Author Topic: Spencerian drills? Resources?  (Read 10546 times)

Offline katherine

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 56
  • Karma: 1
    • View Profile
Spencerian drills? Resources?
« on: December 04, 2015, 01:28:45 PM »
Hello!

I took a two day Spencerian workshop with Bill Kemp a few months ago and have recently started practicing regularly again. I'd stopped due to moving, then moving again... then buying a place and moving in. ANYWAY. I'm practicing regularly with the book Mr. Kemp prepared for the workshop... But I was wondering, what other good resources are out there? He goes straight into the letters, are there any drills folks find helpful?

Thanks!

Offline schin

  • Super Hero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1428
  • Karma: 118
  • Las Vegas
    • View Profile
    • Openinkstand
Re: Spencerian drills? Resources?
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2015, 01:40:26 PM »
I'm attaching the original Spencer brothers drill exercises! These should work fine with an oblique holder too.

OPENINKSTAND // website | blog |instagramyoutube

Offline katherine

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 56
  • Karma: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Spencerian drills? Resources?
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2015, 01:47:56 PM »
Wow, thank you! Spencerian seems to be taught with an oblique holder now... but is practicing with a straight holder common? (Aka, a pencil haha.) I also seem to get much finer hairlines with the same nib using a straight holder than an oblique, I'm guessing it's an angle issue, but try as I might, I can't reposition in a way that turns out the same. x_x

Offline schin

  • Super Hero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1428
  • Karma: 118
  • Las Vegas
    • View Profile
    • Openinkstand
Re: Spencerian drills? Resources?
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2015, 02:28:04 PM »
Well spencerian used to be taught with a quill and the oblique holder came much later. You can use whichever you like though, it's a personal choice. Heck you can even do drills with a pencil if you want. Maybe you can consider readjusting the flange on your oblique? It shouldn't have any affect on hairlines...
OPENINKSTAND // website | blog |instagramyoutube

Offline AndyT

  • Super Hero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 2093
  • Karma: 150
    • View Profile
Re: Spencerian drills? Resources?
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2015, 03:08:57 PM »
I quite often do these in the margin of the newspaper, next to the crossword.  Pencil is good, especially a mechanical one with the lead extended further than normal.  Apply too much pressure and it snaps.  :)

Schin is being too modest, as usual.  Here's her video:


Offline katherine

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 56
  • Karma: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Spencerian drills? Resources?
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2015, 03:30:58 PM »
Ahahaha. Even better, a video! Thank you both. :D

Offline Matthew_R

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 283
  • Karma: 14
    • View Profile
Re: Spencerian drills? Resources?
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2015, 09:27:08 PM »
I think many of the basic drills are fairly standard and can be found in different books.

Here's what I do: I almost always warm up with drills from Zaner's 'Lessons in Ornamental Penmanship' and/or Bloser's separate book of the same title, plus other drills I think are useful.  I do ovals (direct and indirect) on the main slant, then horizontal ovals (both directions again), then a push-pull drill on the main slant, then "infinity" drills (both directions), then a bunch of other drills.  I've recently begun following Bloser's advice (at least, I think it was his) to do them with my forearm off the table.  That's helped my control a lot.

I think the oval drills, the push-pull drill, and the "infinity" drills have helped me the most.  I'm still a beginner, though, so take all of this with a huge grain of salt.

Offline AmyNeub

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 721
  • Karma: 39
    • View Profile
    • 5th Floor Designs & Calligraphy
Re: Spencerian drills? Resources?
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2015, 09:52:44 PM »
4,5 & 11 are impossible for me. Thanks for the drills. I need a little different oval flavors once in awhile.