Pointed Pen Calligraphy

Pointed pen calligraphy is so-called because it is created with a pen nib which is a sharply pointed flexible piece of metal.

Pointed pen nibs... flexible & super pointy!

Pointed pen nibs for calligraphy. The one on the right is in an oblique pen holder.

In this picture, the pen holder on the right is an oblique pen holder.

It is shaped this way to facilitate the super step angle required to write the Copperplate or Spencerian calligraphy hands.

The beautiful exemplars in the background of this image are from

the Ames Compendium of Practical & Ornamental Penmanship.

The following is a beautiful example of pointed pen calligraphy,

from the engraver George Bickham’s incredible book, The Universal Penman.

Example of pointed pen calligraphy from George Bickham's Book The Universal Penman

~~~~~~~COPPERPLATE OR SPENCERIAN???~~~~~~~

The word “Calligraphy” means “beautiful writing” in Greek.

Much of the elegant modern calligraphy we see today is based off of the traditional hands called “Spencerian” and “Copperplate.”

To see easily spot the difference between the two alphabets,

here are exemplars of each alphabet:

Spencerian "Ladies Hand" Calligraphy Exemplar

Spencerian is recognized by its “light” lowercase letters (the letters usually do not have a lot of shading, or heavier thick parts).

Copperplate exemplar

 

Copperplate letters are more shaded (darker, heavier lines where the pen swells).

Interested in learning more about these two alphabets, and calligraphy in general? Visit this AMAZING site:

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons.php

~~~~~~~INTERESTED IN LEARNING CALLIGRAPHY?~~~~~~~

Have an interest in learning Calligraphy? Wonderful!!!

These are the ultimate books I recommend! While the last three are specific to pointed pen calligraphy,

the first book is an amazing overview of lots of calligraphy styles.

Happy Writing!!!

:)

If you are interested in learning calligraphy, the first book I recommend is “Modern Mark Making” by the Letterista, Lisa Englebrecht.

Lisa’s book is absolutely fabulous for giving a good look into lots of different styles of calligraphy, while providing TONS of inspiration!!!

Very highly recommended!

The Second book I recommend is “Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy” by Eleanor Winters.

This amazing guide goes over every stroke and line of the copperplate hand.

An absolutely essential book for those interested in pointed pen calligraphy!

The third book I highly recommend is “The Zanerian Manual of Alphabets and Engrossing.”

This very old manual (from 1895) has fascinating examples of many types of calligraphy and lots of tips!!!

Lastly, I highly encourage those interested in calligraphy to look for the

“Ames Compendium of Practical & Ornamental Penmanship” By Daniel T. Ames, first published in 1883.

This incredible book has gorgeous examples as well as interesting tips for the aspiring penwoman / penman!!!

These last three books can be quite hard to find!

They can be purchased from the calligraphy supplier

http://www.johnnealbooks.com