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Cn U Rd Ths?

March 30, 2009 in calligraphy, handwriting, penmanship | No comments

italic calligraphy, 1540

Mar. 30, 2009 — Can you decipher the three words shown above? They were written in cursive Italic handwriting, nearly five centuries ago, by one of the greatest experts in this hand, Gerardus Mercator. If you need help decoding this loopy Italic cursive, click on the image.

I’ve finished reading Script & Scribble, a new book about the history of handwriting, by Kitty Burns Florey. She gets many of her facts wrong, but for the most part she has nice things to say about traditional American penmanship — that is, until she jumps off the deep end in the final chapter and claims that modern Italic handwriting is far superior to American cursive styles. Her criticisms are presented amateurishly, comparing poor examples of “loopy cursive” with clearly written, semi-cursive Italic, and repeating the clichés and biased opinions of Italic handwriting experts. (Opposing views were not included.)

The real “penmanship wars” lasted for centuries, but this strife ended long ago. Serious penmanship pedagogy, in American schools, was dead and buried by circa 1940–1960 (a bit later in some places), and yet our modern Italic enthusiasts struggle along to this day, like abandoned soldiers on a forgotten island.

They criticize penmanship methods they know little or nothing about, but they never see the inherent flaws and weaknesses of Italic handwriting, of which there are many.

As Charles P. Zaner (1864-1918) emphasized, all handwriting styles have their strengths and weaknesses — therefore it’s silly to get hung up on a particular style, and to belittle other approaches.

Cross-Writing

February 28, 2009 in handwriting, penmanship | 3 comments

cross-writing by charles darwin

Feb. 28, 2009 — Cross-writing is a technique for saving writing paper. It was used mostly in the 19th century. After a page of writing had been completed – or usually after both sides of a sheet were filled in – then the writer turned the page 90 degrees and continued, adding a second layer of text, perpendicular to the first. Cross-writing is surprisingly easy to read, as a reader’s mind naturally tunes out the irrelevant lines. (Further layers of text are possible, at other angles, but this reduces legibility very quickly.)

This is a sample of Charles Darwin’s cross-writing, from 1828.

And here is another sample of cross-writing — by my great-great grand-uncle, James Charles Andrews (1839-1886). He studied medicine and received a degree, but he never practiced medicine. He was a Quaker, a commissioned officer in the Civil War, a factory owner, and a banker. His handwriting seems, at first glance, like an example of “Spencerian scribbling” — but it’s actually the smooth, rapid hand of a mature writer, someone with a solid grounding in formal penmanship.

Many people disapproved of cross-writing. Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) wrote: “When you get to the end of a notesheet, and find you have more to say, take another piece of paper – a whole sheet, or a scrap, as the case may demand, but whatever you do, don’t cross! Remember the old proverb ‘Cross-writing makes cross-reading.’ ‘The old proverb?’ you say inquiringly. ‘How old?’ Well, not so very ancient, I must confess. In fact – I’m afraid I invented it while writing this paragraph.” (From: Eight or Nine Wise Words About Letter-Writing, 1890.)

Nonhuman Artists

December 31, 2008 in art, calligraphy | No comments

sea lion practicing calligraphyDec. 31, 2008 — I was looking around for news concerning one of my favorite nonhuman calligraphers, Jonao, a very talented sea lion, who for the past several years has produced beautiful calligraphy in public demonstrations in celebration of the New Year — but, alas, this master scribe seems to have been replaced at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama by a younger sea lion named Jackie, shown here practicing for this year’s show.

My websurfing led me somewhat astray (as usual), and eventually to the following video clip of a brilliantly artistic elephant. If you’ve never seen an elephant painting before, get ready for a shock! I’ve seen amazing examples of abstract painting and drawing by elephants, but the following demonstration is almost beyond belief.

You also might want to watch a follow-up video, which gives some background on this pachydermic Picasso.

More Artwork by Victor Hugo

December 14, 2008 in art, calligraphy, lettering | No comments

Dec. 14, 2008 — Here are a few more paintings and drawings by Victor Hugo, some with lettering.

Wikipedia has this to say about Hugo’s artwork:

“Many are not aware that Hugo was almost as prolific in the visual arts as he was in literature, producing more than 4,000 drawings in his lifetime. Originally pursued as a casual hobby, drawing became more important to Hugo shortly before his exile, when he made the decision to stop writing in order to devote himself to politics. Drawing became his exclusive creative outlet during the period 1848-1851.

“He would not hesitate to use his children’s stencils, ink blots, puddles and stains, lace impressions, “pliage” or folding (i.e., Rorschach blots), “grattage” or rubbing, often using the charcoal from matchsticks, or his fingers, instead of pen or brush. Sometimes he would even toss in coffee or soot to get the effects he wanted. It is reported that Hugo often drew with his left hand or without looking at the page, or during Spiritualist séances, in order to access his unconscious mind, a concept only later popularized by Sigmund Freud.”

Victor Hugo’s Lettering Art

November 21, 2008 in art, calligraphy, lettering | 2 comments

Nov. 21, 2008 — Victor Hugo produced several thousand drawings during his lifetime. This work went largely unnoticed by the general public — eclipsed by Hugo’s phenomenal success as a man of letters — but it was highly regarded by many artists and art critics. For example, Théophile Gautier wrote, in his preface to Dessins de Victor Hugo (pub. 1862): “If Victor Hugo were not a poet, he would be an artist of the first order.” Other famous admirers of Hugo’s artwork were Eugène Delacroix and Vincent Van Gogh.

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