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Spencerian Script / Spencerian Shading
« on: April 19, 2016, 11:15:12 AM »
The subject of shading in Spencerian has been mentioned elsewhere. Here is some information on it from Spencer and his sons for those who have an interest.
The first plate is from an 1857 edition of Spencerian or Semiangular Penmanship, as Spencer taught it at that time (that is, in his lifetime, his later years). Many observations can be made, one of which is the shading of the small miniscules a, m, n, r, s and so on. Other plates in this edition show no shading on these letters, other plates just a few are shaded. All written by Spencer.
The next four pictures are from an 1866 edition of Spencerian Key to Practical Penmanship by H. C. Spencer (a son of P.R.). It seems the sons attempted to codify what shading in Spencerian was after P.R.'s death. All the small letters lost their shading except an occasional a.
The last plate shows how Spencerian was taught in 1903 (from Gaskell's Compendium of forms). The shades on the small letters had returned (or were never successfully banned from Spencerian).
All the versions had shading on the larger letters and capitals, some versions had no shading on the small letters or modest shading on some of them. All the versions are attractive to my eye, but I generally favor modest shading and subtle shading on the small letters. It's easy to overdo.
The first plate is from an 1857 edition of Spencerian or Semiangular Penmanship, as Spencer taught it at that time (that is, in his lifetime, his later years). Many observations can be made, one of which is the shading of the small miniscules a, m, n, r, s and so on. Other plates in this edition show no shading on these letters, other plates just a few are shaded. All written by Spencer.
The next four pictures are from an 1866 edition of Spencerian Key to Practical Penmanship by H. C. Spencer (a son of P.R.). It seems the sons attempted to codify what shading in Spencerian was after P.R.'s death. All the small letters lost their shading except an occasional a.
The last plate shows how Spencerian was taught in 1903 (from Gaskell's Compendium of forms). The shades on the small letters had returned (or were never successfully banned from Spencerian).
All the versions had shading on the larger letters and capitals, some versions had no shading on the small letters or modest shading on some of them. All the versions are attractive to my eye, but I generally favor modest shading and subtle shading on the small letters. It's easy to overdo.