NanceXToo Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 If I wanted to move on from Cursive Workbooks to doing Calligraphy instead next year (with an 11 y/o 6th grader), anyone have any advice on the best book/workbook to start with, and what supplies to start with, for a beginner? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I am a calligrapher, and have taught middle-school kids calligraphy. If you want to transition from cursive to calligraphy, you would be well-served to look at the Getty-Dubay texts. Learn those letter forms and be able to do them neatly, then transition into calligraphy texts. There are several good one, but the one I like best is the Lettering and Calligraphy Workbook put out by the Diagram Group. There is also one called The Calligraphy Work Book - how to master broad pen scripts by George L Thomson. This is very good because it teaches the letters LARGE. I do not recommend buying calligraphy pens and immediately trying to write out texts...it is nearly always an exercise in frustration. The best way to start is to take two sharp pencils, tape them together at the top and bottom (the two points become the sides of the "nib") and learn how to correctly angle the nib, make the wides and narrows, how to add serifs, and practice, practice practice. Get a sketch book and do the alphabet this way, one letter per page (the width of the double-pencils means that the letters turn out quite large). The second book I mentioned has pages of script to trace out this way. Then transition to the widest pen nib you can find and start practicing with dip ink. Narrow nibs are the hardest to work with and the least forgiving. It's fun and pretty easy, as well as you have the right tools at your disposal. I have a lot of other things I could add, but have to run right now...if you have any questions, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Thanks for the great information! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Penny Gardner has Beautiful Handwriting for Chlldren as an ebook. It teaches standard and cursive italics. Office Max sells some disposable fountain pens, they are NOT very wide but the ink flows nicely. (3 for $7.50 I think.) Thanks for the 2 pencil tip. I might try it myself. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I liked "1-2-3 calligraphy! : letters and projects for beginners and beyond" and "Calligraphy for kids" by Eleanor Winters. She teaches two styles - Italics and Gothic, and includes art projects that the beginner can easily do (greeting cards, room signs, etc). She also suggests writing with two pencils taped together and then moving on to using flat nib markers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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