A question for experts on calligraphy and antique fonts:

What kind of fonts were used in Illuminated Manuscripts, and how can they best be replicated with currently available guidebooks and materials? Analyses of how these texts were written describe the fonts as "Black Face font," which basically just means any font that combines thick and thin strokes.

I realise that not all illuminated manuscript fonts are the same, but still there are some stylistic similarities: for example, they are printed rather than cursive, and fairly simple and plain, without elaborate curly-q's except for the large decorative letters at the beginning of a paragraph. Another distinguishing element of these fonts tends to be the "flying d's and b's" (sorry, do not know the technical term), where the vertical tail curves back down towards the body -- left for the d and right for the b.

I've tried imitating the fonts with stub italic nibs but it does not seem to work well. Then recently I acquired my first vintage flex pen, and that seems a lot more conducive, so I am excited. Any advice is most welcome and I am including some examples of Illuminated Manuscript text.

Thanks!
QM2

I'll see if I can pull up some good references on illuminated manuscripts (unfortunately I've lost my saved favourites w/ a new computer) but I might suggest you check some ruling writers and horizon folded pens--both can be used for this purpose.

I'm fascinated by illuminated manuscript and can't wait to see where you go with this. There was a string about metallic ink here on FPN the other day in case you missed it:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...c=66203&hl=

The scripts in illuminated manuscripts are (as far as I can remember) these:

Uncial
Insular Majuscule
Carolingian
Insular Miniscule
Early Gothic
Textura Quadrata
Textura Prescissus
Batarde
English Secretary
Fraktur
Swachbacher
Rotunda

The first two you have look like Batarde, the third like Early Gothic and the last like a solid Textura Quadrata.

Look here:

http://www.win.ua.ac.be/~pavp/genea/kirby/prepare.html

And general info:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

Specific to your example:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG


And here:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

This site has some of the oldest illuminated manuscripts and is quite user friendly.

http://www.kb.nl/manuscripts/

I am so pleased that this thread attracted so much attention so quickly. Nice to know people are interested in this form of writing.

jbb: Re "where I go with this" -- This is for a new series of paintings I have been planning and preparing for. I am making a series of paintings in the form of large-scale illuminated manuscripts and folk illustrations. I will be using fountain pen inks both for the images and for the text. These will be on large sheets of vellum, as well as graph paper, hole-punched paper, and paper that's been roughly torn out of a spiral notebook.

Re metalic inks -- yes, I've seen that thread, thanks! But I will not be using them, as I have a specific colour scheme for this poject and have mixed a special pallet of ink-colours, mostly out of Noodler's and Herbin. Also, I definitely want to be using fountain pens, not dip pens.

Zoe -- I love the Netherlands site you linked as well. I've been using this and others, as well as some books I have, to study the stylistic elements of how the images & text are arranged.

Daosus: I looked up the fonts you listed, thanks. The kind of font I have in mind is similar to Batarde, Textua Quadrata and Early Gothic. More visually complicated fonts like Uncial and Fraktur, become difficult to read, and this needs to be easy for a contemporary viewer to read.

hardyb: Yup, I've seen those. Unfortunately none of these sites give advice as to how to learn to write in imitations of these fonts. Could anybody recommend a good guide for something that resembles Batarde, Textua Quadrata or Early Gothic? Are flex or italic obs generally used for these? As i wrote in my original post, I've found that I am better imitating these blindly (i.e. by just looking at the text and without a step-by-step process or knowledge of calligraphy principles) with a vintage flex nib than with my italics, so perhaps there is a flex guide for this style of writing?

Thanks again everyone for all the helpful information. Maybe we can all have a FPN Illuminated Manuscipt contest : )

QM2

For this type of writing you will need a straight/crisp/cursive italic (definitely not a stub). Is it possible to imitate this type of lettering with a flex nib but I wouldn't recommend it (I've ruined many good steel dip nibs this way). I would hate to think what would happen with a gold nib.

Attached below is a quick guide, hope it helps.

(Click for a larger image.)

As Immoteus said above, all lettering pre-English Roundhand was done with a broad quill. The quill is technically flexible, but used with such a light touch that it doesn't actually matter for most scripts.

Hi Immoteus,

The alphabet you posted is not quite what I have in mind. In the style I am talking about, all vertical tails of letters (including b, d, h, and a) curve back down towards the body of the letter. The "d" in yours does this a bit, but ideally this would be more drastic, and with all the letters that have vertical "upper tails". Jeez, I need to learn my calligraphy vocab : )


And I am afraid to ask this, but how can one break flex nibs by writing in this manner? I've been using mine for a similar (made-up) font -- should I not be doing this?.. What kind of writing are flex nibs safe for then?..

Thanks!
QM2

Well I've managed to wear down steel nibs to the point that they no longer do hairlines. And I have a vintage gold nib that needs to be repaired because a hairline crack started to develop by the breather hole. I think its because I put too much pressure on the nibs while attempting faux manuscript. However this was in December 2007 and now I know better. Then again I'm probably just being overly cautious.

Daosus' list covers several centuries and a lot of geography, tho it hits the high points. Manuscripts of important books go back to the Dark Ages and continue right up to the invention of printing. Even afterwards, the craft continued, influencing and influenced by printing. And then calligraphy's modern revival started a century ago . . . .
Do not get interested in this or you will collect books on the history of letterforms and start buying dip pens to hold italic nibs in various widths, by Mitchell, Brause or Hunt.
Flex nibs are for copperplate and post-Gutenberg roundhands.

"Medieval Calligraphy" by Mark Drogin. It is the sourcebook for many of the styles including step by step descriptions of the creation of each letter.

It is probalby what you are looking for if you can find it.

For how to do it: Edward Johnston, Alfred Fairbank, Jacqueline Svaren, Margaret Shepherd. Those are the ones I can swear to having learned from.
When looking for books on the history of script, check out some that continue past Gutenberg or don't start until 1500. The spread of literacy after printing spread handwriting as well.
This sort of thing is almost as addictive as fountain pens.

so perhaps there is a flex guide for this style of writing?




http://www.fahrneyspens.com/Item--i-B0194
Product:
EXACLAIR INTRODUCTION TO CALLIGRAPHY
Use this Calligraphy Lettering Set to expand your italic writing skills, design your own stationery or create one-of-a-kind invitations. Nine classic lettering styles are displayed on 10â€� x 13â€� practice cards that can be traced onto paper with an italic pen. Styles include Carolingian Script, Modern Sans Serif, Gothic, Gothic Black Letter, Gothic Fraktur, Chancery Cursive, Italic Script, Roman Alphabet, and Uncial. There’s no limit to the creative possibilities of calligraphy when using this set!

and here:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

Training:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

CD:

24 Celtic and Medieval Display Fonts with CDROM
Dover Publications Inc
Inspired by the extravagant calligraphy of Celtic and medieval scribes, this extraordinary resource for artists and craftspeople features 24 striking, royalty-free typefaces — Anglo Text, Colchester Black, Cimbrian, Fenwick, Harrowgate, King's Cross, Malverne, Yonkers, and more. All black-and-white typefaces include capital letters and many appear with lowercase letters and numbers.

OM2,

Your project sounds extremely exciting. I do hope that during the process and at its conclusion you'll consider sharing it with us here on FPn.

Here's another link you may have seen that I've used in the past:

http://www.cecilia-letteringart.com/

And this link might assist with some of your questions as it addresses the use of fountain pens in calligraphy:

http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/librarylocations/mai.../prestianni.htm

Very cool references. Thank you again, Mac Tanglefoot, Zoe, HardyB, Immoteus, and everyone else. I will get some of these books and try to develop my own hybrid "pseudo-manuscript" font. I will be using the German and Cyrillic alphabets for my project as well.



Zoe, here is my first attempt of writing anything that even approximates "calligraphy"
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...=0&p=643823
The Morrison sample was made before I started this thread and looked at any reference alphabets.


QM2

It looks as if you are off to a great start and I am eager to hear about this new fountain pen.

Congratulations on your birthday and receipt of such a fine FP.

So far I don't think any of us have mentioned the pinned topic at the top of this forum that Bill the Editor started on books about calligraphy.

Books on Italic Handwriting and Calligraphy Includes capsule reviews of some of the works mentioned here.

Thanks again! I've now looked at all the links people have recommended and made a future to-buy list of literature. I am still abroad, so for now I bought a small book at a local shop with 12 "medieval alphabet" samples. I am using that, together with images of actual manuscripts, to cobble together my own alphabet.

I have found that I do all right at spontaneously copying the visual style of the letters. What I have most trouble with is consistency of size and slant. But I think everyone has trouble with that, so I just need to practice. Also, certain letters seem to be particularly difficult, no matter what alphabet I try to copy. The worst for me is the "s"!

Everything you just said there is entirely consistent with my calligraphy practice. Good luck

With a big Thank You to Lozzic, I am pasting these references here, so that people who search for "illumnated manuscripts" will be sure to find it (the original thread, with even more references on lettering, can be found here) :