Flourish Forum
General Categories => Tools & Supplies => Topic started by: Rednaxela on August 16, 2016, 02:16:11 AM
-
Edit 2016-09-08 22:27 - 'About this Document' section finalised. Draft watermark removed. The latest version can be found HERE (https://1drv.ms/b/s!AoXZte5vPZXtgWgb3d4GtOzA8bpz).
Edit 2016-08-22 22:37 - 'About this Document' section added.
Edit 2016-08-22 06:04 - Added Plate 2 and moved the document's download location.
Edit 2016-08-21 18:44 - Completed all shapes, including Principles and Figures.
Edit 2016-08-19 08:15 - Added first row of capitals, O - Z.
Edit 2016-08-18 22:28 - Completed lower case letters, added title page.
Edit 2016-08-17 22:03 - Added letters a - b.
Edit 2016-08-16 22:03 - Added letters w - o.
---
Last weekend I have taken this exquisite scan (http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=4705.msg61755#msg61755) made by @SeanM of Plate 2 of the New Spencerian Compendium, and isolated all letter shapes from the second half of the plate. My goal is to turn these into a set of worksheets that would make it easier for people (including myself) to practise the plate's contents.
Please find attached the first two worksheets, for the miniscules 'i' and 'u'. Every sheet consists of four sections:
1) A full grid exercise
2) An exercise on a simpler grid with only a base line, x-height line, ascender/descender heights, and one slant line per letter
3) Exercise 2 repeated without slant lines or x-height line
4) A final base line exercise, where ascenders and descenders overlap by one x-height
Please note that this is still very much work in progress. Using LaTeX and TikZ, I've automated the creation of the sheets to such an extent that adding the next one is reduced to creating a high-precision digital 'stamp' of the next letter and using this in a new work sheet generation instruction to be added to the overall script. So far I've only made two stamps so this is why I can't share more sheets at the moment. Updated sets will certainly follow!
I would be very interested in what you think of the result so far. Would a set like this serve a need? Anything in the sheets you would have done differently? Any other thoughts?
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!
-
Would you be willing to share your LaTeX source (i.e. on GitHub?).
-
Eventually I might indeed, if it is of interest to someone. However at this stage I feel the code is not entirely ready for distribution, and completing the worksheets has my main focus at the moment.
Is there anything specific in the LaTeX source you would be interested in?
-
Wow! You are very generous to spend so much time creating such a valuable resource and giving it away.
Thank you very much for sharing your IT expertise I am learning spence and this will certainly come in useful, especially as you add more worksheets.
-
Thank you @NikkiB!
I just added 6 letters. Please let me know what you think of the sheets in practice. Would be really interested in your thoughts!
-
Absolutely fantastic. I am just starting to practice Spencerian and this would be absolutely brilliant. I hope you decide to release further worksheets and I truly look forward to them. Thank you.
-
That looks pretty cool!
-
Thank you @albscribe and @tintenfuchs!
I've added 13 more letters. Five to go to complete the minuscules.
-
Thank you for sharing, Alexander! I'm learning Spencerian atm so this is a great resource :)
-
Thanks for sharing Alexander. Really appreciate :D
-
Alexander, thank you very much! I have lots of examples of Spencerian Majiscules, but really need the Miniscules. I appreciate your hard work on making such great samples!
Janis
-
Thank you @ash0kgiri and @JanisTX*, I've just uploaded a new version with all lowercase letters.
*Edit: and @Patricia C of course!
-
Many thanks, Alexander!!
-
Just added the first row of capitals, O - Z.
-
For anyone interested, I've completed all shapes, including principles (+ a descending Principle 4), figures, and a long 's'. The document now offers 71 worksheets in total. Before taking it out of draft mode, I'd still like to add Plate 2 itself, as well as a short preface with an introduction to the document and proper credits.
So anyway, to be continued! :)
-
Alexander, thank you very much indeed mate. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. The worksheets have been a very useful practice tool for me. :)
-
Plate 2 added. Unfortunately this makes the document too large to attach to the OP. It can now be downloaded here (https://1drv.ms/b/s!AoXZte5vPZXtgWgb3d4GtOzA8bpz).
Edit: fixed link.
-
Great to hear @albscribe! If there's anything you encounter and would like to see differently, please let me know.
-
Just finalised the About section and took the document out of draft mode. The download location (https://1drv.ms/b/s!AoXZte5vPZXtgWgb3d4GtOzA8bpz) has remained the same.
-
That is a lot of work Alexander - and very nicely done too.
- Salman
-
Just finalised the About section and took the document out of draft mode. The download location (https://1drv.ms/b/s!AoXZte5vPZXtgWgb3d4GtOzA8bpz) has remained the same.
Hi @Rednaxela,
I remember downloading this before. What's the change in the latest one?
- Ashok
-
That is a lot of work Alexander - and very nicely done too.
- Salman
Thank you Salman really appreciated!
-
Just finalised the About section and took the document out of draft mode. The download location (https://1drv.ms/b/s!AoXZte5vPZXtgWgb3d4GtOzA8bpz) has remained the same.
Hi @Rednaxela,
I remember downloading this before. What's the change in the latest one?
- Ashok
The most important change for users is probably that the DRAFT watermark across the pages is no longer there.
-
Oh. That I had removed it manually from your last version.
It was sort of bothering, found that the pdf was not locked and editable.
Was easy that way. :D
-
Locking the PDF seemed such a silly thing to do for what it is I'm sharing.
On the other hand I think I've always been open about my reasons for including the watermark, so may I ask you to respect them should you ever wish to share a pre-September 8 version with others?
-
Hi @Rednaxela,
Sincere apologies. May be I missed out some important conversation in between. With all due respect I'm not a kind who would take credit for someone else effort or work. And I don't feel it right to share anything that is not mine.
Hope there is no misunderstanding :D
-
Hi Ashok, no need to apologise!
Please do whatever you want with the sheets. I only hope that the premature versions that I shared here to gather feedback will stay recognisable as such, that's all.
Sorry for putting this so bluntly in the other post.
-
This is amazingly beautiful. Thank you so much for all of your work and sharing this with us!!!!
-
Hi @Estrella, I hope you'll find them useful. Please let me know if you run into things that could be improved.
-
OMG thanks so much for sharing this, absolute godsend!!!!
-
Thank you so so much!! These sheets are amazing! I've printed them all and I'll be using them to practice. I got a new Spencerian book too, so it is perfectly on time too!!!
-
How generous of you! Thank you so much, Rednaxela, for these sheets, they are great! I can't wait to start practicing and improving my form.
-
Thanks, glad you like them @silvereye, @Inked botanicals and @gaby_santiago!
-
Very well done! I'd like to hear some more insight on the programming aspect of it, if you'd like to share :)
-
@tintenfuchs, sure no problem.
As you may know, LaTeX (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX) is a typesetting system, and the one I used to create the document. The TikZ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PGF/TikZ) package was used to draw the grids and guide lines and to place the pictures on top of them.
The worksheets contain many repeating elements, which I encapsulated with (parameterised) macros (https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Macros). The sheets are also repeating elements themselves, the only variables being the letter to be drawn and the number of letters per line. So all in all there is quite a bit of coding going on in the .tex file with macros and macros calling macros, but in the end the command to create a worksheet was reduced to something like
\practicesheet{"01-i".png}{3}
where the first argument is the image file of the letter shape, and the second one the width of the shape in terms of grid cells, plus one cell worth of white space.
With this approach, the main trick was to make sure that all images conformed to a certain standard. The code should be allowed to assume that, when the image would be reduced to a height of 2.5cm, and its top left corner aligned with the top left corner of the grid, the letter would be exactly aligned with the grid, and positioned against the first (near-)full slant line. Because you can tell TikZ to scale an image to a certain height in cm, the actual height of the image in terms of pixels is irrelevant for the concept to work. This enabled me to derive the image sizes from the original resolution of the scan, postponing the downsizing step to as late a stage as possible. Also, the approach moves the aligning task entirely to the image editor, Paint.NET (http://www.getpaint.net/index.html) in this case. There I replicated the grid in a background layer, and created the letter shapes on top of it, each inside their own layer. Finally I exported the letters to .png files with the grid layer switched off.
Hopefully this is the kind of info you were interested in. If there's anything specific you'd like to know please don't hesitate. I'd be most happy to explain!
-
Didn't understand a word @Rednaxela, but this is so amazing and I can see the trouble you had gone through to compile those work sheets. You surely deserve a round of applaud. :D
Thanks again,
Regards,
-Ashok
-
:D
Thanks @ash0kgiri!
-
Wow! This is amazing! I just downloaded it to get back to my Spencerian practice! Thanks so much!!!
-
Great @papertrails, glad you like it!
-
Hi @papertrails ,
Your work is outstanding. Loved it :D.
-
Hi @papertrails ,
Your work is outstanding. Loved it :D.
Thanks so much Ashok- what a nice thing to read as I start my morning. :)
-
what a nice thing to read as I start my morning. :)
You are most welcome @papertrails. So you are from Mumbai settled in Canada? :D
Keep writing,
- Ashok
-
Thank you Sir for your hard work, while I'm not familiar with that programming, I'm pretty sure it's not an easy task. I hope someday we can show a nice writing that this kind of effort deserves. Thanks and congrats!
-
Thank you @Alex2131, much appreciated. Hope you find them useful!
-
I'd like to add my Thank you, Alexander! I started using them today.
A wonderful set that I know I will return to many times! It'll be so great to print and copy the exact sheets that I need!
-
Great to hear Stephen, thanks! Please let me know if you run into things that could be improved.
-
Very generous indeed! Thank you very much!!! :D
-
THANK YOU so much!!! Very interesting
-
Most welcome @notesfrommar and @Karlco. Glad you like them!
-
Just downloaded these. Am going to start practise of spencerian soon and these are Magic.
Thank you for your efforts and awesome work Alexander.
-
Cool @prasad, looking forward to following your progress!
-
This is AbSoLuteLy AMAZING!! Thank you for all your time & effort in doing this!! WOW!!
-
Hi All,
I was wondering if this was still available anywhere? I tried the links, but they seem to be disabled... anyone has the original latex files or the pdfs? I'd be very interested in getting them.
Thanks!
Rodrigo
-
Hi Rodrigo,
If you go to the 1st post in the thread and click on where it says, "The latest version can be found: HERE." It will take you to the PDF. I just tried it and the link works. ;-)
-
Thanks Erica! The link did work.
I was being blocked access to the page on my work computer. Never thought of trying the link on my phone. :-[
-
Floored by the generosity of Mr. Van Der Bosch. Eternally grateful as well.
I overstand I am to do one script at a time. Though I am a copperplate newbie I can not stand the thought of waiting a year or more to begin practicing. Ay yi yi.
-
Thanks for bringing this topic back up @lyric ! I have been practicing my Spencerian and this will be great. (And yes, one script at a time, otherwise it creates confusion.) ;D
-
Thanks for bringing this topic back up @lyric ! I have been practicing my Spencerian and this will be great. (And yes, one script at a time, otherwise it creates confusion.) ;D
Awww maa@aan. Poitong over here. How long then is the recommendation to do the one before the other?
-
It's not set in stone. However, I find if I practice one for a few weeks, then put it aside, I can try another for a bit and not get mixed up. Once you have a solid foundation in the style, it doesn't matter as much. ;)
-
It's not set in stone. However, I find if I practice one for a few weeks, then put it aside, I can try another for a bit and not get mixed up. Once you have a solid foundation in the style, it doesn't matter as much. ;)
Hmmm, okay. If I am understandong correctly Spencerian is a base for Copperplate. I have read it described as unshaded Copperplate. 😜 IF that is true my hopes were along the lines of a not so long wait.
The Copperolate onkine course I am beginning in Monday is nine weeks. Not too bad of a wait.
-
IMHO Spencerian is not a base for copperplate. Spencerian was designed by Platt Rogers Spencer as a running hand and is a lovely hand for everyday penmanship.
He based it on organic shapes and it is very rhythmic.
Yes, it has fewer shades than copperplate, but the shapes are quite different.
Rather than ovals, the basic shape is more of a teardrop.
Exemplars that simply drop the shades from copperplate are not true to Spencerian.
The IAMPETH website is a good place to find the original Spencerian exemplars.
This is just one link - there are more.
https://www.iampeth.com/pdf/new-spencerian-compendium
-
It is not really an unshaded Copperplate. Spencerian is more like a shaded Palmer method penmanship or business hand. It has a very different look than Copperplate. But you still use pressure and release with a pointed pen, similar to Copperplate. ;D
Enjoy that class and focus on Copperplate for now. ;D
-
IMHO Spencerian is not a base for copperplate.
https://www.iampeth.com/pdf/new-spencerian-compendium
That might be a good thing for me. Not sure why PAScribe says it is. He probably stated why. Nonetheless I want to learn a fast hand that's legible. Beginning calligraphy on Monday and I did not want to wait years to begin. At 60 I only have so many left. 😜
-
This is absolutely amazing, thank you!!!
-
Edit 2016-09-08 22:27 - 'About this Document' section finalised. Draft watermark removed. The latest version can be found HERE (https://1drv.ms/b/s!AoXZte5vPZXtgWgb3d4GtOzA8bpz).
Edit 2016-08-22 22:37 - 'About this Document' section added.
Edit 2016-08-22 06:04 - Added Plate 2 and moved the document's download location.
Edit 2016-08-21 18:44 - Completed all shapes, including Principles and Figures.
Edit 2016-08-19 08:15 - Added first row of capitals, O - Z.
Edit 2016-08-18 22:28 - Completed lower case letters, added title page.
Edit 2016-08-17 22:03 - Added letters a - b.
Edit 2016-08-16 22:03 - Added letters w - o.
---
Last weekend I have taken this exquisite scan (http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=4705.msg61755#msg61755) made by @SeanM of Plate 2 of the New Spencerian Compendium, and isolated all letter shapes from the second half of the plate. My goal is to turn these into a set of worksheets that would make it easier for people (including myself) to practise the plate's contents.
Please find attached the first two worksheets, for the miniscules 'i' and 'u'. Every sheet consists of four sections:
1) A full grid exercise
2) An exercise on a simpler grid with only a base line, x-height line, ascender/descender heights, and one slant line per letter
3) Exercise 2 repeated without slant lines or x-height line
4) A final base line exercise, where ascenders and descenders overlap by one x-height
Please note that this is still very much work in progress. Using LaTeX and TikZ, I've automated the creation of the sheets to such an extent that adding the next one is reduced to creating a high-precision digital 'stamp' of the next letter and using this in a new work sheet generation instruction to be added to the overall script. So far I've only made two stamps so this is why I can't share more sheets at the moment. Updated sets will certainly follow!
I would be very interested in what you think of the result so far. Would a set like this serve a need? Anything in the sheets you would have done differently? Any other thoughts?
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!
This is exactly what I was looking for an exemplar which shows how the letters are constructed and practice. Thank you very much for your effort.
-
Thank you so much for all your work! <3 This is also exactly what I was looking for! :)
I considered making something like this myself but without programming experience it would take forever. And here I find it better than I could have ever done myself. So generous and clever.
If I can ask a question: Is it possible to add empty worksheets with just the lines? Your lines look so calm compared to other guidelines. And I would love be able to practice words on the same lines when I’m ready.
Thanks again!
-
Thanks a lot for your hard work creating this worksheet. As a beginner who have never attempted this script, I see your introduction and the design of the sheets very easy to understand and to follow. I may not use it right now, but I'm sure this will be my first to-go option when starting Spencerian in the future.