. Nice shading, too.

I can't imagine that folks have trouble reading it.

I can see using different endings of letters. For one thing, if a letter appears at the end of a word, it is going to end differently than if it connects to another letter. I have mixed feellings about using entirely different letter forms. I seem to slip into doing that. So maybe I should not fight it.

 

[AndroiDad75]

Allen, nice letters.

AverageJoe that's pretty awesome!

Thanks everyone for adding your writing to this.