An Introduction to Calligraphy: The art of calligraphy is as old as writing itself and originates from man's natural instinct to communicate. The writing material of classic times was papyrus, used first with a reed brush, then a broad edged pen cut from the split stem of a reed. Wax tablets and a metal stylus provided a less expensive alternative to either papyrus or parchment, which was made from animal skins. Although paper was invented in China about 100 BC, it was rare in Europe until its introduction in the 15th century. Throughout the Middle Ages parchment was used for manuscripts by monks and scribes in the monasteries. Its finer surface encouraged smaller writing and the use of quill pens cut from birds feathers. The metallic pointed nib was not invented until the 18th century and came into general use only in the 19th century.

Major influences have been the classic capital letters carved by Romans on columns and buildings, and the beautiful script produced by monks and scholars prior to the invention of the printing press. A cursive form of the square capitals was developed for writing purposes, first Rustica and then Uncial between the 5th and 10th centuries. The 9th century saw the adoption of the Carolingian Miniscule or little letters throughout Europe. Evolution of the Gothic scripts occurred as early as the 10th century and continued in Northern Europe until the 15th century. The elegant Italic scripts appeared during the Italian Renaissance.

Although demand for handwritten books was greatly reduced after the invention of printing, fine writing continued among the Renaissance masters. The style of scripts became finer and more complex. Copperplate emerged and the pointed nib replaced the broad edged pen. However, at the end of the 19th century, the Arts and Crafts movement revitalised many crafts including calligraphy. In particular, the superb work produced by Edward Johnston based on the study of early manuscripts was to lay the foundations for the calligraphy that we see today.

Calligraphy is concerned with the visual expression of words. Manuscript Calligraphy Sets will help you share in this rewarding activity, learning the basic techniques, developing your own style and then creating original calligraphic designs. As you gain in confidence and experience, an endless range of project opportunities opens up to you e.g. menus, name tags, wedding invitations, family trees and presentation certificates.

Calligraphy should be fun, so it is a good idea to practice using your own favourite texts - poems, proverbs and amusing quotations will add to the pleasure of your work.

There are many excellent books to show you how to develop your natural ability. However, the following guidelines have been prepared to help you get started right away.

Getting Started: Begin by sitting comfortably. You may find it helpful to work on a drawing board or similar surface angled at 30 degrees. You will need a pencil, smooth finish paper and a ruler. Start by ruling up a framework for your lettering. The height of a particular style is set at a specific number of nib widths, and varies according to the size of nib selected.

When you have chosen a nib size and lettering style, make a scale on a piece of paper to establish the x-height of your letters. X-height is the height of lower case letters without ascenders (upstrokes) and descenders (downstrokes). Mark this down the edge of your writing paper, allowing the same space as x-height for ascenders and descenders. Now rule horizontal guidelines across the paper. Draw the lines in pencil so they can be erased when the ink is dry. To save time, use the Manuscript Calligrapher's Rule, which is marked to match Manuscript nib widths.

Numerals may be either uniform or variable height, depending on the numeral and the style you select.

A Note to Left Handers: If you find it difficult to make certain strokes, try changing your grip so the thumb is parallel with the barrel of your pen. Or try turning the paper so it slants down to the right, this gives more freedom of movement. Make sure you are using a Manuscript Calligraphy Set marked on the box "Left Hand Set".

Design Considerations: Your work should be legible and pleasing to the eye. Study the text then think about lettering styles and sizes, their weight and texture, the spacing of lines, margins and paragraphs. Make a thumbnail sketch of your design - to help determine general shape and balance. Try out different solutions and redraw one or two as a full size rough layout.

Spacing and Margins: The spacing of letters and words, and adequate margins, are important to the balance of your layout. Arrange letters so they appear to have equal space between them - not equal distance. This varies with vertical, rounded and open sided letters. Space between lines depends on letter-style, but should be sufficient to ensure readability. Generous margins make the text appear well balanced and add visual interest. Use your judgment to determine suitable margins. Consider dividing the text into columns and blocks to aid legibility and add variety. Use white space as a design element to emphasize a word or phrase and introduce contrast.

Colour: Colour can add variety to a design. It can contribute to a mood you wish to convey or highlight parts of the text. A second colour can be used to infill lettering and borders drawn with a scroll nib.

Exercises: Forget about the discipline of forming letters and enjoy yourself by creating repeat patterns so that you become familiar with numerous effects that can be achieved with your pen.
Work with bold fluid strokes and avoid tightening your hand, wrist and forearm. Extend the hand motion to most of your arm. An upstroke will produce the finest line possible with a nib, while a downstroke will make the broadest line possible.

The Foundation Hand: An ideal learning alphabet is the Foundation Hand. It is based on the Carolingian script, which flourished as the dominant European hand from the 9th to the 11th centuries. Proportions are: Capital height 6 nib widths, x-height 4 nib widths and an ascender/descender height of 7 nib widths. The nib edge should be held at an angle of 30 degrees to the writing line.

The Italic Alphabet: The graceful Italic alphabet evolved during the Renaissance. It is characterized by a gentle slope to the right and the letters are compressed so that round letters form an ellipse rather than a circle. Proportions are: Capital height 7 nib widths, x-height of 8 nib widths. For most Italic hands the pen nib should be held at a 45 degree angle to the writing line.

Gothic or Black Letter: This is a condensed style widely used from the 13th to 15th centuries. Extremely decorative but not so easy to read. There are more kinds of Gothic than any other hand.

Uncial: The earliest Uncial is found in the 4th century, various forms of it were used from the 5th - 8th centuries. Its chunky appearance gives it unique character. There are only capital letters, so for emphasis and variety versals can be used with it.

This is only a brief introduction to the world of calligraphy. Why not visit your local library, book shop, or on-line book specialist to learn more.