A journal page

[Italicist]

Below is a page from a journal into which I'm copying a fairy-tale from the Grimm brothers' collection; this one is part of "The Nixie in the Mill-Pond", if you can make out the text well enough to be curious. The layout of the page is based on medieval canons of page construction (see Wikipedia entry for a summary) which involve generous margins on all sides, but especially the outer edges and the bottom. These have the practical effects of ensuring that there is enough room for a reader to grip the pages without hiding the text, and also of positioning the two facing textblocks in such a way that they work together visually as a single block, rather than each page being a isolated world unto itself. The overall effect is that the eye sees the two textblocks as one area framed by a larger white space. How does it strike you?

 

Although the text may be too small to be read easily, it's perhaps just as well! The script is nothing glorious: an everyday, hastily-written italic hand with its share of flaws -- my usual ordinary handwriting.

 

all the best,

Italicist

 

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/SyKNz7RlARI/AAAAAAAAABs/6W3s83uwodo/s800/NIxie.jpg

 

[AD356]

I think it looks quite nice. For me the margins look a bit big, but as you explained I guess it is just a personal preference. It does look a little small how many pages will it take to complete the copy? and how many pages does the original have?

Good luck.

[Italicist]

Thanks! The tale isn't a long one: the original has just under six pages (5 inches x 8 inches) in fairly small type (roughly 10pt Times New Roman), and I estimate that my written copy will require about fifteen pages (text area approximate 4.5 inches x 5.5 inches). The margins can, of course, be filled with marginalia, if one wishes.

[Johnny Appleseed]

Imagine what could have been if 1621 edition of the Arithmetica of Diophantus had only had margins as large as these. . .

 

 

 

 

John

[caliken]

Italicist,

 

I like the wide margins: they produce a generous layout and give the writing room to breathe. It's a pity that your personal writing isn't a bit larger on the screen, as it looks assured and attractive.

 

caliken

[Ann Finley]

Looks good! What a nice gift to leave for posterity!

 

Ann

[RitaCarbon]

That's AWESOME!

 

Looks so medieval, I admire the style.

 

What paper, ink and pen do you use? Will you draw illustrations?

Edited December 11, 2009 by RitaCarbon

[Italicist]

Thanks for your kind comments, everyone. Let me respond specifically, though.

 

John: Indeed! Fermat might have left a few more theorems behind.

 

Caliken: "Room to breathe" -- you're exactly right. The first few pages in this journal now make me feel slightly tense when I look back at them. They're filled chock-a-block with words that have no breathing room. I'll post a larger sample below, although I fear that my script probably looks better when viewed from a distance, whereas yours can bear close scrutiny and earn greater glory thereby!

 

Ann: Hmmm. Possibilities for gifts are now leaping to mind. Thanks for the idea.

 

RitaCarbon: The journal is by Paperblanks (no affiliation); the paper is a medium weight, acid-free, archival variety that is pleasantly smooth for writing. The ink is a slightly diluted Noodler's Dumas Tulipe Noire. Alas, any attempt at illustration by me would probably not enhance the text in any way, unless they were extremely simple illustrations at the level of bad cartoons.

 

Many thanks for your interest and encouragement,

Italicist

 

 

[Edited for muddled images]

 

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/SyMMSGg49UI/AAAAAAAAACs/Bc3hz88-c_E/s800/Nixie%202.jpg

 

Edited December 12, 2009 by Italicist

[caliken]

Italicist,

 

This is a perfect demonstration of the power of Italic script and its adaptability into attractive, personal handwriting.

I think that your handwriting looks really good and even on the page and stands alongside several excellent examples which have been posted on FPN over the past few years.

It's unmistakably Italic, but with enough individual touches to make it your own and, most important of all, it's perfectly legible.

The ability to take conventional italic and infuse it with one's own personality, is to be envied (certainly, by me!)

 

Thanks for posting this enlargement.

 

caliken

[rickap]

I love it! I think it's absolutely GREAT!

[Italicist]

Thanks for your comments, Caliken and Rickap. I quite agree with you, Caliken, about the suitability of the italic script for everyday use, even as speedy handwriting. The samples above were written fairly quickly -- quickly enough that some irregularities and idiosyncracies begin to creep in. In fact, it would probably be more accurate to say that with speed, the underlying irregularities that I simply can't shake from my script become readily apparent, even exaggerated! Whatever the case, it's great fun to write in an italic script.

 

Copying an interesting text is an enjoyable way of practising the script, too, regardless of the speed of writing. All too often when I'm writing down my own thoughts, I am entirely on the subject matter (quite desirable, otherwise) at the expense of the script, which tends not to occur when I'm writing someone else's words.

 

cheers,

Italicist

[Randal6393]

Excellent use of margins and line size. The medieval archivists certainly knew their job well.

 

For practice, you may wish to block off enough room (perhaps 1" X 1") at the start of a paragraph and work on pen-drawn initial letters. A touch of color and a pen-drawn initial can add a lot of punch to a page.

 

Your handwriting is clear, legible, and uniquely yours. A real accomplishment! Keep up the good work.

[HDoug]

I love your handwriting/calligraphy and the page layout with its spacious margins. Medieval manuscripts have wide margins for a reason. Here's paleographer Dianne Tillotson from her Medieval Writing web site:

 

The concept of glosses was built into many scholarly works. Books for study often had pages in which the main text was constrained into a small space by the use of small crammed scripts and extensive abbreviation, leaving wide margins for the reader to add their own notes and glosses. In many university texts, the glosses of important scholars became part of the work, laid out in a similar way to the glossed Bible. The reader became a contributory writer and the text became a composite entity.

 

Tillotson points out that over time, some texts became collective works of scholarship this way. Of course, in any text as beautifully written and laid out as yours, I would strictly forbid contributory marginalia!

 

Thanks for posting!

 

Doug

[Journaleur]

I don't think I can add anything to the comments of others regarding the beauty of both the penmanship and the layout. The large margins add so much to the appearance of the text, and the textual appearance perfectly complements the layout. Wonderfully done. I am so much jealous [sic]. With your permission I would like to download your text and use your italic hand as a model to try to improve my penmanship. Thank you for the post.

[TarinGarza]

Below is a page from a journal into which I'm copying a fairy-tale from the Grimm brothers' collection; this one is part of "The Nixie in the Mill-Pond", if you can make out the text well enough to be curious. The layout of the page is based on medieval canons of page construction (see Wikipedia entry for a summary) which involve generous margins on all sides, but especially the outer edges and the bottom. These have the practical effects of ensuring that there is enough room for a reader to grip the pages without hiding the text, and also of positioning the two facing textblocks in such a way that they work together visually as a single block, rather than each page being a isolated world unto itself. The overall effect is that the eye sees the two textblocks as one area framed by a larger white space. How does it strike you?

 

Although the text may be too small to be read easily, it's perhaps just as well! The script is nothing glorious: an everyday, hastily-written italic hand with its share of flaws -- my usual ordinary handwriting.

 

all the best,

Italicist

 

Thanks for enlarging the view of the text. Looks great!!

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/SyKNz7RlARI/AAAAAAAAABs/6W3s83uwodo/s800/NIxie.jpg

[Italicist]

Thanks for your generous remarks and suggestions, everyone. Further specifics:

 

Randal6393: I've been toying with the idea of working on decorative initials lately, so your suggestion comes at a very suitable moment. I'm about to start copying another short story into the journal, so we'll see whether I'm brave enough to add an initial and post the results.

 

HDoug: Quite right about the accretion of marginalia eventually adding to the value of a work. I'll probably add some playful marginalia to this fairy tale, since there are some genuinely silly moments. (E.g the miller promises to give the most recently born thing in the household to the nixie, only to discover that his wife had just given birth to a son. Apparently the miller had forgotten that his wife was nine months along or had failed to notice. Such a turn of plot cries out for an equally silly marginal condemnation of foolishness of millers, or some such thing.)

 

Journaleur: Feel free! I'm deeply gratified that you like the script so much. You could find other exemplars (better guides than my script, I'd say) here: Caliken's italic script or Ann Finley's chancery italic instructions.

 

with thanks and best wishes,

Italicist

[edited to remove blank lines that appeared, seemingly out of nowhere]

Edited December 15, 2009 by Italicist

[vidalia11]

This is fantastic. I think your writing is beautiful and very legible, consistent, etc. It would make a marvelous, one-of-a-kind gift if you could bear to part with it.

 

Neat idea!

 

Karen

[caliken]

I've been toying with the idea of working on decorative initials lately, so your suggestion comes at a very suitable moment. I'm about to start copying another short story into the journal, so we'll see whether I'm brave enough to add an initial and post the results.

Just a small postscript, Italicist -

 

If and when you decide to add a decorative initial (great idea!) I suggest, from bitter experience, that you use a full blank sheet of paper with the initial area cut out and tape this lightly to the finished page of writing, so that only the area for the initial is exposed. It's very easy to get carried away with the involvement of a painted initial,and spilled or smudged paint on the already-written are would be difficult to remove. As I indicated earlier, I've been there - so I know of what I speak!

 

Please post the result.

 

Ken

[Italicist]

Thanks for the kind comment, Vidalia. And thanks for the valuable suggestion, Caliken -- using a paper mask will definitely save my pages, time, nerves, tear ducts, etc. I'm all too skilled in smudging, dripping, and smearing, I'm afraid! I haven't yet started an initial, but I'll post it when it's finished.

[Italicist]

Here's a somewhat sloppy mock-up of a capital T that may eventually find its way into the journal in a more polished form. The clours in the background diaper pattern are still subject to change; the blue that I use eventually will probably be darker than the colour used here, and the gold ink will be a bit more even (I hope). If the final version looks better than this, I'll post a bigger version!

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JnXXB0RwRlk/SzukSlZWqRI/AAAAAAAAADY/xGXY5inY9D0/s144/letter%20T.jpg