Some
Thoughts on Penmanship
Overview
For most formal correspondence or official kinds
of documents I use black ink since it guarantees
better reproduction. Any ink that does not exhibit
dense coverage on the paper probably should be avoided.
This is especially true for permanent or record documents.
Paper selection is important too. Wood-based papers
will deteriorate more rapidly with time, and are
less environmentally and nature friendly. In the
19th and early 20th century, a system of etiquette
emerged for personal correspondence that included
a variety of stationery, essentially comprising a “stationery
wardrobe”. Today, that need may not be so prominent,
but people using a fountain pen will look for better
grades of paper. For further discussion of paper,
refer to the fountain pen portion of this site – http://www.tech-writer.net/papersandinks.html.
Pen selection is important to your penmanship. If
you have the option and or different “hands”,
you may have specific pens you use to respond to
this need. For example, I have pens for italic and
scripts as well as designated inks. The key here
is that poor quality paper and writing instruments
will not yield a good result.
Although the teaching methods of the great nineteenth-century
master penmen have unfortunately been out of vogue
with academics and educators since the early 1940s,
many adults today, educated as late as the 1950s,
still recall – fondly or otherwise – penmanship
instruction emphasizing correct body position, muscular
control and a rhythmic motion. I will not pretend
to advance any discussion of the relative merits
of the kinds of instructional methods used, except
to say that the sad examples of penmanship so pervasive
today speak volumes. So much for all the educational
theory and academic yibberish. Discipline is not
an enemy!
In this article, the focus is on a script hand, one
that was taught in schools in the late-19th and early
20th century. The examples and practice sheets will
guide you through the process of improving your handwriting
generally, or assist in adopting this particular
style of handwriting. The examples and tracing pages
are arranged in a way to speed acquiring good results.
General Guidelines
Body Position
The position of the body, hand, and pen is important to good
penmanship. Sit squarely in front of the desk, with both
arms resting on the surface as shown (Figure 1). Lean forward
slightly, to position your eyes twelve to 18 inches from
the writing surface. Position the chair to allow your body
to be close to the edge of the desk, place feet flat on the
floor. The paper should be position at a slight angle and
moved gradually as the writing progresses. An surface with
a slight elevation, say 7-15 degrees, may prove beneficial
for some writing tasks, and is the way I personally prefer.
Position of Hand
The position of the hand and the way the pen contributes
to both the quality of the writing and reducing finger, hand,
and arm fatigue. The hand should hold the pen as shown in
Figure 2, with the wrist nearly flat on the writing surface
and brings the pen to a position where it points about over
the right shoulder. Notice the position of the index and
middle fingers, and the pen in Figure 2). No part of the
wrist or hand should touch the paper except the third and
fourth finger. Unless the correct hold of the pen is acquired,
no amount of practice will yield a good “hand.” Further,
incorrect hold of the pen will produce cramping of the fingers
and hand. The pen must be allowed to “rest” in
the hand, in the hold, with the hand almost completely relaxed
during writing.
Hand Movement in Writing
Developing the practice of free hand movement is, ultimately,
the foundation of all great writing, and especially with
a dip or fountain pen. The arm should always rest full weight
on the desk surface, moving on the muscular portion of the
arm below the elbow as a form of pivot. It is important to
develop this technique before attempting the more challenging
exercises provided in the accompanying practice sheets. Use
the movement exercises to develop the freedom of movement.
Generally, this is the most difficult technique to develop
and is instrumental to overall development of the writing.
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