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ThePenPiper

By ThePenPiper
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ThePenPiper NOS (New Old Stock)

ThePenPiper

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Hello All,

 

I recently read an article about a man who completed a handwritten copy of the bible, which he was going to ceremoniously present to a local church.

Understanding that within the last few hundred years, copying by hand was required if one wished to replicate a written work - are there people that still do this?

 

As I dwelve into the land of FPs, calligraphy and penmanship I've considered copying books as a way to entertain me while I practice my writing. Unfortunately I get bored doing repetitive exercises (yes, I know that exercises are important too....) so I'm looking for something more exciting to fill my time practicing.

 

If people still do this, any tips?

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GabrielleDuVent Vintage

GabrielleDuVent

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I copied out Hamlet when I was doing penmanship. I also copied out poems of various poets, as penmanship exercise quickly gets monotonous.

 

What I suggest is to get a thin notebook, list the short stories, poems, and plays that you like, and copy everything into the thin notebook. Doing an entire novel was a bit too much for me. I used to throw my copy into my bag to read when I was bored.

Tes rires retroussés comme à son bord la rose,


Effacent mon dépit de ta métamorphose;


Tu t'éveilles, alors le rêve est oublié.



-Jean Cocteau, from Plaint-Chant, 1923

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Nanny Near Mint

Nanny

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Yes, many calligrsaphers warmup with patterns and copying. Sometimes I write patterns and then words and repeat. Or I write whatever comes into my head, be it sense or nonsense. One of the foremost calligraphers, Hermann Zapf, said it is unnecessary to warmup, but I suspect it is because of a lifetime of writing and designing typefaces. Some of us do not spend 24/7 with the pen!

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Paddler Antique

Paddler

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Yes. Look around in "The Write Stuff" subforum. There are people copying the Bible, The Hobbit, and other works. It doesn't appeal to me, but if you are into calligraphy more than composition, it might work for you.

Can a calculator understand a cash register?

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ThePenPiper NOS (New Old Stock)

ThePenPiper

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Yes. Look around in "The Write Stuff" subforum. There are people copying the Bible, The Hobbit, and other works. It doesn't appeal to me, but if you are into calligraphy more than composition, it might work for you.

Can you explain to me the difference between calligraphy vs. composition? I'm unfamiliar with these terms when it comes to pens. Sorry!

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ThePenPiper NOS (New Old Stock)

ThePenPiper

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I copied out Hamlet when I was doing penmanship. I also copied out poems of various poets, as penmanship exercise quickly gets monotonous.

 

What I suggest is to get a thin notebook, list the short stories, poems, and plays that you like, and copy everything into the thin notebook. Doing an entire novel was a bit too much for me. I used to throw my copy into my bag to read when I was bored.

I really like this idea!

 

I was pawning through Rhodia products (as they seem to come highly recommended) - would you recommend "lined" or "dotted" to start out with? Even if it isn't Rhodia...

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beak Collectors Item

beak

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Yes I've done this - but not, of course, the bible.

 

As a present last year I hand wrote and bound The Fall of the House of Usher for a friend, and added some suitable illustrations here and there. I made the whole thing look aged and 'period' too. It was well received, and fun to do.

 

Tips? Pick something you enjoy yourself, and go at a leisurely pace. Experiment with the style and layout carefully before you begin in earnest - you don't want second thoughts half way through!

Sincerely, beak.

 

God does not work in mysterious ways – he works in ways that are indistinguishable from his non-existence.

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barleycorn Extremely Rare

barleycorn

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I really like this idea!

 

I was pawning through Rhodia products (as they seem to come highly recommended) - would you recommend "lined" or "dotted" to start out with? Even if it isn't Rhodia...

Lined is fine if your style of writing fits comfortably in the 6.5 to 8mm spacing. If you loop your descenders then you may have to use two lines to not overlap the next line. I am a fan of the dot pads or whitelines grid paper. Clairefontaine is the same paper source as Rhodia and they have some nice stapled pads that are relatively inexpensive. I really like the Cf/Rhodia french lined paper. It has 2mm lines that allow you to play with the lettering size and line spacing - but is a bit busy looking.

Edited by barleycorn
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ThePenPiper NOS (New Old Stock)

ThePenPiper

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Yes I've done this - but not, of course, the bible.

 

As a present last year I hand wrote and bound The Fall of the House of Usher for a friend, and added some suitable illustrations here and there. I made the whole thing look aged and 'period' too. It was well received, and fun to do.

 

Tips? Pick something you enjoy yourself, and go at a leisurely pace. Experiment with the style and layout carefully before you begin in earnest - you don't want second thoughts half way through!

 

That sounds like a truly wonderful project! Have you posted pictures of it anywhere?

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