Inky Dinky Do
"I dip my pen into the blackest ink, because I'm not afraid of falling into my ink pot"
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
I grew up in a military family - my mother was (and still is) a teacher, and my father is now a retired soldier (Command Sergeant Major of field artillery) - where schoolwork was of the utmost importance... as it should be. On more than one occasion my mother would review my homework, hand it back to me and state that while the work was good, the penmanship needed improvement. Do it again... and neater, this time. I rolled my eyes and begrudgingly re-wrote each letter and number to her satisfaction. Of course, at the time, this was pure torture.
Looking back, though, I realized that she was completely correct. I've heard on several occasions, "You have very nice handwriting" ... well, yeah... I've had lots of practice. Lots. I have also become very picky about the writing utensils I use. Pencils must have a sharp point - #2, by all means... and, I prefer the plain yellow ones. I do like the looks of those neat pencils with the brightly colored skins and cutesy pictures, but they often cause problems with the pencil sharpener... the thin ribbons of colorful paper become bound in the inner workings of my electric whittler, prompting a complicated cleaning. Pens must be between .5 and .7 mm ... but your ordinary Bic will do in a pinch ~black ink is preferable. I used to have a lovely set of calligraphy pens, but I don't know whatever happened to them... I like to think they met a romantic end, like falling off the ship that carried my belongings to the States after our last tour of Germany, plunging into the icy, watery depths of the Atlantic. Alas, it is more realistic that they ended up in the rubbish.
Recently, I have been given the gift of a quill, ink pot, and a journal (pictured above). I've never used a quill before ... while they are similar to calligraphy pens in technique, using one as a writing implement presented quite a challenge. To begin with, the apex is not split, but a solid point, giving it a thinner line, and less flexibility. Also, holding on to a feather is a bit more difficult, as it is much more slender and delicate than a pen or pencil. While this doesn't present a great deal of discomfort for me and my small lady hands, I can imagine that someone with larger digits than mine would get finger cramps. Also, with quills and calligraphy pens alike, over time the metal conforms to the writing style of the user; the pressure and angle most often practiced by the artist shape the tip to the individual. My quill and I are not so well acquainted... yet.
I also find that if I write too fast (which is often the case) the sharp tip of the quill catches on the fiber of the paper, resulting in an unsightly splash of ink. This got me thinking. I conceive that the paper manufactured today is much more uniform than parchment used in the heyday of, say, William Shakespeare or Jane Austen. So, what must their writing look like? Well, with the Internet at my fingertips, I searched, and found the following examples...
This is an example of Austen's writing, which looks very similar to my own:
And, here is an example of penmanship from the Great Bard :
I must say that there are other things that factor in to the differences between their writing with a quill and my own. For one, they really had no other option... the ball point pen was not mass produced until around WWI. I imagine using a quill on a daily basis makes one most proficient. Secondly, these folks were most likely sitting at a desk to compose, where I write in my new journal reclined in bed (being extra careful not to splash ink on the sheets) whilst watching episodes of Doctor Who. So, the lesson here for me is to slow down, I suppose.
I have to wonder, though, what kinds of works would Austen and Shakespeare have been able to produce if they had a laptop? If they hadn't been limited to the sluggishness a quill and parchment, what sorts of ideas would have translated onto a computer screen?
Food for thought....
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
I grew up in a military family - my mother was (and still is) a teacher, and my father is now a retired soldier (Command Sergeant Major of field artillery) - where schoolwork was of the utmost importance... as it should be. On more than one occasion my mother would review my homework, hand it back to me and state that while the work was good, the penmanship needed improvement. Do it again... and neater, this time. I rolled my eyes and begrudgingly re-wrote each letter and number to her satisfaction. Of course, at the time, this was pure torture.
Looking back, though, I realized that she was completely correct. I've heard on several occasions, "You have very nice handwriting" ... well, yeah... I've had lots of practice. Lots. I have also become very picky about the writing utensils I use. Pencils must have a sharp point - #2, by all means... and, I prefer the plain yellow ones. I do like the looks of those neat pencils with the brightly colored skins and cutesy pictures, but they often cause problems with the pencil sharpener... the thin ribbons of colorful paper become bound in the inner workings of my electric whittler, prompting a complicated cleaning. Pens must be between .5 and .7 mm ... but your ordinary Bic will do in a pinch ~black ink is preferable. I used to have a lovely set of calligraphy pens, but I don't know whatever happened to them... I like to think they met a romantic end, like falling off the ship that carried my belongings to the States after our last tour of Germany, plunging into the icy, watery depths of the Atlantic. Alas, it is more realistic that they ended up in the rubbish.
Recently, I have been given the gift of a quill, ink pot, and a journal (pictured above). I've never used a quill before ... while they are similar to calligraphy pens in technique, using one as a writing implement presented quite a challenge. To begin with, the apex is not split, but a solid point, giving it a thinner line, and less flexibility. Also, holding on to a feather is a bit more difficult, as it is much more slender and delicate than a pen or pencil. While this doesn't present a great deal of discomfort for me and my small lady hands, I can imagine that someone with larger digits than mine would get finger cramps. Also, with quills and calligraphy pens alike, over time the metal conforms to the writing style of the user; the pressure and angle most often practiced by the artist shape the tip to the individual. My quill and I are not so well acquainted... yet.
I also find that if I write too fast (which is often the case) the sharp tip of the quill catches on the fiber of the paper, resulting in an unsightly splash of ink. This got me thinking. I conceive that the paper manufactured today is much more uniform than parchment used in the heyday of, say, William Shakespeare or Jane Austen. So, what must their writing look like? Well, with the Internet at my fingertips, I searched, and found the following examples...
I must say that there are other things that factor in to the differences between their writing with a quill and my own. For one, they really had no other option... the ball point pen was not mass produced until around WWI. I imagine using a quill on a daily basis makes one most proficient. Secondly, these folks were most likely sitting at a desk to compose, where I write in my new journal reclined in bed (being extra careful not to splash ink on the sheets) whilst watching episodes of Doctor Who. So, the lesson here for me is to slow down, I suppose.
I have to wonder, though, what kinds of works would Austen and Shakespeare have been able to produce if they had a laptop? If they hadn't been limited to the sluggishness a quill and parchment, what sorts of ideas would have translated onto a computer screen?
Food for thought....
Comments
Post a Comment