Good books or sites on italic?

[meanwhile]

*David* suggested this site: http://briem.ismennt.is/4/4.1.1a/4.1.1.1.quick.htm

 

Now I'm interested, can anyone suggest a book or website where I can learn more?

[sonia_simone]

The Barbara Getty book _Write Now!_ is a good start, and it's easy to find--Amazon has it.

[southpaw]

I'll second Write Now and also highly recommend James Pickering's website http://jp29.org/itdr.htm.

 

You might also want to look at:

www.zanerian.com

Kate Gladstone's Handwriting Repair

http://www.paperpenalia.com/handwriting.html

[meanwhile]

Thanks!

[Hobo Bob]

I'd recommend Margaret Shepherd's Learn Calligraphy. An easy, fun book for learning quite a few hands (including italic). I especially liked her "alphapets"

[R.ticle One]

I absolutely would also suggest Write Now and/or Italic Letters. I may have a ways to go with perfect form and beauty while rendering in high speed writing, but I am amazed at how my handwriting has improved in terms of uniformity, legibility, and style, so much so that a couple of people have asked me to make them small signs, and others have said things along the lines of "you have such lovely penmanship", or "wow, look at your writing!"

 

R.ticle One

[wimg]

You could also check out the site of James Pickering, who happens to be a member and is running a contest as well (check pinned messages at the top of the Penmanship forum): http://www.jp29.org/itdr.htm.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[WillAdams]

Carolyn Knudsen's book An Italic Calligraphy Handbook is very good.

 

There was a very nice series on the foundations of calligraphy in Letter Arts Review as well.

 

William

[James Pickering]

There are numerous books available for beginners these days that focus on Italic writing. Two popular ones are:

 

Write Now by Barbara Getty

Learn Calligraphy by Margaret Shepherd

 

My favorite Italic writing references are:

 

A Handwriting Manual by Alfred Fairbank

Three Classics of Italian Calligraphy (Arrighi, Tagliente, Palatino) by Oscar Ogg

Masters of the Italic Letter - twenty two exemplars from the sixteenth century by Kathryn Atkins

An Italic Copy Book - The Cataneo Manuscript by Stephen Harvard

The first Writing Book -- Arrighi's Operina by John Howard Benson

Arrighi's Running Hand -- A Study of Chancery Cursive by Paul Standard

 

The latter two books are noteworthy in that they are written out entirely by hand using fountain pens (including the book covers and introductory pages) -- the Arrighi style italic letterforms of Benson are especially well crafted and elegant.

 

There is an excellent online resource by Gunnlaugur Briem at .....

 

http://briem.ismennt.is/4/4.4.1a/4.4.1.01.operina.htm

 

..... wherin he presents and analyzes Arrighi's letterforms and then provides a facsimile of Arrighi's famous copybook in its entirety.

 

I also offer an online resource at .....

 

http://jp29.org/itdr.htm

 

..... that covers my adaptation of the Italic hand of Bernardino Cataneo

Edited September 28, 2006 by James Pickering

[KendallJ]

uh, the site you referred looks to be more about functionalizing your handwriting as opposed to calligraphy. If this is really what you're interested in, then my recommendation would be "Teach Yourself Better Handwriting" by Sassoon and Briem. Discusses the use of italic to form a functional and daily writing hand.

[FLZapped]

You might also look at this website,they seem to have lots of resources:

 

http://www.iampeth.com/

 

"The International Association of Master Penmen,

Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting"

 

-Bruce

[meanwhile]

Thanks for all the latest suggestions - I had thought this thread had died!

[KateGladstone]

Also go to Nan Jay Barchowsky's italic-learning site (includes info, as well as how-to-buy-her-book/CD-ROM) — http://www.BFHhandwriting.com