The complete idiot's guide to calligraphy
Book - 2001
Provides information about how to get started writing calligraphy, the tools, the technique, where calligraphy is used, and different styles, including Roman, foundational, and gothic.
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Published
-
Indianapolis, IN :
Alpha Books
©2001.
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Physical Description
- xii, 225 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (page 217) and index.
- ISBN
- 9780028641546
- Part 1. Start Write In
- 1. The ABCs of Beautiful Handwriting
- B.C.: Before Computer
- Different Styles, Different Names
- Handwriting as Art
- Calligraphy in an Electronic Age
- People Get Paid for Doing This?
- Artistic Talent Not Essential
- 2. Pick Up Your Pen
- The Only Tools You Need to Begin
- Slant Board
- Carpenter's Pencil or 2mm Felt-Tipped Calligraphic Pen
- Posture Makes Perfect
- Get a Grip: How to Hold the Pen
- Left? Write!
- Working the Angles
- Some Warming-Up Exercises
- Learning Your ABCs
- Study the Letters
- Trace
- Practice on Ruled Paper
- 3. Starting in Style: Formal Italic
- So What's Formal Italic?
- The Important Things to Know About Formal Italic
- Stroke Sequence
- Part 2. The Write Stuff
- 4. Tools of the Trade
- Calligraphic Fountain Pens
- Calligraphic Broad-Nibbed Pens
- Assembling a Pen
- Reservoirs
- Loading a Pen with Ink
- Fixing Ink Flow Problems
- Cleaning Pens
- Other Equipment You'll Need
- Ink
- Color
- Color Inks
- Gouache
- Paper
- 5. Practice, Practice, Practice
- The Route from Awkward to Graceful
- Setting Line Spaces
- Ruling Lines
- Put the Brakes on the Shakes
- Loosening-Up Exercises
- Using a Light Box
- Correcting Mistakes
- 6. Elegant Variations: Chancery Cursive
- How to Make Beautiful Serifs
- Some Important Things to Know About Cursive Italic
- Swashes and Flourishes
- Part 3. The A to Z of Designing with Words
- 7. From Letters to Words
- Letter Spacing
- Word Spacing
- Line Spacing
- You're Running Out of Space or You Have Too Much
- How to Center Lines of Calligraphy
- 8. Designing a Project
- Interpreting the Text
- Thumbnail Sketches
- Emphasis and Weight, Scale and Balance
- Margins
- Initial Caps and Decorations
- Centered, Left, Right, Asymmetrical?
- 9. Projects to Begin With
- Bookmarks
- Place Cards
- Greeting Card Ideas
- Scoring Paper
- Getting Cards Printed
- Menus
- Fitting It All In
- Creating the Mood
- Part 4. Turning Words into Art
- 10. Wedding Invitations
- Where Do You Begin?
- Finding Your Theme
- The Many Parts of the Wedding Invitation
- The Wording
- Ideas for Designing Your Own Invitations
- Ordering Printing
- The Wording on the Envelopes
- Doing the Calligraphy on the Envelopes
- Stuffing and Mailing Envelopes
- 11. Japanese Calligraphy and Scrolls
- Japanese Calligraphy
- Using Japanese Characters
- Learning to Write Japanese Characters
- Making a Poetry Scroll
- 12. Making a Family Tree
- Doing Your Homework
- Making a Simple Four-Generation Chart
- A Layout Challenge: The More Detailed Chart
- 13. Making Posters and Playing with Words
- Location, Location, Location
- Less Is More
- Make It Eye-Catching
- Playing with Words
- Ways to Write Large Letters
- Part 5. The Medium Is the Message
- 14. Different Tools, Different Effects
- Reeds, Bamboo Pens, and ... Makeup Sponges?
- Making a Quill
- How to Cut a Nib
- Unusual Tools from Shops
- Making Rubber Stamps
- Making Embossed and Debossed Letters
- 15. Getting into Print
- Instant Printer or Commercial Printer?
- Timing, Pricing, and Estimates
- Choosing Paper, Format, and Folds
- Preparing Artwork for the Printer
- Check Everything
- 16. Ornamentation and Presentation
- Using Gold Ink and Gouache
- Making a Decorative Capital Letter
- Ribbons and Tassels
- Cutouts and 3-D Decorations
- Framing
- Part 6. Try Your Hand at These
- 17. Roman Capitals
- Classic and Dignified
- The Important Things to Know About Roman Capitals
- Serifs
- 18. Uncials
- Wide and Sprightly
- The Important Things to Know About Uncials
- 19. Foundational
- Solid and Steady
- The Important Things to Know About Foundational
- 20. Gothic
- Dignified and Dark
- The Important Things to Know About Gothic
- Appendixes
- A. Glossary
- B. Further Readings
- C. Web Sites
- Index