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Introductions / Re: Hello from UAE!
« on: October 24, 2022, 07:46:54 PM »
Welcome from another newbie to the forum. What a great place, eh?
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Introductions / Re: Greetings from down-under
« on: October 24, 2022, 07:44:30 PM »
Thanks all, glad to be here 
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Introductions / Greetings from down-under
« on: October 21, 2022, 08:12:25 PM »
Hi everyone,
Greetings from Australia! I'm very glad to be here. I discovered this forum through Erica's interview on 'The Calligraphy Podcast' and The Flourish Forum sounded like a wonderful community of calligraphy lovers.
I started calligraphy in 2019 with foundational hand and stayed with broad edged script, flirting with uncial and settling down with italic and fraktur. This year, I started to learn copperplate as well. Clearly not enough hours in the day!
Looking forward to exchanging ideas and learning from everyone here.
Toks
Greetings from Australia! I'm very glad to be here. I discovered this forum through Erica's interview on 'The Calligraphy Podcast' and The Flourish Forum sounded like a wonderful community of calligraphy lovers.
I started calligraphy in 2019 with foundational hand and stayed with broad edged script, flirting with uncial and settling down with italic and fraktur. This year, I started to learn copperplate as well. Clearly not enough hours in the day!
Looking forward to exchanging ideas and learning from everyone here.
Toks
4
The Library / Re: Foundations of Calligraphy by Sheila Waters
« on: October 21, 2022, 08:02:41 PM »
I would absolutely second just how useful this book really is.
Some of what makes this such an important book lies in that the fact that it speaks to things which are relevant whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced. And you'll know when you get there because something you'd glossed over suddenly hits you as massively important.
Case in point: A note in the 'Italic' section talking about appropriate pen angles. Many sources will propose a 45 degree angle. The book explains why the 45 degrees should be measured from the slant, not the baseline. And WHY this matters. After practicing italic for a little while, I was struggling to understand why my letters were slightly off. As a complete beginner, I wouldn't have recognised that there was a problem, nor why the solution was necessary.
I also second the endorsement of the 'Analysis & Practice', 'Design & Layout', 'Applying Design Principles' chapters. Once you get comfortable with basic letter forms, begin looking at how continue developing and how to create a piece of calligraphic work, there is so much of value here. As a beginner, I had glossed over these sections. As I progressed, the nuggets of wisdom helped me not re-invent the wheel or ingrain bad habits which would have been hard to unlearn. They are the kinds of things which would be picked up by a good teacher in person. There is also focus on some things which aren't 'exciting' to do but will help in all aspects of your calligraphy, like spacing: Optical vs Actual beginnings of letters. Once you see the work of someone who's mastered spacing fundamentals and compare it the work of someone who hasn't, you can't unsee it.
Anyway, I'm rabbiting on. My point is this: Foundations of Calligraphy is a gold-standard reference book and well worth the postage. I had to pay through the nostrils to have it sent to Australia, but I come back to it time and time again.
Some of what makes this such an important book lies in that the fact that it speaks to things which are relevant whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced. And you'll know when you get there because something you'd glossed over suddenly hits you as massively important.
Case in point: A note in the 'Italic' section talking about appropriate pen angles. Many sources will propose a 45 degree angle. The book explains why the 45 degrees should be measured from the slant, not the baseline. And WHY this matters. After practicing italic for a little while, I was struggling to understand why my letters were slightly off. As a complete beginner, I wouldn't have recognised that there was a problem, nor why the solution was necessary.
I also second the endorsement of the 'Analysis & Practice', 'Design & Layout', 'Applying Design Principles' chapters. Once you get comfortable with basic letter forms, begin looking at how continue developing and how to create a piece of calligraphic work, there is so much of value here. As a beginner, I had glossed over these sections. As I progressed, the nuggets of wisdom helped me not re-invent the wheel or ingrain bad habits which would have been hard to unlearn. They are the kinds of things which would be picked up by a good teacher in person. There is also focus on some things which aren't 'exciting' to do but will help in all aspects of your calligraphy, like spacing: Optical vs Actual beginnings of letters. Once you see the work of someone who's mastered spacing fundamentals and compare it the work of someone who hasn't, you can't unsee it.
Anyway, I'm rabbiting on. My point is this: Foundations of Calligraphy is a gold-standard reference book and well worth the postage. I had to pay through the nostrils to have it sent to Australia, but I come back to it time and time again.
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