Conceptual Caligraphy

[skipwilliams]

Cool.....BUT......and I don't mean to sound mean, but in my opinion, this has got to be the biggest waste of brain power that I've seen in a long time. This person certainly looks very intelligent, talented, and artistic. But why would you design your own, only-I-can-read-it script alphabet? What purpose does it serve? This person seems to have WAAY too much time on their hands.

 

Now that I've vented and calmed down a bit: To answer my own question: I guess he/she could use it to develop some conceptual art. It would probably be pretty neat to have some personal saying translated into this script as a framed object. Definitely a conversation piece. It could also serve as the basis for a private, coded language between

 

But outside the artistic aspect and avenues for such expression, IMO it's purely an academic exercise.

 

Skip

 

[Pink Ink]

Cool.....BUT......and I don't mean to sound mean, but in my opinion, this has got to be the biggest waste of brain power that I've seen in a long time. This person certainly looks very intelligent, talented, and artistic. But why would you design your own, only-I-can-read-it script alphabet? What purpose does it serve? This person seems to have WAAY too much time on their hands.

People write in code the same reasons why they talk in code — to communicate, loud and clear but to a limited audience. It’s a way of self-selecting the audience. The harder the key is and the fewer people who have that key, the smaller the audience.

 

Code is simply the conversion from one form of representation into another. Sometimes it’s done for efficiency — machines can understand only binary — to increase the rate of processing. Sometimes it’s done to decrease the rate of processing — most people don’t read binary too well.

 

This thread is about simple exercises in cryptography. Even if I don’t go on to more advanced cryptography, I like knowing that at least I have some basics down.

[Renzhe]

Cool.....BUT......and I don't mean to sound mean, but in my opinion, this has got to be the biggest waste of brain power that I've seen in a long time. This person certainly looks very intelligent, talented, and artistic. But why would you design your own, only-I-can-read-it script alphabet? What purpose does it serve?

 

Wasting brain power is fun. (and this stuff doesn't require much brain power; just look at the table, write, look at the table, write.)

[Habibi18]

Renzhe: AMEN! LOL!

 

I never thought it was a waste of brain cells or whatever because it's fun and you can make it as simple or difficult as you want it.

 

http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x180/Wapo_Gipo_Frogs88/th_sau22.jpg.gif

[Eiriee]

(I hope it's ok to revive such an old thread - it's something that seems to vary forum to forum)

 

I came across the Elian script a few months ago, back in October I think, and it was a great way to entertain myself during my then-job which was very dull and involved a lot of waiting around. It became my headcanon for the alphabet for the town of Night Vale - a fictional American town that is the centre of the podcast Welcome To Night Vale.

 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/84ee36a1698fcd6b8bfb4bd04d95831a/tumblr_n8kk4ePkTn1r0afpoo1_500.png

 

This was something I wrote back in October. It says:

 

We have failed before, so many times at so many tasks. But at this, we will not fail.

 

I should write some more stuff. I did yesterday just practising it again, but not of it was particularly well composed so I didn't take any photos. I remember when I was doing it every day I could actually read it back to myself as well as write it without looking at the pig pen.

 

I wonder what writing this would do for my day-to-day writing.

 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/44c9425472a379d3925c7c34c0954b7d/tumblr_n8iquducGu1r0afpoo1_500.png

This I think shows the differences you can make in this script, although it was written on computer rather than by hand, In purple it says Night Vale or and in gold it says Desert Bluffs Greater Metropolitan Area

[Intellidepth]

I really like the Elian script, and particularly the stark contrast you've just illustrated. A fascinating new use for both my flexi pens and my italic! This will make for some interesting journal entries.

[Eiriee]

You can get some really remarkable contrasts with the Elian script - especially if you have some idea of calligraphy, I'd imagine. The only thing you can't really do (I think) with the Elian script is joined-up writing!

[brunico]

My first thought on looking at Elian's script was the delightfully strange Codex Seraphinianus, so I checked FPN to see whether anyone had mentioned it. Sure enough, Does anyone have a written made-up language?

[Eiriee]

I used to have a pdf of the Codex Seraphinianus, but I seem to have misplaced it which is a pity. I am surprised with so many people interested in code- breaking as a hobby that no progress has been made on deciphering it (if it were in fact made to be deciphered, though as mentioned in that article there could hardly be so much so meticulously arranged if it had no meaning whatsoever).

[Randal6393]

My! I love this thread.

 

The cryptograms look so much like Korean in form and structure. The Korean language has a set of marks for the vowels and consonants of the language. Each syllable is composed of the alphabet marks to make up that syllable, writing is arranged by syllables. The syllables are designed to look similar to Chinese ideograms. Coincidentally, the Elian script resembles such writing.

 

Enjoy,

[PS104]

I don't worry about anything that stretches your mind

It is more interesting than worrying about whether there is gluten in ink (in another forum)

This is a fascinating thread

[mirosc]

I love necrothreads!

Somehow this gem has eluded me in the past. Thank you for bringing it to our attention again.

 

Lovely work. First I thought "meh", too complicated to sort the letters into squares when you still keep the letters and their order in the word intact (quite weak for encryption), the cursive script at least looked nice. But the stacked version really appealed to me, I love the looks and how it's executed. Very nice work!

Edited March 30, 2015 by mirosc

[fountainpagan]

What an amazing thread!!! I ignored all of conceptual callygraphy, until now. I am thrilled with this discovery.

 

Thank you ever so much.

[Eiriee]

The stacking really increased the encryption factor I think,even if you just stick with left->right top->bottom, as you can lengthen or shorten most parts of a letter (the differences in letters are in the proportion between the letter's line lengths rather than the absolute line lengths). I mostly like it though cause I think it's really pretty.

[Lively]

My new favourite thread. I love your stuff Renzhe

[sidthecat]

I should have talked to you guys before I had to design the Enchancian alphabet for "Sofia the First" because Disney didn't want us to use real typography.

 

Legal still has to clear it, too.

[Eiriee]

Is it similar to this one then? The Elian script is just an artisitic version of the pigpen cipher, so the similaritiy's difficult to avoid if your Enchancian script is based on a pigpen cipher too.

[Renzhe]

Oh you don't even know. Old thread, but I later did something with diagonals to further simplify the letters. I'll see if I can think it up again.

 

Oh man...really old thread. I was fresh out of high school when I first participated. In grad school now.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Renzhe

[delano]

Being relatively new to the board, I love it when old threads pop up, because they are often wonderful threads like this one! I have GOT to learn me some Elian.

[JLZenor]

Interesting post... This looks extremely complicated, but the outcome is interesting.