A Beginning

Several times now, people have asked me how to get started writing in Spencerian or Copperplate script.  Typically people want to know what kind of pen to buy, which books to read and what videos to watch.  Striking out on your own to learn one of these styles can be an arduous and frustrating journey.  If you aren't careful, it becomes an expensive one as well.

Some practical advice for getting started is on the way.  When I struck out on my own to learn calligraphy in the summer of 2011, there wasn't anywhere to turn to for wisdom.  Let me tell you, I lasted maybe two months before I angrily shoved everything in a box and left it there for more than half a year.  Pointed pen is trench warfare.  It requires cunning, patience, persistence, mental fortitude and sometimes alcohol (though I don't personally recommend it).  Also, lets face it, you've got to be a bit of a bastard too.  If your heart soars in the face of chaos and adversity, if you are excited by the cussedness of a task, you've got what it takes.  

I didn't begin to learn Copperplate and Spencerian in earnest, or with any progress until sometime around June of 2012.  Through cussedness, doggedness, and fearlessness I slowly began to improve.  I broke quite a bit of equipment trying to alter it during this period.  Then I joined my local calligraphy guild and made an absolute pest of myself.  Bitter tears of joy were wept at the gift of their wisdom.  Deliverance from suffering was at hand.

By September of 2013 I found myself far away from home, sitting in my brother's kitchen, doing last minute table cards for his wedding.  I had a smile on my face, and the pens minded me.  The event coordinator at the hotel asked for my card.  It was worth all the late nights, burning eyeballs and hand cramps to get to that point.

Let me stress very emphatically that if there is calligraphy guild anywhere near you, it is folly to start down this road on your own.  Joining my local calligraphy guild has been one of the most rewarding things I've done.  Watching someone use a pen, up close, and in person, is vastly more helpful than watching a video.  It is also an interactive experience, where you can ask whatever questions that come to mind.  So, read on, but also visit Cynscribe’s webpage for an international list of calligraphy guilds.  Find one and join it, they will be happy to see you.

Whether you are setting out to learn Spencerian or Copperplate or a contemporary style of pointed pen calligraphy, there is one important thing you must come to grips with immediately; having the proper supplies accounts for 90% or more of the final result.  Good script with solid and consistent letter forms comes from a dynamic mix of the right type of paper, a suitable ink for your paper, and a suitable nib for your ink and paper choices.  The choice of pen holder for your nib also plays a role, albeit a less important one.  In several posts I will discuss all of these.