Writing in cursive italic, how would you handle words like "æqualem" and "æquales"? Obviously, could write the ae as two letters. When I write that digraph for use in IPA notation, I use an open 'a' that is unlike the italic 'a', and the combined letter looks the same upside down.

--John

You'll have to lift your pen for the first one.

I tried the first one without a pen lift, and it looks too much like an "oe", œ. Can you post a scan of your œ so I can compare with your left-hand æ ?

--John

Not my handwriting.

So where are you getting thee examples? Some book to recommend?

fonts

Yes, typefaces. On the left is Bickham Script. Right is (ITC) Edwardian Script.

OK, my eyes are really bothering me today, and it's been a long time since I've done this, but here is some handwriting, not fonts. I have sketched the "no pen lifts" versions of both the "ae" and the "oe" digraphs. I apologize for the crummy exemplars, but I think you will get the idea. The multiple stroke versions just involve making two letters touch instead of having the proper amount of space. The single stroke versions take some practice in order to do them quickly and to make the result pleasant to look at.

digraphs

Hiya, I'm new here and spend my time on the penmanship area to improve my writing, I use everything...however I've recently discovered fountain pens through suggestion (my mum---her sister won awards for penmanship) and I'm getting my first foutain pen soon.

Hmm...I managed to do both of them without lifting my pencil. I attempted them quickly on my bed. Of course not perfect, but I managed to do both with them looking very similar to the picture without lifting my pen.

In the first, you basically create a full a, except you lift off a little higher than normal as your moving into the e and give a little room between the back of the a and the the curving part of the e. Then you do the rest of the e. I think with a little practice it falls into place.

The second one was far easier. I started with the top end of the a and then looped into the e when the a was done bringing them together.

***Note watch the way the a and o's open at the top. I think those add to aid with providing the difference one can see between the oe and the ae.



My first try at the ae looked like the first choice of the oe here.

BillTheEditor, I didn't see your post before I made my own. Your digraphs are bloody fantastic...that's exactly the methods I attempted to make the ae. And I picked up on the openings and curvature of the a and o in order to provide the effect of difference. On first try it wasn't similar but when I did it on second tries it was fine without any lift needed however, I do think practice is important.

The digraphs is great though...I've been noticing lately a lot of the ways I address penmanship are the way these books are describing penmanship I just need practice on adapting speed to legibility and aesthetic.