Learning Italic Vs Learning Blackletter

[silver ink]

http://i1368.photobucket.com/albums/ag175/ink00/bo_zpsbbavmqcl.jpg

[patrickfp]

Very nice Silver Ink.

 

When it comes to writing numerals, how many pen widths do use ?

[silver ink]

5

 

is it right?

[delano]

I've never attempted blackletter, but was attracted to the idea. That's what brought me to this thread. These are some beautiful works, -- and I can see how the beauty of the more saturated inks can be hilighted.

[silver ink]

http://i1368.photobucket.com/albums/ag175/ink00/bn_zpsep9lxfxs.jpg

 

http://i1368.photobucket.com/albums/ag175/ink00/br_zps2kzwltco.jpg

[patrickfp]

After three weeks (an hour here, an hour there), this is where I am. I need more consistency and straighter strokes. That said, three weeks ago, I did not even think I would be able to do this. This was written with Pilot Parallel 2.4mm pens on Southwork parchment paper. Note that I made a mistake in the first d in "de"

 

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/pngpingching/Blog/IMG-20150621-00411_zpscicmkvrn.jpg

[patrickfp]

Has anyone had the chance to see a medieval manuscript in person? I would like to see one in person at least once in my life. I don't know if there is a library in Toronto where I can do that.

 

Anyway, I would like to know the size of the pen usually used for a book such as a book of hours. To me, any stroke thinner than 2 mm does not show the beauty of black letter. I tried the Manuscript 2B nib, but gave up. For now I am quite happy with either Manuscript 4B or Pilot Parallel 2.4mm, which creates 2.2mm strokes.

[caliken]

 

 

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b77/pngpingching/Blog/IMG-20150604-00370_zpskz7rxrn5.jpg

This is off-topic but quite important, I think. At first sight, in this example by patrickfp , there appears to be a problem with the uprights, as some seem to slope backwards. In fact, if you look at the background grid, you can see that the distortion is a photographic problem and the writing is probably fine.

 

I've come across this myself, in the past, and have found that the answer is to photograph from a greater distance and then to enlarge the required area.

 

 

Ken

[Uncial]

Has anyone had the chance to see a medieval manuscript in person? I would like to see one in person at least once in my life. I don't know if there is a library in Toronto where I can do that.

 

Anyway, I would like to know the size of the pen usually used for a book such as a book of hours. To me, any stroke thinner than 2 mm does not show the beauty of black letter. I tried the Manuscript 2B nib, but gave up. For now I am quite happy with either Manuscript 4B or Pilot Parallel 2.4mm, which creates 2.2mm strokes.

 

I've seen many, and some of the calligraphy is shockingly bad.

[patrickfp]

I've come across this myself, in the past, and have found that the answer is to photograph from a greater distance and then to enlarge the required area.

 

 

Ken

Yes, most of the pictures were done with my cellphone.

 

 

I've seen many, and some of the calligraphy is shockingly bad.

From what you have seen, what the closest nib size would you say was used?

[smk]

Has anyone had the chance to see a medieval manuscript in person? I would like to see one in person at least once in my life. I don't know if there is a library in Toronto where I can do that.

 

Anyway, I would like to know the size of the pen usually used for a book such as a book of hours. To me, any stroke thinner than 2 mm does not show the beauty of black letter. I tried the Manuscript 2B nib, but gave up. For now I am quite happy with either Manuscript 4B or Pilot Parallel 2.4mm, which creates 2.2mm strokes.

 

Patrick - a properly prepared quill (or even a modern steel dip pen) with a good ink+paper/parchment combination can produce lovely results at small x-heights.

 

As an example one of Cataneo's exemplars of Italic was written at an x-height of 2mm! I have also seen amazing work by Julian Waters at small scale written with a Mitchell dip pen.

 

Salman

[patrickfp]

 

Patrick - a properly prepared quill (or even a modern steel dip pen) with a good ink+paper/parchment combination can produce lovely results at small x-heights.

 

As an example one of Cataneo's exemplars of Italic was written at an x-height of 2mm! I have also seen amazing work by Julian Waters at small scale written with a Mitchell dip pen.

 

Salman

I guess I have a long way to go to be at that level. Salman, I have question that from first glance does is not related to Italic nor Blackletter. I have always wanted to know what is the reason Arabic calligraphy goes from left to right. If I am not mistaken, Chinese calligraphy was like that too at some point.

[smk]

I am not sure if there is a particular reason for the right-to-left writing direction of Arabic.

 

The writing system traces its roots to the ancient Proto-Sinaitic writing system which was the first system to use letters (consonants only) for sounds and was written in both l-to-r and r-to-l directions. I guess at some point someone decided to just stick to the r-to-l direction and it caught on :-)

 

Salman

[sidthecat]

Perhaps Hebrew was subject to the same tradition. Egyptian heiroglyphs read l-to-r, r-to-l and up and down. Maybe there were a lot of left-handed scribes back then.