Teaching Yourself Beautiful Cursive Handwriting (French Style Preferrably)

[2pence]

I have been meaning to join this forum for years now.

 

I was educated as a young child for a couple of years in Belgium in a French lycee and handwriting was taught quite religiously as part of the curriculum it was something akin to a French national pride, we would have sheets of our a's, b's and c's etc. marked for form and we'd progress to more complex words and phrases which were also marked, if you did badly you had to stay behind and write more!

 

The style I understood was distinctively French as I have since come across it on several occasions in Belgium and France (amongst more educated folk ) although rarely or never in England.

 

I don't have an example with me to show you of my own but I can say that my handwriting was really quite beautiful and elegant from these lessons.

 

Alas I returned to England to be sent to a boarding school aged 9 or so and my new teacher Mrs. Potato (who will be only known by what I consider her to be) was outraged that my handwriting was elegant, slanted and cursive. She forced me to disconnect my beautiful handwriting as well as forcing me to write upright again, to make matters worse I would be told off and then forced to write out what I class as baby hand writing, my a's, b's and c's became round simpleton a's, b's and c's in her "letter writing" lessons where I really learnt nothing but mutilated and desecrated the hard work and discipline taught me while in Belgium. Her "expertise" lasted 2 years until I moved out of her tutalage but the damage was done and while I tried to salvage my handwriting it would never be the same again as it had been in Belgium.

 

I cannot believe it has been some 20 odd years now since and I am still suffering from the damage that Mrs.Potato did to me after having written thousands and thousands of pages since.

 

I have wanted to teach myself beautiful cursive handwriting for some years now, and it goes beyond that, it is really something I would like to achieve mastery in as there is a great sense of pleasure to be able to write beautifully.

 

My problem is I have no idea where to start, I had searched some years ago for French handwriting books but I wasn't very succesful in finding anything. I even looked for courses so that I could be encouraged to work.

 

Anyway here are some examples of what I'm talking about:

 

I found this online:

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_71g3xc6rc1s/SkNcfK6r0SI/AAAAAAAAAB0/Ak_Tsh9bwpc/s320/old-french-handwriting-thumb3288483.jpg

 

This is exactly what I'm talking about, and pretty much exactly what my handwriting looked like. This to me is what I'd define as the French style we were taught.

 

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx115/accjnt/Cursive/Cursive2_zps3864f549.jpg

The above is my current handwriting, after salvaging it from the damage it went through. I wrote this with a cheap ballpoint although it is marginally nicer with a fountain pen. Another one of my issues that can clearly be seen is writing in straight lines, (although I was never great at this even in Belgium).

 

http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx115/accjnt/Cursive/Cursive1_zps5ae6d7a1.jpg

The following is an extract from a note given by our neighbour when we lived in Belgium a decade or so ago, I kept the note as an example of the style I've come across in France & Belgium so that I might one day learn it. I can see the similarities between it and the first example I showed.

People have mentioned Spencerian to me, but I can tell the difference between the two and I would not be satisfied with Spencerian. Really if I could write like our neighbour on the note I would be a very satisfied person!

 

If anyone could afford me some pointers in the right direction to some good literature/exercise books I would very much appreciate it!

Edited November 5, 2014 by 2pence

[islandink]

Yes--I know just what you mean. I love that "Madame" as well.

I did a quick search and came across a few things that might be a starting point and may be similar to what you learnt in grade school. Do let us know when you find what you are looking for.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/521733-french-cursive-handwriting/

 

http://ekladata.com/w3b1_NxgyjITiB8iUL1-uzh7oG4.pdf

[Randal6393]

Oh, dear, just checked out the usual resource for cursive hands -- www.iampeth.com -- only to find that the old site is down and transitioning to a new site. So many of the materials are not available. But French round-hand is part of a family of hands that include Copperplate and Spenserian (more loosely). So would suggest googling youtube for examples.

 

Best of luck,

[SuperNib44]

I am on a similar "quest" 2Pence. Although my writing started of horribly and has only gotten better (I am a few years away from the start of the "quest" and I can tell quite a difference in my writing today from the beginning of the summer without doing much in the way of drills). I too do not have a good sample of my writing to put out. My exemplar are American document from the 1850's-1940's.

I read as many handwritten documents as I can. One thing I keep suggesting but hasn't gained much interest on the forum is using this( https://familysearch.org/indexing/get-started-indexer ) program to view old documents. I have seen the style you have shown as you exemplar in the program. I highly suggest if trying to learn a style that isn't one of the main styles (such as Palmer Method or Italic) to use this program, which is free and easy to use. No affiliation, but recommend it often to those who wish to improve a classic handwriting, non-calligraphy style. Good luck

Edited November 5, 2014 by SuperNib44

[2pence]

Yes--I know just what you mean. I love that "Madame" as well.

I did a quick search and came across a few things that might be a starting point and may be similar to what you learnt in grade school. Do let us know when you find what you are looking for.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/521733-french-cursive-handwriting/

 

http://ekladata.com/w3b1_NxgyjITiB8iUL1-uzh7oG4.pdf

 

I've seen that one thread above, and I recognise the upright style print, some of my early books look just like it, this is indeed staple in France and we were taught like this initially, this is what all school children are taught when they are just learning to write! With us we were later encouraged to slant and given more advanced lessons with curls etc. even praised if we developed our own nice style, it was wonderful.

 

My early books look just like the one below.. (may as well superimpose my photo instead of Jules and it could be one of mine!)

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/521733-french-cursive-handwriting/?p=5794253

 

 

I read as many handwritten documents as I can. One thing I keep suggesting but hasn't gained much interest on the forum is using this( https://familysearch...started-indexer ) program to view old documents. I have seen the style you have shown as you exemplar in the program. I highly suggest if trying to learn a style that isn't one of the main styles (such as Palmer Method or Italic) to use this program, which is free and easy to use. No affiliation, but recommend it often to those who wish to improve a classic handwriting, non-calligraphy style. Good luck

 

 

I tried to download that and it just tried to make me register for a family tree or whatever? What exactly is it?

 

Yes--I know just what you mean. I love that "Madame" as well.

 

 

I have seen the style you have shown as you exemplar in the program. I highly suggest if trying to learn a style that isn't one of the main styles (such as Palmer Method or Italic) to use this program, which is free and easy to use. No affiliation, but recommend it often to those who wish to improve a classic handwriting, non-calligraphy style. Good luck

 

 

I'm sure her style of writing was as an outgrowth or personalisation of a previous style. I looked up exemplar, yes indeed it is something like this at least the first example I showed.

 

I think initially I need to find a book or some literature that can give me a system of study I can follow, I find just sitting down and trying it on my own does not work, I actually have to have some system and work flow that I can follow that would be a precursor to then adapting and focusing my style. Certainly I need brushing up and there is clearly an art of writing one which requires prior knowledge (to be acquired and read) and practice to learn! (clearly I will not have the time, inclination or necessity to re-invent cursive handwriting on my own when it has already been done for centuries! )

Edited November 5, 2014 by 2pence

[2pence]

So does anyone have any ideas where I should start? Or start looking?

[Anne-Sophie]

So does anyone have any ideas where I should start? Or start looking?

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/225300-depository-of-handwriting-and-calligraphy-styles-and-discussion/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/243889-french-cursive/

 

 

The last link describes the hand I studied when I was younger in French schools.

 

The first has exemplar of cursive (round letters) hands.

[2pence]

Thank you Anne-Sophie, indeed this is what I learnt as well as standard curriculum, however later we were encouraged with slanting and developing our own style (I believe this may have been as a result of our teachers love of cursive writing in addition to the standard curriculum). By the end of it my writing did look very much like the first example "ma chere fillette".

 

My goal would be to write like my neighbour I just love it (so the last example) and as I only have one example a only a few letters and I imagine the style to be unique I'd be looking for a "precursor" style as a spring board.

 

What I'd need is a book or something that I could follow to teach myself. I am trying to learn this handwriting as everyday writing (just like my neighbours note) as opposed to the very beautiful and artistic caligraphy styles I've seen on this forum (requiring formidable pens etc.). Perhaps as already has been suggested the Exemplar style.

 

I'm intrigued by a member on this forum Ken Fraser (from the thread you showed me), I understand he is a professional caligrapher but also self taught. I would be interested in his books if they actually contained methodology and instruction but also would be fascinated to know how he taught himself.

Edited November 8, 2014 by 2pence

[sangrisano]

When I was 6 y.o. I was taught to write using this alphabet. We used dip pens and nibs to write, and we were punished if our notebooks had ink stains... I have reproduced the alphabet as I remember it. It was upright, no slant was allowed. This has been written using a Perry nib and J.Herbin ink on the same type of notebook still in use in the first year of the Italian elementary school.

http://imageshack.com/a/img745/5407/Z2L7mB.jpg

[2pence]

It's very nice, I do like it, can imagine it looking very nice slanted.

[KateGladstone]

I wish you the best of luck in your quest to regain an earlier style of yours. Although your favorite style is not one I use (for reasons that I will state below), it was cruel and unnecessary of your teacher to chamber your established handwriting if that was already rapid and legible.

Regardless (and despite the occasional lapses of legibility in your handwriting today), I find your current handwriting moore attractive (and certainly more legible) than what you are hoping to gain or regain.

 

You may be interested to know of research establishing that the most legible and rapid handwriting is semi-joined (only the easiest joins are made, with many letters therefore unjoined) and uses print-like forms of letters that "disagree" between printing and cursive (research sources below). NOTE that such handwriting may still be oval and slanted, of course.

 

Research:

 

Steve Graham, Virginia Berninger, and Naomi Weintraub. “The Relation between Handwriting Style and Speed and Legibility.” JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, Vol. 91, No. 5 (May - June, 1998), pp. 290-296: on-line at http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/27542168.pdf

 

Steve Graham, Virginia Berninger, Naomi Weintraub, and William Schafer. “Development of Handwriting Speed and Legibility in Grades 1-9.”

JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, Vol. 92, No. 1 (September - October, 1998), pp. 42-52: on-line at http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/27542188.pdf

[2pence]

I wish you the best of luck in your quest to regain an earlier style of yours. Although your favorite style is not one I use (for reasons that I will state below), it was cruel and unnecessary of your teacher to chamber your established handwriting if that was already rapid and legible.

Regardless (and despite the occasional lapses of legibility in your handwriting today), I find your current handwriting moore attractive (and certainly more legible) than what you are hoping to gain or regain.

 

 

Rather than deliberately cruel I would say that she was just boorish and stuck in an unpolished left wing lower middle class mindset, anything elegant was abhorrent to her instead I was forced into boring functionality (and it is the domain of socialists and left wingers to reduce everyone and everything around them to their level of utilitarianism and thus mundaneness!) even though my writing was perfectly legible and quite beautiful.

 

Thanks for wishing me luck I don't actually want to return to my old style.. It's odd that for me legibility is not too much of an issue for me because really only I will be reading my own writing. I'd actually prefer less legible but more beautiful scribbles like my neighbours, I understand and understood my neighbours note instantly but was simply gob smacked at her writing (hence why I kept the note). Worse for me is ugly and legible hand writing.

 

I think I've become too hung up about finding a French style, because really that is the only time I've come in contact with or experienced learning cursive writing.

 

Instead it may be better for me to try and learn a more known style and then edge to what I'm looking for.

Does anyone have any ideas of an instructional book or system that will give me some structure to practice with, just going at it myself is what I've done in the past and hasn't really got me anywhere.

 

P.S. Perhaps Palmer's business writing is what I'm after, although I'm not a great fan of all the capital letters used.

Edited November 9, 2014 by 2pence

[Anne-Sophie]

Besides the examplars that were given in my links, the best way to give style to one's handwriting is to follow the lead of a Master Calligrapher.

 

Ken Frazer's book is just perfect for that and he is also in the U.K.

 

 

As far as italic, mixed or cursive handwriting superiority, it is only a matter of taste.

[ac12]

2p
If you don't care for some of the capital letters, change it.

I have my own variation of Palmer where some of my letters are quite different than standard Palmer.

Example, my upper case S looks like a S. Not the funny shape of the Palmer S. And the horizontal stroke of my L goes under the following letters.

And I have flourished some of the letters much, so they exaggerate different parts of the letters.

Example, my decenders (f, g, y, etc) are more exaggerated in depth and form.

[2pence]

2p

If you don't care for some of the capital letters, change it.

I have my own variation of Palmer where some of my letters are quite different than standard Palmer.

Example, my upper case S looks like a S. Not the funny shape of the Palmer S. And the horizontal stroke of my L goes under the following letters.

And I have flourished some of the letters much, so they exaggerate different parts of the letters.

Example, my decenders (f, g, y, etc) are more exaggerated in depth and form.

 

You are right of course . I suppose then the only question remains is the recommendation of a good book I can follow in terms of a system that I can teach myself with, substituting my own letters.

 

I will have a look at Ken Frazer's book as well as the Palmer method.

Edited November 9, 2014 by 2pence

[SuperNib44]

. I'd actually prefer less legible but more beautiful scribbles like my neighbours, I understand and understood my neighbours note instantly but was simply gob smacked at her writing (hence why I kept the note). Worse for me is ugly and legible hand writing.

 

 

P.S. Perhaps Palmer's business writing is what I'm after, although I'm not a great fan of all the capital letters used.

I prefer writing not to be perfectly legible so much that it is boring, I like making people slow down and pay attention to what I have written. Always try to be legible, but not always instantly recognizable.

As for familysearch.org what it is, 2pence, is an indexing program. It is intended that users transcribe old records into digital form so that the records can be put into a database. However nothing says that you can't just look at the writing and send the batch unindexed (this is permitted and does not harm the system). Personally, I do index the records most of the time. If you have any questions just PM me.

[Cepasaccus]

This is a letter from a French woman. I like especially how the M looks. It differs from the current French Cursive. I sometimes write my name with this M. If someone knows, what cursive pattern this woman learned at school in Paris in 1881 or so it would be interesting.

 

Cepasaccus

[elenita]

2pence, have you checked out www.cursivecole.fr? I've been using that site to (sporadically) teach myself French cursive.

 

It doesn't have worksheets. But, among other things, you can copy and paste texts that will automatically be converted into a cursive font. For lack of a structured curriculum, I've been transcribing quotes, song lyrics, etc. that I like as practice. Perhaps you could do something similar?

 

By the way, do you have access to Seyes-ruled paper? I've found that it helps tremendously with this style of writing.

 

Good luck! Or perhaps it'd be more appropriate to say, bon courage!

[2pence]

This is a letter from a French woman. I like especially how the M looks. It differs from the current French Cursive. I sometimes write my name with this M. If someone knows, what cursive pattern this woman learned at school in Paris in 1881 or so it would be interesting.

 

Cepasaccus

 

Thank you for this. Again I can see the similarity between the first letter I showed and French lady you have shown.

 

2pence, have you checked out www.cursivecole.fr? I've been using that site to (sporadically) teach myself French cursive.

 

It doesn't have worksheets. But, among other things, you can copy and paste texts that will automatically be converted into a cursive font. For lack of a structured curriculum, I've been transcribing quotes, song lyrics, etc. that I like as practice. Perhaps you could do something similar?

 

By the way, do you have access to Seyes-ruled paper? I've found that it helps tremendously with this style of writing.

 

Good luck! Or perhaps it'd be more appropriate to say, bon courage!

 

 

Ah merci! However I think I've obsessed a little about French style given this was my only contact with caligraphy.

 

I believe right now I just need to follow a system/book where I can educate myself to follow a system. Then emulate my neighbours writing! Rather than focusing on specifically "French" writing.

 

I have been horrendously busy at the moment so have not had time!

Edited November 25, 2014 by 2pence

[Christopher67]

Hey there kind folks, I am seeking some help. I would love to have the prayer of Hail Mary handwritten in French Script. Is there anyone out there that might be willing to write it up for me. I could provide some compesation.

 

Thanks for considering the effort!

 

Chris Williams 803 707 6310 c