An Introduction to Calligraphy

Clear instructions and 129 photos welcome you to the world of calligraphy. Starting with the pens, inks, and writing surfaces you'll need, the book explains the basics, from filling the pen to holding the nib at the right angle. Practice exercises help you understand upstrokes, downstrokes, the optical center, and more. Then comes a chronological introduction to 5 major styles of Western script, beginning with the Roman Uncial script of around 600 BCE and covering several important scripts that developed in the following centuries. For each style, the book explains its historical use and its characteristics, teaches the correct formation of each letter, and offers suggestions and tips. Then a practice exercise helps you master the style. Learn the all-capital Uncial script, and create a beautiful wine list with it; try Gothic Textura for a calendar, or Chancery for a letterhead design. Finally, a gallery of 24 masterworks by experts offers even more inspiration.

Véronique Sabard, Vincent Geneslay, and Laurent Rébéna are calligraphers and graphic designers. They attended the Scriptorium of Toulouse, a center of study for typography and calligraphy, and are the founders of the Scripsit Association, an organization promoting calligraphy.