Messages

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Inconsitent Ink Flow

« on: June 13, 2022, 10:05:59 AM »

I have had this problem for a long time, it happens no matter what pen or ink I have, but it doesn't always happen. Basically, too much ink comes out, and then none. I have a picture of an example:


Any advice?

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Female scribes through history

« on: June 13, 2022, 09:55:19 AM »

I didn't see Jeanne de Montbaston in the list yet.  She was an illustrator/illuminator who worked with her husband, Richard, at their bookmaking atelier in Paris, around 1320 to 1355.  She outlived him, and kept the business going for a number of years, so I think she must have also done scribal work.  Her illustrations & illuminations appear in some of the world's most beautiful books.  (examples at the Getty: http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/28932/jeanne-de-montbaston-french-active-about-1320-1355/)

She's also famous for the notorious 14th-century edition of the Romance of the Rose with illustrations of nuns harvesting penises off a penis tree (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS. Fr. 25526). You can view the entire manuscript online: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6000369q.r=MS.%20Fr.%2025526?rk=21459;2

--yours, K

Interestingly enough, I read about that book after I stumbled upon an article about Christine de Pizan, a French court poetess born in Venice. She was a harsh critic of the Romance of the Rose, partly on the grounds that it was misogynist (I am not sure if she used this term). The information on her isn’t very clear, because some of it that I read is contradictory and some of it seems to be speculation. She was the widow of a royal secretary (I am noticing a pattern), and was able to write in chancellery script, and may have been a copyist. Some sources speculate that she was also an illuminator, but I doubt that. She mentions a female border artist (manuscript production was very specialized back then), named Anastasia, and praises her as the best. Some sources conclude from that to say that she preferred to work with women. However, it may be that she preferred to work with the best, and gave Anastasia as an example of a talented woman (the book was about women). One of the conflicting things in the online sources is how typical women artisans were, however, they seem to be less rare than women poets.

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Broad Edge Pen Calligraphy / Re: Unpacking Oldřich Menhart

« on: April 03, 2021, 11:39:43 AM »

I think he is adjusting the pen angle mid stroke.

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Copperplate, Engrosser's Script, Roundhand Calligraphy / Re: Running Hand?

« on: April 03, 2021, 11:37:47 AM »

Running hand is a script form completely opposite to Round hand scripts. Running hand is a subtype of handwriting but the pen is not lifted from the page until the sentence is completed. Roundhand is a deliberate style where, in order to be true, the pen MUST be lifted after each stroke or letter to continue with consistency. It is not possible to combine the two without sacrifices to both forms.

I think that there are different types of "Running Hand" and the term is sometimes a synonym for cursive (cursive comes from the latin for running). The type I am talking is the one described here:https://herreputationforaccomplishment.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/writing-a-running-hand/

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Show & Tell / Re: An attempt at "running hand"

« on: November 26, 2020, 06:00:14 AM »

"Running hand"is basically a synonym for Cursive, which comes from the Latin root for for to run. Current also comes from the same root. It's exact meaning varies by context, but it is sometimes synonymous with handwriting.

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Copperplate, Engrosser's Script, Roundhand Calligraphy / Running Hand?

« on: July 28, 2020, 09:36:04 AM »

Does anyone every write in the Running Hand version of English Round hand?

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Pricking guidelines

« on: July 27, 2020, 11:20:23 AM »

Interesting... I can't speak to the type of pricking you seem to be describing, but in the Renaissance (and very probably earlier), artists would prick through their draft, then lay it on the final surface and basically use a pounce powder technique to transfer the design.  There are several existing cartoons by da Vinci and others in which the holes can be seen. 

Can you describe Johnson's process a bit further?

The process is described in Writing & Illuminating & Lettering, but basically he uses a stylus to make indented lines on a piece of paper and then a fine awl to prick the lines through a stack of papers. (The context is making a book, so several pages with the same amount of guidelines are needed.)

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Tools & Supplies / Re: I think it is time.

« on: July 09, 2020, 01:54:17 PM »

I assume that you mean that we should write them letters as opposed to faxing...

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Tools & Supplies / Re: Question regarding Yasutomo Sumi Ink

« on: July 09, 2020, 01:52:02 PM »

Something else to consider: the KF series tends to corrode nibs, whereas KY seems not to (KF has a shellac in it, KY does not).  This is why I like Moon Palace - better performance, and it does not corrode nibs.  The Kuretake 60 also corrodes nibs, in my experience, but performs nicely.

Wait, shellac corrodes nibs? That's good to know.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Pricking guidelines

« on: June 14, 2020, 12:13:03 PM »

Well that sounds intriguing. But I wonder how it would work as it would create a raised or indented surface. Did you try it?

I haven't tried it, I wanted to. I have recently acquired an awl, although it might be to big.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Time to write a Letter?

« on: June 14, 2020, 12:09:47 PM »

Is it possible that it was rejected because of Corona, I know that some countries postal services are no longer reliable because of the virus and therefore the letters are sent back.

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Pricking guidelines

« on: June 02, 2020, 01:57:27 AM »

Has anyone ever made guidelines by pricking holes in the paper as described by Johnston?

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Copperplate, Engrosser's Script, Roundhand Calligraphy / Re: Copperplate with an edged nib

« on: May 30, 2020, 03:12:32 PM »

Very nice, what is the x height in nib widths?

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Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Appropriate flourish

« on: December 08, 2019, 08:52:58 AM »

I thought about suggesting looking at condolences cards, but I can't ever recall seeing one that I liked. I think you can go with calligraphy, just as long as it looks sombre enough and not that you are showing off. What is your idea for the format?

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Spencerian Script / Re: Writing Small

« on: November 24, 2019, 02:50:53 AM »

What fun!!! And they are so elegant and beautiful! We *must* do a tiny exchange next year.

And I agree - someone at the post office was a bit passive aggressive with that cancellation. Kind of like, "I'll show you how much I liked having to hand cancel this envelope and ruin your beautiful mail." 

I would avoid reading too much into it. Employees at the Postal Service have a lot to do and a lot of pressure to do things right. I doubt they would expend the extra time and energy to express anger. In fact, I think that the only reason that their would be dislike of art mail, is the extra time it takes.