Spencerian feedback + size question

[Despoina]

Hello everyone,

Hope you are well! I recently started Spencerian and finally finished the lowercase letters yesterday!  For today's practice, I tried some words. What do you think of it so far? I am mostly worried about my spacing and my 'n' connection in the words

Also, a quick question. What's the "most used" x height in spencerian? That one is 6mm. Is it a good one? For envelopes and artwork or I should go smaller?

Thank you in advance!   :*

Ps. The sure thing is I love it so much so far! I think I found my script 😍

[Mark T]

Hi,

I can't offer any advice, sorry, but I can tell you that your 'new calling' is very pretty.

[Despoina]

Hi,

I can't offer any advice, sorry, but I can tell you that your 'new calling' is very pretty.

Thanks a lot Mark! 💖 I still have a very long way to go, I am still in the very beginning of it, but I am loving it so far very, very much 😍 definitely worth all the time

[Erica McPhee]

Wow! Impressive! What I can tell from your example is that you really “see” the letterforms. This is a very big piece of learning a new hand so bravo! This is a good x- height to learn with and as you get more experienced, you will size down considerably. Next try 4 mm.

Michael G Ward had us practice at 3 mm once comfortable and Michael Sull’s advanced practice guides are 2 mm.

[BrightStar]

Nicely done! You're a natural talent. And what a great feeling it is when first starting your calligraphy journey and finding your script. Your love of the letters will see you through many highs and lows. Keep at it and please keep sharing your progress.

[tiffany.c.a]

Very nice! Glad you found something you like so much.

[Despoina]

@Erica McPhee @BrightStar @tiffany.c.a thank you all so so much for your kind words! Since my last post, I finished the uppercase and slowly started some more "fancy" practice😍 I'm kind of lost now with all the flourishing resources and Michael Sull and Harvest are not meant to teach anything "advanced" for this year (for now at least). So, I have to figure out a lot along the way, while continuing to stick into the basics to "make them mine", if that makes sense.

[Erica McPhee]

Beautiful! Your progress is fabulous! I would recommend going through some of the archives at Rare Books at IAMPETH . You will find a huge range of Spencerian styles and things to practice!

[BrightStar]

Terrific! That last one with the bird is so good. Love that orange ink, or is it gouache?

[Erica McPhee]

This class with Harvest is recorded and you can watch until June. Spencerian Structures

[Despoina]

@Erica McPhee thank you so much 🥺❤️ I will check the books out! Would you recommend me to pick one and practice it all and after pick another?
As for the class, I saw it, but I don't know if a Beginner's class will do the trick for me now😔 thinking that I have the basics, and with practice I will build the muscle memory needed. I was waiting for an advanced class, but it seems like it won't happen this year, unfortunately. What do you think on that?

@BrightStar thank you so much❤️❤️ It's an ink, the Vermillion ink by kuretake. It's sooo smooth to write with🥺

[Erica McPhee]

I would choose one that resonates with you and then break it down trying to determine what it is about it that appeals to you. Then practice it and see what you would like to incorporate into your own style.

In terms of classes, for decades I have taken any and all classes in whatever style with a variety of teachers as I learn so many tidbits from each one. But classes are expensive and can add up so it’s best to select what seems like it will give you the most benefit. It’s a shame, I can’t find any advanced Spencerian classes for this year either. There is also the possibility of reaching out to one of your mentor’s and seeing if they offer private lessons.

I would also recommending watching Mike Ward (MGWard)’s videos on YouTube. He has practice sessions and they are so informative!
You will find a bunch of fabulous lessons on his website: MrMGWard.

Ornamental Penmanship seems the next step if you want to branch off into flourished Spencerian. 

[Despoina]

I would choose one that resonates with you and then break it down trying to determine what it is about it that appeals to you. Then practice it and see what you would like to incorporate into your own style.

In terms of classes, for decades I have taken any and all classes in whatever style with a variety of teachers as I learn so many tidbits from each one. But classes are expensive and can add up so it’s best to select what seems like it will give you the most benefit. It’s a shame, I can’t find any advanced Spencerian classes for this year either. There is also the possibility of reaching out to one of your mentor’s and seeing if they offer private lessons.

I would also recommending watching Mike Ward (MGWard)’s videos on YouTube. He has practice sessions and they are so informative!
You will find a bunch of fabulous lessons on his website: MrMGWard.

Ornamental Penmanship seems the next step if you want to branch off into flourished Spencerian. 

I checked his YouTube, so many fabulous lessons! 😍 Wow

Ornamental penmanship is like the fancy version of spencerian, am I correct?

[Erica McPhee]

Yes, you are correct. It varies the size, shade, and adds delicious flourishing!