PDA

View Full Version : Calligraphy examples (1)



caliken
November 3rd, 2013, 03:23 PM
Here are a few examples of my calligraphy.

Copperplate
6648

Copperplate & Uncial
6641

Oblique Fraktur
6642

Gothic & Copperplate, not a direct copy, but written in the style of the entries in "The Universal Penman".
6647

This is the banner heading for my website : www.kenfrasercalligrapher.com
6649

cwent2
November 3rd, 2013, 04:10 PM
Very nice. You make it look so easy.... Look being the operative word. Lot's of Practice.... and it shows.

Cw

tandaina
November 3rd, 2013, 04:13 PM
That is so perfectly written that it honestly looks like a computer font. Seriously impressive and beautiful!

Robert
November 3rd, 2013, 04:26 PM
You are a truly impressive artist. Out of curiosity, how many years have you been a calligrapher?

caliken
November 3rd, 2013, 04:46 PM
You are a truly impressive artist. Out of curiosity, how many years have you been a calligrapher?

Forever!

Seriously, it feels like that, sometimes. I'm 74 years old and have been a full-time self-employed, professional calligrapher for more than 25 years. I'm still working full-time.

Having said that, I've been actively studying and practicing calligraphy for a lot longer than that. I first took a serious interest when I was in my teens.

Ken

cedargirl
November 3rd, 2013, 10:22 PM
Truly wonderful. Thank you.

Do you use an offset nib for copperplate?


{post script- sorry I should have watched your copperplate video first. Of course you do!!}

Carole
November 4th, 2013, 12:19 AM
Ken, do you remember seeing a TV series based on Donald Jackson's book The Story of Writing? I think it was made and shown in the UK in the early '80's. I've never been able to find it--I believe Parker Pen was the sponsor. (But when contacted, they didn't seem to have a copy in their archives. )

When you mentioned your 25+ years in the field, I thought maybe you had seen the show--or maybe you even taped the broadcast and have a copy? ;)

Thanks for posting these beautiful samples!

caliken
November 4th, 2013, 02:34 AM
Ken, do you remember seeing a TV series based on Donald Jackson's book The Story of Writing? I think it was made and shown in the UK in the early '80's.

Sorry, I can't help you. I have a copy of the book, but I never saw the TV series.

Ken

krazyklod
November 4th, 2013, 05:40 AM
Hi Ken, I see that you live in Scotland, do you happen to do any teaching? Possibly in Glasgow?

caliken
November 4th, 2013, 06:46 AM
Hi Ken, I see that you live in Scotland, do you happen to do any teaching? Possibly in Glasgow?

I'm afraid that teaching is a skill well beyond my capabilities. I'm self-taught and I had enough trouble teaching myself!

Thanks for asking.

Ken

krazyklod
November 4th, 2013, 12:58 PM
Hi Ken, I see that you live in Scotland, do you happen to do any teaching? Possibly in Glasgow?

I'm afraid that teaching is a skill well beyond my capabilities. I'm self-taught and I had enough trouble teaching myself!

Thanks for asking.

Ken

Thanks anyway Ken. Do you have any tips for self-teaching?

caliken
November 4th, 2013, 02:49 PM
Hi Ken, I see that you live in Scotland, do you happen to do any teaching? Possibly in Glasgow?

I'm afraid that teaching is a skill well beyond my capabilities. I'm self-taught and I had enough trouble teaching myself!

Thanks for asking.

Ken

Thanks anyway Ken. Do you have any tips for self-teaching?

By coincidence, I've just posted this on another thread. I hope that it's of some help.

When I'm learning a new style of lettering, I always use the same approach which has served me well over the years.

Locate the best exemplar you can find of the full alphabet and preferably, a piece of text as well. Enlarge the lettering by photocopying to at least an x height of 1/2" - preferably larger. Study it to determine the subtleties which go towards making it attractive and legible. Trace it several times with a dry nib. If repeated often enough, the brain is capable of remembering the exact movements necessary to create any specific shape. Referring constantly to the exemplar, write a small passage at the same size. Then compare your writing with the exemplar in the minutest detail. Really look at it. Check all and every subtlety of the stroke movements which give the style its characteristic identity. This concentrated study will produce steady improvement with each attempt at writing the style.

Once you are producing reasonably accurate results, write out the entire alphabet. Check the letters which look OK and mentally put them to one side. Write out the remaining letters over and over, gradually eliminating the good ones until you are left with perhaps two or three letters which subbornly refuse to look right. Spend as long as it takes, writing these letters over and over again, until, at last, the entire style looks good and is added to your repertoire. It's important that, during this learning process, you don't waste time writing out that which is already good. Concentrate on the weak letters, bringing them up to the level of the others. Then spend some time on combinations of letters, studying the subtleties of good spacing and the positioning of ligatures, if used. At the end of all this, you will be able to write out anything you want, without any hang up about specific letters or combination of letters.

As an example, here is a short piece of writing in the very personal style of Louis Madarasz. I used exactly the process outlined above, to learn this exacting, unique style. There is nothing magical about any of this. You don't even need to be artistic or naturally talented. With a steady hand, all that is required is the ability to study closely and the patience to learn. As this can undoubtedly be a tedious process, it is imperative that you really want to do it!

6700

Good luck!


Ken

krazyklod
November 5th, 2013, 02:49 AM
Hi Ken, I see that you live in Scotland, do you happen to do any teaching? Possibly in Glasgow?

I'm afraid that teaching is a skill well beyond my capabilities. I'm self-taught and I had enough trouble teaching myself!

Thanks for asking.

Ken

Thanks anyway Ken. Do you have any tips for self-teaching?

By coincidence, I've just posted this on another thread. I hope that it's of some help.

When I'm learning a new style of lettering, I always use the same approach which has served me well over the years.

Locate the best exemplar you can find of the full alphabet and preferably, a piece of text as well. Enlarge the lettering by photocopying to at least an x height of 1/2" - preferably larger. Study it to determine the subtleties which go towards making it attractive and legible. Trace it several times with a dry nib. If repeated often enough, the brain is capable of remembering the exact movements necessary to create any specific shape. Referring constantly to the exemplar, write a small passage at the same size. Then compare your writing with the exemplar in the minutest detail. Really look at it. Check all and every subtlety of the stroke movements which give the style its characteristic identity. This concentrated study will produce steady improvement with each attempt at writing the style.

Once you are producing reasonably accurate results, write out the entire alphabet. Check the letters which look OK and mentally put them to one side. Write out the remaining letters over and over, gradually eliminating the good ones until you are left with perhaps two or three letters which subbornly refuse to look right. Spend as long as it takes, writing these letters over and over again, until, at last, the entire style looks good and is added to your repertoire. It's important that, during this learning process, you don't waste time writing out that which is already good. Concentrate on the weak letters, bringing them up to the level of the others. Then spend some time on combinations of letters, studying the subtleties of good spacing and the positioning of ligatures, if used. At the end of all this, you will be able to write out anything you want, without any hang up about specific letters or combination of letters.

As an example, here is a short piece of writing in the very personal style of Louis Madarasz. I used exactly the process outlined above, to learn this exacting, unique style. There is nothing magical about any of this. You don't even need to be artistic or naturally talented. With a steady hand, all that is required is the ability to study closely and the patience to learn. As this can undoubtedly be a tedious process, it is imperative that you really want to do it!

6700

Good luck!


Ken

Thanks again Ken! You are far too kind and inspirational.

mboschm
January 14th, 2014, 07:09 AM
Very nice work. I'd like to see some "italian hand", if possible. Do you have any samples?

caliken
January 16th, 2014, 05:53 AM
Very nice work. I'd like to see some "italian hand", if possible. Do you have any samples?

I'll write out a piece in "Italian Hand", and post it, shortly.

Thanks for asking.

Ken

mboschm
January 16th, 2014, 10:59 AM
Thanks a lot.

caliken
January 19th, 2014, 02:49 PM
Very nice work. I'd like to see some "italian hand", if possible. Do you have any samples?

Here's a small example of "Italian Hand" (not to be confused with "Italic")

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/ItalianHand500.jpg

AndyT
January 19th, 2014, 04:26 PM
Thank you, Ken. I see a rather compressed style with many of the loops so fine that they merge together to form a bulb - is that a fair description?

caliken
January 21st, 2014, 01:50 AM
AndyT

Yes - I think that that's a fair description. Thanks for posting.

caliken
January 26th, 2014, 04:12 PM
Here's a short video of Italian Hand

Ken

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/th_ItalianHand.jpg (http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/ItalianHand.mp4)

Robert
January 26th, 2014, 08:13 PM
Caliken wrote: "Here's a short video of Italian Hand."


Very impressive - and inspiring, sir!

Manny
March 15th, 2014, 05:23 PM
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/fpgeeks/2014-03-15_19-04-19_347-1_zpsead757dd.jpg

Manny
March 28th, 2014, 02:44 PM
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/fpgeeks/2014-03-28_16-42-35_533-1_zps213fb9e0.jpg

Apprenti
April 7th, 2014, 10:49 AM
Cool, very Tolkien-esque :)

Carole
April 7th, 2014, 08:39 PM
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/fpgeeks/2014-03-28_16-42-35_533-1_zps213fb9e0.jpg

:pound: I laughed so much that I scared the cats. But I've never been able to learn that style. Maybe if I get a "Lenten Lamy" it would help. Or if you ever teach a lunchtime online class --maybe called
"Let's Do Luncials"-- I can give it another try.

Manny
April 16th, 2014, 03:37 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/17/u4y5uza2.jpg

Carole
April 18th, 2014, 05:51 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/17/u4y5uza2.jpg


Ah, well, you have the gift, my friend. :rockon: Dominus vobiscum.

Manny
April 30th, 2014, 11:06 AM
Now that I've obliged my abstinence from all--but one--fountain pens, this is uncial with a flex nib from my Sheaffer Statesman..

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/fpgeeks/0430141251-1_zpsn5yzz3u2.jpg

And for comparison, this is uncial with my newest pen, a Waterman's Crusader, with a stub..

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/fpgeeks/0430141344-1_zps3tj5v1uz.jpg

Apprenti
April 30th, 2014, 11:59 AM
Very cool Manny. Interesting that a hand typically associated with italic looks so nice with a flex nib. Of course, a lot of that is down to the person holding the pen :D

Apprenti
April 30th, 2014, 12:00 PM
And that's one of my favourite verses too! :)