Simply Calligraphy: A Beginner's Guide to Elegant Lettering - Softcover

Judy Detrick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1607748568 ISBN 13: 9781607748564

Publisher: Watson-Guptill, 2016

Synopsis

This simple guide to calligraphy teaches just the basics, allowing novices to jump right in and make their own stationery.

Contents including:

• wedding invitations
• hand-label envelopes
• write their own place cards
• explore their creative side.

With the rise of do-it-yourselves, there is growing demand for a calligraphy guide that is much simpler than what's currently on the market. This book answers that call, with a focus on only the popular Italic alphabet rather than the multitude normally covered by other books (Gothic, Uncials, Half-uncials and so on). After learning the basic letters, this book presents an open invitation - and a bit of inspiration - to make calligraphy one's own with creative flourishes for every project and occasion.

With a modern two-colour design and simple explanatory text, this book's unintimidating approach proves that calligraphy is as easy as picking up pen and paper.

About this title

About the Author

JUDY DETRICK taught calligraphy and graphic design at College of the Redwoods on the Mendocino coast for more than 30 years and developed the Graphic Arts Certificate Program there. Active in the Bay Area calligraphy community, she teaches regularly at several Bay Area venues and throughout Northern California, including the San Francisco Center for the Book. She served as editor of 'Alphabet, the Journal of the Friends of Calligraphy' from 2007 to 2010. Her work is well represented in the Harrison Calligraphy Collection in Special Collections at the San Francisco Public Library.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Simply Calligraphy

A Beginner's Guide to Elegant Lettering

By Judy Detrick

Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale

Copyright © 2016 Judy Detrick
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-60774-856-4

CONTENTS

Introduction..............................................................1
1. Tools and Materials.................................................3
2. Getting Started.......................................................7
3. Small Letters..........................................................13
4. Capitals.................................................................37
5. Numerals...............................................................49
6. Flourishes..............................................................57
7. Project Ideas...........................................................67
8. Additional Alphabets...............................................77



INTRODUCTION

Although digital technology today seems to have rendered handwriting obsolete, what is not obsolete is the distinct pleasure derived from receiving a beautifully penned envelope and opening a handsome handwritten letter. You may have admired a beautiful piece of calligraphy and wondered how to do it yourself. With a little effort, you can learn to craft lovely letters for every occasion.

This book will provide you with the first steps toward developing a calligraphic hand that is unique to you, attractive, and easy to read. The sample alphabet in these pages will help you learn the proper form of letters as they were created long ago, during the Italian Renaissance. Called italic, this is the hand most commonly seen on wedding invitations, hand-lettered menus, and other artful presentations. I will lead you through a series of exercises that will help you acquire a handsome italic hand, and I’ll suggest fun projects that will give you practice in a practical way. I’ll encourage you to try a variety of pens, inks, and papers to find the right ones for you. You will also receive guidance with layout and design, advice on addressing envelopes, and ideas for flourishes and other embellishments.

Of course, results are not instantaneous, and your handwriting doesn’t come with a spell checker or Delete key, but the more you practice, the faster you will improve! So let’s get started.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Simply Calligraphy by Judy Detrick. Copyright © 2016 Judy Detrick. Excerpted by permission of Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Watson-Guptill
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1607748568
• ISBN 13: 9781607748564
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96