Michael Ward - Spencerian & The Art of Movement Wr
Traditionally, Spencerian Script & Ornamental Penmanship were written using rapid motions. This style of movement writing was how they managed to create the unbelievably beautiful specimens we now study. In this class we will start from square one and train our muscles to flow graciously from form to form driven by the larger muscles of our upper arm and back, rather than using our fingers to draw out the letters. When combined with a rhythmic flow, this will give our writing a beautiful and uniform appearance. From there we will go further and explore accent flourishes, designed with our movement in mind to best add character and an artistic flare to our writing. Having an understanding of Spencerian or Ornamental Penmanship will help greatly in this class. The learning curve is steep, but since we start from the basics, this class can be suitable for any level (though challenging for beginners). Students will be taught to execute Spencerian & Ornamental Penmanship using new muscles and movements. Topics will cover use of muscles, forearm and whole arm movement, rhythm, line integrity, oval symmetry, and accent flourishing.
- Oblique pen holder
- Flexible nib of choice (i.e. Leonardt Principal EF, Gillott 303) [NOTE: Nikko G and the like will not be flexible enough for this class]
- Ink of choice (something smooth flowing like walnut or iron gall--Mike uses walnut most of the time)
- Blank paper of choice (i.e. Rhodia pad, or similar)
- Paperclips to hold guide sheets