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caliken
November 3rd, 2013, 07:05 AM
This example of Spencerian was inspired by the script of E A Lupfer.

6627

cedargirl
November 3rd, 2013, 10:47 PM
Fantastic.

That's an interesting version of Spencerian, and one I quite like. You often see it written very ornately and with a lot of flex (correctly or incorrectly). I think this version is better.

KrazyIvan
November 4th, 2013, 09:38 AM
I have not really thought of a style to choose yet but Spencerian looks like it could work for everyday writing. I may have to look into it.

Jeph
November 4th, 2013, 09:41 AM
Even though all of the letters are perfectly formed I find that hard to read. I am not sure why. It might just be old age.

Out of curiosity, do you have a "standard" ink and paper, and if so what are they?

AndyT
November 4th, 2013, 10:03 AM
I always liked Lupfer's style, and that's a super interpretation. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on paper and ink, too.

caliken
November 4th, 2013, 03:20 PM
Jeph & AndyT,

Nowadays, for almost all of my writing, I use Mondi IQ Selection Smooth 100gsm white paper. It's a laser/Inkjet copier paper with a beautiful surface for all kinds of nib and ink. There's no bleed and the lines are very crisp and sharp. There is also a thinner vesion at 80gsm but I prefer the thicker 100gsm as there is virtually no see-through. It's relatively inexpensive and I buy it by the ream. There are probably equally good alternatives by different manufacturers but I'm a creature of habit and once I find something that works for me, I tend to stay with it.

Likewise with ink : I've been using the same inks for years now and they've never let me down. For black ink for fountain pens I use Aurora black or Parker Quink. For dip nibs and the finest possible hairlines, Iron Gall ink is best, but it takes a while to dry black and tends to be corrosive necessitating careful and frequent cleaning. For that reason, I use Higgins Eternal which is a beautiful black ink. For colour I prefer to write with diluted Artists Gouache as I like its density and strength. It comes in tubes and with a bit of practice, it's possible to achieve the perfect dilution for flowing from a dip nib. However, it can't be used with a fountain pen and, with these, I use Diamine coloured inks.

For general edged-nib writing, I'm a great advocate of the Manuscript range of Fountain pens with interchangeable nibs. They can be used with cartridges or are re-fillable by reservoir. I have no connection with the company, I just admire their products.

Ken

AndyT
November 4th, 2013, 03:27 PM
That's very helpful, thank you Ken. Presumably you use dip pens for all of your copperplate and Spencerian work?

caliken
November 4th, 2013, 03:50 PM
That's very helpful, thank you Ken. Presumably you use dip pens for all of your copperplate and Spencerian work?

Yes, that's correct: I always use an oblique penholder. I have tried Copperplate with a fountain pen, but with limited success.

Ken

anaximander
December 30th, 2013, 08:13 AM
This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing this and for your advice on materials.