To be honest, my handwriting has been horrible ever since I learned to write my letters. I just graduated, and thought it's a good time to start a wonderful hobby and hopefully improve my handwriting.
I recieved a glass dip pen for a Christmas present this year and have yet to use it. I have no idea where to start.
My questions are:
Where do I go from here?
What style of handwriting should I learn from? I only write in print, though I would LOVE to write in cursive easily.
Are there any tips for using a glass dip pen? I want to invest in a another good pen in the future, any recomedations?
Should I just find a font I like and keep copying the letters till I memorize it? I'm sorry for all the questions.
I hope I posted this in the correct place.
Full Version: Hello everyone! I have a few questions!
Welcome! You might find some answers in the Fountain Pen Network penmanship forum.
Did you have any handwriting instruction in school? If you did, that might be a good base to start. Generally speaking, the way to learn handwriting is to find some examples of a style you like (and start with a basic style first...) and copy it a lot, practicing individual letters, then words. Go slow and careful, and you'll pick up the letterforms, and then you can use that as your writing!
The Wikipedia article on penmanship is another good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penmanship
Here's another page I found when Google searching on "cursive handwriting":
http://www.drawyourworld.com/handstyle.html
Did you have any handwriting instruction in school? If you did, that might be a good base to start. Generally speaking, the way to learn handwriting is to find some examples of a style you like (and start with a basic style first...) and copy it a lot, practicing individual letters, then words. Go slow and careful, and you'll pick up the letterforms, and then you can use that as your writing!
The Wikipedia article on penmanship is another good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penmanship
Here's another page I found when Google searching on "cursive handwriting":
http://www.drawyourworld.com/handstyle.html
Thank you so much for responding!
I have one more question I know it's best to look into basic style. Do you recommend any specific ones? Or certain fonts I should look into? Or any pages I can look at for the alphabets of certain styles etc.
Sorry for all the silly questions.
I have one more question I know it's best to look into basic style. Do you recommend any specific ones? Or certain fonts I should look into? Or any pages I can look at for the alphabets of certain styles etc.
Sorry for all the silly questions.
Cursive handwriting doesn't come in fonts -- fonts are used in typeface printing by printing presses, or by computers in computer-generated materials. While there are one or two different styles of cursive handwriting, they amount to the same thing -- a way to join the letters together. If you are a person who prints, then you can create a compromise between printing and cursive writing, simply by joining your printed letters together, so that you don't lift you pen from the paper when writing a word. You can experiment with different ways to form the letters and still join them together. A more classic form of cursive writing would be the cursive that was taught in the 1960's. Writers then "customize" their cursive handwriting by changing basic elements, such as how much slant they put on the letters, and whether the closed loops are open and round or closed and thin.
Calligraphy can be written in different "hands" -- similar to the concept of fonts. You need special nibs in order to learn calligraphy -- they are broader nibs that allow you to change the width of the stroke as you write. You can usually buy a cheap calligraphy starter set at most stationary stores. I don't know enough about calligraphy to recommend a particular style -- just choose one that is appealing to you, and start with one that requires fewer strokes to form the letters.
Calligraphy can be written in different "hands" -- similar to the concept of fonts. You need special nibs in order to learn calligraphy -- they are broader nibs that allow you to change the width of the stroke as you write. You can usually buy a cheap calligraphy starter set at most stationary stores. I don't know enough about calligraphy to recommend a particular style -- just choose one that is appealing to you, and start with one that requires fewer strokes to form the letters.
Welcome aboard the FPN! 
When I was in elementary school, we started learning the Zanner-Bloser method of handwriting in Third Grade. My parents, having graduated from high school in the 1940s, learned the Palmer method, which I liked a lot better. Thankfully, my parents could not emphasize the importance of good handwriting enough to me as a child, so I would often practice penmanship drills several times a week. This really helped to create the style of handwriting that I use today.
Happy New Year!
When I was in elementary school, we started learning the Zanner-Bloser method of handwriting in Third Grade. My parents, having graduated from high school in the 1940s, learned the Palmer method, which I liked a lot better. Thankfully, my parents could not emphasize the importance of good handwriting enough to me as a child, so I would often practice penmanship drills several times a week. This really helped to create the style of handwriting that I use today.
Happy New Year!
Welcome to FPN. I assume your username is taken from the lovely painting by Van Gogh. You might be able to find a non-copyrighted image of the painting to use as an avatar, if that is the case.
Regarding penmanship, I graduated high school in the 1960s, but still learned Palmer Method cursive, starting in the late 50s third grade. There is much debate about penmanship, and italic and cursive italic are gaining a lot of favor, as a more simplified method of penmanship. The key is to pick a style, and stick with it. Once you can write each of the letters perfectly, then you can personalize it.
If you have never learned any cursive style, your options are wide open. One argument in favor of italic is that is is totally different from Zaner Bloser or Palmer Method, or especially Spencerian penmanship. While Spencerian is arguably the most beautiful cursive hand, it is generally not practical for daily use, as it is very ornate, and takes a lot of practice to get correctly.
Donnie
Regarding penmanship, I graduated high school in the 1960s, but still learned Palmer Method cursive, starting in the late 50s third grade. There is much debate about penmanship, and italic and cursive italic are gaining a lot of favor, as a more simplified method of penmanship. The key is to pick a style, and stick with it. Once you can write each of the letters perfectly, then you can personalize it.
If you have never learned any cursive style, your options are wide open. One argument in favor of italic is that is is totally different from Zaner Bloser or Palmer Method, or especially Spencerian penmanship. While Spencerian is arguably the most beautiful cursive hand, it is generally not practical for daily use, as it is very ornate, and takes a lot of practice to get correctly.
Donnie
Hai,
Where to go from here?
As the others have suggested, find a cursive handwriting style that you like and can copy fairly easily. Practice that. Often.
Are there any tips for using a glass dip-pen?
1. Do not drop.
2. BUY A PEN-REST. Dip-pens are NOTORIOUS for rolling around and if you leave it unattended on your desk, there's a very good chance of you coming back to find several pieces of pretty glass all over the floor of your study. A pen-rest where you can put your pen when not in-use, is very necessary.
And no questions are silly.
Welcome to the FPN and if you're looking to buy a fountain pen/s, look into Waterman, Sheaffer & Parker to begin with. All three make good, cheap pens (the last time I checked) and all three are well-established penmakers.
Where to go from here?
As the others have suggested, find a cursive handwriting style that you like and can copy fairly easily. Practice that. Often.
Are there any tips for using a glass dip-pen?
1. Do not drop.
2. BUY A PEN-REST. Dip-pens are NOTORIOUS for rolling around and if you leave it unattended on your desk, there's a very good chance of you coming back to find several pieces of pretty glass all over the floor of your study. A pen-rest where you can put your pen when not in-use, is very necessary.
And no questions are silly.
Welcome to the FPN and if you're looking to buy a fountain pen/s, look into Waterman, Sheaffer & Parker to begin with. All three make good, cheap pens (the last time I checked) and all three are well-established penmakers.
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