2
« on: July 19, 2017, 08:53:58 PM »
In developing Johnstons Foundational Hand, rules were set up for studying manuscript hands. For example there were well over 400 varieties of Uncial. This is a bookhand (one of 3) which spanned over 800 years. some type of order in understanding were developed . How do we learn as to what is a norm when we want to learn a historical hand and have some accuracy. Not only on the hand, but the scribe, the ink , the tool, etc.
Johnston provided 7 necessary requirements for deciphering a manuscript hand that can be applied to all broad edged hands. We and i am going back well over 40 years were provided photos of early uncial and we were able to draw out information , looked to see if these bits of detective work provided a foot print for other Uncial letter forms. That is how we developed principles relating to hands of historical stature. Once we were able to use the necessary principles to extract the vital information, it was applied well into the 14th century hands.
There was no such a thing as learning 10 different hands. The process was a development that would lead us more by century as to how theletters came into changes from a circular O to a more horizontal O based on black letter forms or even Caroline a full minuscule alphabet. I am enclosing an attachment that came from Johnstons book on understating the Foundational Hand showing the necessary steps that one needs to be made aware of when studying some of these historical scripts.
There is allot more to tell, but i do hope some of this information may be helpful in the underpinning , which is critical for good letterforms... Jerry
Show Posts