Shakespeare in Cursive Italic Handwriting

[Ken Fraser]

This is Shakespeare Sonnet no.116 written in Cursive Italic with a Pelikan fountain pen fitted with a Richard Binder fine Italic nib and filled with Aurora black ink. The paper was Mondi smooth 100gsm, the writing is at a slope angle of 8 degrees and the x height is 2.5mm.

[Ken Fraser]

This is Shakespeare Sonnet no.104 written in Upright Cursive Italic with a Pelikan fountain pen fitted with a Richard Binder fine Italic nib and filled with Aurora black ink. The paper was Mondi smooth 100gsm and the x height is 2.5mm.

[Ken Fraser]

This is Shakespeare Sonnet no.97 handwritten in Cursive Italic with a Manuscript fountain pen fitted with a Medium Italic nib and filled with Aurora black ink. The paper was Mondi smooth 100gsm, the writing is at a slope angle of 13 degrees and the x height is 3mm.

[Ken Fraser]

This is Shakespeare Sonnet no.117 handwritten in Cursive Italic with a Manuscript fountain pen fitted with an Italic nib and filled with Aurora black ink. The paper was Mondi smooth 100gsm, the writing is at a slope angle of 17 degrees and the x height is 3.5mm.

[Ken Fraser]

This is from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Act 1 Scene 1. It was written with a no.2 1/2 Mitchell's square- edged dip nib with Higgins Black ink. The paper was Mondi smooth 100gsm, the writing is at a slope angle of 5 degrees and the x height is 7mm

[WJTury]

Fantastic!
To see the comparison between the different slants and heights is a fantastic lesson.
I believe that I am going to try something similar with my italics

Thank You for sharing Ken.

[Ken Fraser]

You're welcome, WJTury

[Joel]

Beautiful. 

[AnasaziWrites]

Very interesting and well done. A delight for the eyes.

[Erica McPhee]

Very nice!

[anam_t]

I love your italic hand, Ken!
I'm planning on learning italic in a few months. Could you suggest any guides and supplies for it?

[Ken Fraser]

I love your italic hand, Ken!
I'm planning on learning italic in a few months. Could you suggest any guides and supplies for it?

anam_t

The books I recommend are :- Italic Handwriting by Tom Gourdie
                                             Handwriting for today by Tom Gourdie
                                             Write Now by Getty & Dubay

I use :-  William Mitchell dip nibs (square edged)
             Manuscript fountain pens with square-edged nibs
             Rotring Artpens                  "     "           "      "       
             Lamy fountain pens            "     "           "      "

I use Higgins black ink for the dip nibs and Aurora black or Parker Quink black in the fountain pens.

For colour, I use Artist grade Designers' Gouache with dip nibs. In fountain pens, I have no particular choice.

I use Mondi Smooth Selection 100gsm paper for almost everything, but any smooth good quality laser or inkjet paper is fine.

Ken