Introduction to Calligraphy

by Lady Mariah Gawen de Andovere

 

Creation of the Alphabet
The creation of the first alphabet was a result of adapting the pictographic and ideographic writing styles of the Egyptians. Sometime before 1200 BC, the Phoenicians adopted and adapted these phonetic symbols. They built a set of 22 phonetic symbols needed to speak their language. Using and changing these symbols in to abstract forms, the Phoenicians created the first alphabet.

The alphabet was borrowed and altered many times. In 403 BC the alphabet was officially adopted by civilization. Meanwhile, the Etruscans, located on the Italian peninsula, borrowed the unperfected Greek alphabet, changed it to suit their needs and gave their sixteen letters names, many of which we still use.

Finally a few more changes and a touch of calligraphic feel, they settled on a collection of 23 Letters. A, B, C (with the sound of 'G' and 'K'), D, E, F. G (a late addition since 'C' had done the work), H, I (worked as the vowel 'I' and the consonant 'J'), K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, V (always pronounced as a 'U'), X, Y, and Z.

The letter 'U' evolved from 'V' after 900 AD: the letter 'W' did not appear until the 11th Century and the letter 'J' would not proceed from 'I' until 1400 AD.

Calligraphy and Scribes
The history of calligraphy is contained mostly in handwritten manuscripts (Latin "manus" meaning hand and "script" meaning writing.). Calligraphy was most aggressively promoted by the Christian church. It was the monks who toiled in the scriptoria, or writing rooms. Work done in the scriptorium was an important obligation. To promoted education, manuscripts had to be produced.

Monks worked with a quill pen in their right hand, and a knife in their left, used to sharpen the pen, to smooth out roughened areas of the parchment, to scrape away errors and to hold the parchment in place. Nearby sat a pot of ink. Within sight of the monk's hand signals was the armarius, the monk who ran the scriptorium. He would supply additional pens, inks, and parchments, all of which were prepared by either the scribes or the monastary's novices.

Work in the scriptorium was and tedious. Monks worked throughout the daylight hours and usually in complete silence. Each scribe did his work at a desk or table with a stool offering no back support. For the safety of the manuscripts no warming fires were allowed.

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, to know the origin if the alphabet as we know it came to be. Second, this is probably the most important, to show that being a scribe was not, and is not, easy. The monks of long ago could not simply pick up a quill and write. It took many hours of practice. So, it is very important not to be discouraged when you aren't able to pick up your pen and go, but to know that with practice it will come.

 

Calligraphy: It's terms and tools

by Lady Mariah Gawen de Andovere

Definitions:

Script-- The model of writing the scribe uses to produce the work.

Hand-- a general style of calligraphy (italic hand as opposed to uncial hand or gothic hand). What the scribe interprets from the model.

Nib-- the writing point of a pen.

Nib width-- the width of the writing point of the pen.

Body-- the bulk of the letter (a, o, e, s, c, u, w, v, all are body letters).

Ascender-- the part above the body of the letter (t, b, l, and k all have ascenders).

Descender-- the part of the letter below the body (p, q, j, and y all have descenders).

Stroke-- one swipe of the pen, either down or around. As a rule, all strokes should move down or in a down-and-around motion. There are some exceptions, as when stroking up and to the right using the angle of the pen to make a fine hair-like line. Never stroke with a pushing motion with the flat of the pen moving away from you to the left. Never stroke up with the pen; the nib is fragile and will break or spatter ink on your work and you!

Serif-- a brief perpendicular line ending most of the straight or curved strokes. This 'H' uses serifs and this 'H' does not.

Ductus-- the direction and sequence of each stroke.

 

Pen and Paper Considerations

Felt-tipped pens: These are okay for practice and you can find them in a variety of nib-widths and colors. However they should not be used in period-type calligraphy. The ink fades quickly and the line consistency is bad, with a lot of "feathering" at the edges.

Commercial papers: Safest to start with and cheapest. These papers range in colors and thickness and some even have embossed textures. Stick with smooth surface first with just a bit of "tooth" (the slight roughness of the paper's surface that gives the ink something to cling to without just sitting on top where it can run). Too much tooth however, can cause ink to bleed so be careful. Try copier paper.

A few things to remember: No one's lettering ever looks exactly like the book. Calligraphy is an art that is open to interpretation and experimentation. Just as no two people have the same handwriting, no two can create calligraphy that looks exactly the same.

Don't worry if you don't letter like a Vatican scribe in the first few attempts. No one ever does. It takes time, practice, and PATIENCE. Start with less complicated hands (Gothic, Old English, etc.) when you are comfortable with the pen and ink. It takes a lot of time, but you will get it.

Practice, practice, practice. Your local library should have some good books on calligraphy. If you happen to live in a college town good for you. You will probably have access to more than standard conventional libraries. With a little time you will learn to recognizer the subtle between an English Italic style and Italian Italic style. Read, read, read.

These articles first appeared in The Chronicles of Forth Castle (December 1997 and January 1998 respectively). They are published here with the permission of the author.