It's looking good, Andrew! Keep it up! 
My Journey into Spencerian Cursive
- Thread starter ShavinElectricity
- Start date
nice work!
Reviving an old thread, as I am looking into learning Spencerian, and located a PDF for the book and 5 workbooks.
It's a shame this thread died - I hope the OP kept up the work.
It's a shame this thread died - I hope the OP kept up the work.
Hi @r0ckrat , are you planning on posting your progress?
I was planning on delving into cursive writing myself.
I was planning on delving into cursive writing myself.
I was taught the MacLean's Method of Writing in school, and one rule I recall being drummed into us was to "glide on your nails" to facilitate whole arm movement. I have long since gotten out of that habit, to the detriment of my handwriting.
When I attempt to do it now I think part of my problem is writing on notepads and bound journals, in pocket-sized notebooks, or on hand-held clipboards. The drop-off formed by edge of of the the stack of paper interferes with this nail-gliding technique, especially when I get near the bottom. In my early school years we mostly wrote on single sheets of paper laying directly on the desk, such as the foolscap paper used for exams, mimeographed sheets for exercises, or else in thin "scribbler" notebooks for class notes.
It's a theory that I just came up with now. I suppose I must try it with single sheets again.
When I attempt to do it now I think part of my problem is writing on notepads and bound journals, in pocket-sized notebooks, or on hand-held clipboards. The drop-off formed by edge of of the the stack of paper interferes with this nail-gliding technique, especially when I get near the bottom. In my early school years we mostly wrote on single sheets of paper laying directly on the desk, such as the foolscap paper used for exams, mimeographed sheets for exercises, or else in thin "scribbler" notebooks for class notes.
It's a theory that I just came up with now. I suppose I must try it with single sheets again.
Yes, but I have to read some, then download and print the practice sheets...
I'd really like to get to where I can make those nice even swoops and details, but I'm an old dog...
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Thought I’d resurrect an old thread on spencerian. Summer of 2021 … after I had more or less gotten my head around DE shaving I noticed a fountain pen that I had gotten my wife that was sitting around and not used… and figured I’d teach myself to use it.
I started with the Mott books ( twice ) and then redid the entire series with the Ulysses press version ( better paper and slightly better all caps examples ) and the recently completed the Michael Sull version.
I am left handed so figuring out shading was a bit weird and I am not using a dip pen ( really because I want this to be practical for day to day ).
I did over the Xmas holidays get a pilot FA 912 modded by nibs.com and I think this might be my first not totally embarrassing example I’ve done over the weekend.
I will say in practice I think the x heights of Spencerian examples are far smaller than these text books ( and the caps seem closer to 4-5 x high )
( daughters Dino book providing support )
You can see the angles sometimes drift but I think that will improve over time ( I basically just calibrate on my first long letter and hope for the best )
this is a copy of an old letter in one of the sull books
Avi
I started with the Mott books ( twice ) and then redid the entire series with the Ulysses press version ( better paper and slightly better all caps examples ) and the recently completed the Michael Sull version.
I am left handed so figuring out shading was a bit weird and I am not using a dip pen ( really because I want this to be practical for day to day ).
I did over the Xmas holidays get a pilot FA 912 modded by nibs.com and I think this might be my first not totally embarrassing example I’ve done over the weekend.
I will say in practice I think the x heights of Spencerian examples are far smaller than these text books ( and the caps seem closer to 4-5 x high )
( daughters Dino book providing support )
You can see the angles sometimes drift but I think that will improve over time ( I basically just calibrate on my first long letter and hope for the best )
this is a copy of an old letter in one of the sull books
Avi
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Very nice!
Btw I find these clairefontaine “French ruled” or seyes ruled children’s handwriting books really great for learning this stuff. It’s got 2mm spacing that is basically the same as these pedagogy books or “advanced” sull paper. Not really super creative but it’s reasonably straight forward just to google Spencerian examples and just use them as inspiration. Some random watermarks from non waterproof pilot ink here
Funny, I’m just getting started with Spencerian - but I wanted to take a look at my current best hand - and copied the opening paragraph from Bleak House. My writing is indeed bleak.
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