Hello Everyone, and our esteemed instructor,
I’m Debi from Las Vegas, Nevada. This is my first journey into pointed pen, though I have studied and practiced broad-edged pen hands for 4 decades. I’m probably the oldest member of the forum, and I have the wrinkles to prove it! My favorite hand was always Cancelleresca Corsiva, until I took the plunge and tried the pointed pen. I was instantly hooked. I can’t imagine why I’d been avoiding it for all these years. There is a wonderful, calming rhythm that is mesmerizing with the opening and closing of the tines, and I find practice amazingly relaxing. I also love studying the historical beginnings of all scripts, and the letterforms of master scribes. I have found Salman’s tutorial to be stunning in its depth and detail, sharing nuances that I have not found in other tutorials.
I find the approach to learning to be very compatible to how I best learn: practicing in groups of five letters, marking the best ones of the five, then making five more letters as much like the best in the first group of five—to be very helpful. I do not get fatigued this way, as it allows me to pause, relax my hand, and use my eyes and brain to look at each letter and find the strengths and weaknesses, then build upon those strengths.
I find I learn more from my mistakes than my successes. Mistakes are a roadmap for me, and force me to closely examine what it is that makes it NOT work. Salman’s tutorial approach is one of great positivity—it builds upon the strengths, and acknowledges that weaknesses are simply stepping stones that allow us to see better what DOES work.
I think I spend as much if not more time right now studying master penmen’s work than I do in practicing letterforms. I learn so much studying their styles, and trying to find those elements that make the script sing. The Universal Penman is like a book of script arias!
My pointed pen journey is just beginning, and this is my first 10 days of serious practice and study. I’m finding it challenging to “unlearn” habits formed from using a broad pen for so long. I look and laugh at my wobbles, bobbles, blobs and spatters, as I try to follow the great instructions in Group I letterforms. Nothing, absolutely nothing is consistent yet. Fortunately, I enjoy the journey!
I thank you all for sharing here, and for putting up your work! I have been very inspired by what students have done in such a short time, and how quickly they have improved by learning the core elements of letterforms, the spacing, the consistency in angles, the hairlines that get more and more steady, and those tall ascenders and descenders that can be so challenging. I think you all move much faster than I do, and I don’t expect to keep pace with you!
Finally, a rousing THANK YOU to Salman for so freely sharing his expertise and skill, to help serious students study their own efforts and learn to see all those nuances that eventually turn the craft into art. He’s not teaching us a particular style, but the skeleton forms that make the base of all good letters. This solid base he offers will allow each of us to eventually develop our own style, but one in which we have learned to see when something is not working and how to fix it. This is priceless information for us all. Thank you, Salman. What an honor and privilege to be here and have you help us on our journey!