Book Description
In an age of myriad computer fonts and instant communication, your handwriting style is increasingly a very personal creation. In this book, Margaret Shepherd, America's premier calligrapher, shows you that calligraphy is not simply a craft you can learn, but an elegant art form that you can make your own.
Calligraphy remains perennially popular, often adorning wedding invitations, diplomas, and commercial signs. Whether it is Roman, Gothic, Celtic, Bookhand, or Italic style, calligraphy conveys class and elegance. Margaret Shepherd makes this ancient art form accessible in a completely hand-lettered technical guide that will:
* Provide context for calligraphy as an art, exploring the rich tradition of hand-lettering and mapping the evolution of the most popular styles.
* Give detailed technical advice on choosing pens, paper, and inks, setting up your workspace, mastering various pen angles, along with step-by-step illustrations to guide you as you practice.
* Explain which alphabets are appropriate for different forms of writing. For example, the Roman alphabet works well for short, unpunctuated passages, while the Italic alphabet is more suited to informal everyday communication.
* Encourage you to personalize your lettering by using variant strokes and interpreting how you would like the words to look on the page.
* Inspire you with carefully chosen illustrations and examples, which bring letters to life.
In Margaret Shepherd's own words, "Calligraphy trains not only your eye and hand, but your mind as well."
Learn Calligraphy is the authoritative primer for this age-old craft, and will help develop a new appreciation for lettering as you discover your creative personality.
Customer Reviews:
Art in hand writting.......2007-09-19
Margaret Shepherd has written many books about this subject (Calligarphy), this is special because include a sort of recomendations for students.
I really enjoyed this book.
Good buy.......2007-06-06
This book is excellent. When I received my book, I started to practice for 1 week and now my handwritting is pretty.
Great Author, great books.......2007-04-14
I was really having a hard time picking out calligraphy how to books so i went to the book store. unfortunately they do not have a lot to choose from, at the second store i found a better selection and found Margaret Sheperd's books. Wow, great books and great way to learn, she has a funny side to her and this book is incredible, not only do you learn you have fun doing it. i also saw a few more books in her name. Unfortunately i didn't have very much time to look at them all and i cant wait to go back to see the rest. I am thinking of picking up all her books.
I think this is the best of the starter books. Very easy and a fun read too!
Cheryl
Response with gratitude.......2005-05-26
I am the author of this book and just want to respond that I agree with the very critical reviewer who felt strongly that Copperplate should have been included. I wish so too. But it would need a whole other set of supplies and hand positions. Copperplate comes along much later, and is really outside the main core of the broad-pen historic hands. Maybe some day!
To respond to Gary Bisaqa's review, I agree and I have covered the business end of calligraphy as a free-lance job, in a whole other book, Calligraphy Projects for Pleasure and Profit.
I wrote this, like all my other books, because I wish I'd had such a book when I started out. Thank you to others who wrote in to say that it helped them start out too.
Excellent book for learning.......2003-06-10
I am learning calligraphy and have looked at a number of books on the subject. This book is almost perfect. She gives you so much more than alphabets: key exercises to do before you start the alphabets, typical beginner's problems (most of which I have experienced!), practice pages you can reproduce. Her sections on swashes and "accessorizing" Gothic capitals are also wonderful - what had always seemed highly mysterious to me turns out to be a matter of combining building blocks, creativity, and - who would have thought - a lot of fun.
One thing she does not do is to cover every hand imaginable. There are lots of books like that out there. Rather, she only covers a small number of hands, but covers them very thoroughly, with a special eye to us novices. For example, once I got the basic hands down, I found one of my main problems was spacing the letters. Nothing looks worse than inconsistent horizontal spacing. She gives good coverage to this important issue, for example suggesting that you step back and look at it from a distance. Try it - if you're a novice, you'll be surprised at how different (and maybe bad) it looks.
I also very much enjoy the samples of projects that she shows as examples of how to apply each hand. In this she highlights the talents of (I assume) her friends, and it adds to the book. Looking at alphabet after alphabet as is done in typical calligraphy books, you don't get a good feel for how you'd use each one, and variations you can apply. Her other book "Calligraphy Projects for Pleasure and Profit" (which I also have) gives you lots more along these lines, but the ones in this book are different and I find them just as valuable.
I even like the way she letters the whole book in her (what she admits is slightly idiosyncratic) italic hand. You want examples - there's a whole book-length example. I don't agree with the other reviewer that this detracts from the book. It's as if she does it because it's fun - an important thing to remember when you're doing the drudgery of straight lines or circles.
The only tiny drawback, if it is one, is that the book doesn't contain a lot that is good to know about techniques of setting up a drawing table, selling, etc. For that (as well as an excellent chapter on type design by Hermann Zapf himself), the book "Calligraphy and Illumination" provides more than you ever wanted to know. I don't think that book replaces this one, however. I find Margaret's explanations well worth the small amount this book costs, and she is much more complete. She'll even autograph it for you (see her web site for details).
This is a wonderful book that every calligraphy student should have. If you can only have one, this is it.
Book Description
Comprehensive compilation of elegant, imaginative two-letter monograms — ideal for enhancing scrolls, certificates, awards and other graphic projects in need of calligraphic excitement. Easily reproduced, royalty-free letters are also perfect for use in art, needlework, craft and other decorative projects.
Customer Reviews:
2,100 victorian monograms.......2007-05-30
This book has the type of monograms I was looking for with decorative curly designs around the letters. The book arrived in a timely manner and is in good condition.
Disappointed with Amazon!.......2004-06-03
I paid $24 for this book only to receive it and the price is stamped on the back "$9.95 in USA"! I would look for this book elsewhere.
Disappointed.......2004-06-03
I paid $24 for this book only to receive it and the price is stamped on the back "$9.95 in USA"! I would look for this book elsewhere.
Book Description
With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has fascinated Westerners for decades, yet it remains an abstract, rarely practiced form of expression outside of Asia. Now, master calligrapher Tanchu Terayama explains the techniques behind this subtle art and offers step-by-step
instructions for practicing it on a professional level.
After introducing the basics, Terayama presents a unique meditative warm-up to establish the proper mental attitude needed to release one's creative energies. Next, the power of the brushed line is explained and demonstrated. What makes a good line or a bad one, an expressive effort or an unfocused
one? Lessons on brushing symbolic Japanese characters follow, including those for "emptiness," "nothingness," and "flower." The painting section shows readers how to draw the spare yet elegant pictorial themes of this classic art: bamboo, plum blossoms, Mount Fuji, and the inspirational Zen priest
Daruma.
If the exercises are the heart of the book, the Appreciation section is the soul. This chapter introduces classic works from renowned priests and other historical figures, including Miyamoto Musashi (the celebrated swordsman and author of The Book of Five Rings), Morihei Ueshiba (the founder of
aikido), Jigoro Kano (the father of judo), and Zen priest Hakuin. Each masterpiece is accompanied by penetrating commentary on the strengths and salient features of the work.
Rarely has Zen calligraphy been demonstrated and discussed with such candor and insight. Illuminating yet another side of Zen, Zen Brushwork will be an invaluable source to those interested in meditation, Zen, Buddhism, the martial arts, and Oriental traditions in general.
Contents
Introduction
Part I Background
What is Zen Calligraphy?
The Evolution of Kanji
The Fundamentals of Calligraphy
The Four Treasures of Calligraphy
Hitsuzendo
Part II Preparation-Warming Up and Developing Ki
The Zen Line
Yoki-ho: A Method of Developing Ki and Warming-Up
warm-up exercise 1: Yoki-ho: The Long Version
warm-up exercise 2: The Short Form of Yoki-ho: A Five-Minute Exercise
warm-up exercise 3: Kusho: Writing in the Air
Part III Zen Calligraphy and Painting
Basic Practice
The Zen Line and Its Applications
exercise 1: Mujibo (The Zen Line)
exercise 2: Enso (The Zen Circle)
exercise 3: Horizontal and Vertical Lines
exercise 4: Fine Lines
Tensho (Seal Script)
exercise 5: So (Grass) and a Practice Line
Kaisho (Standard Script)
exercise 6: Sho (Calligraphy) and Practice Lines
Further Practice
Sosho (Grass Script)
exercise 7: Mu (Nothing)
exercise 8: Hana (Flower)
exercise 9: Ku (Emptiness)
exercise 10: Mu Ichi Motsu (Owning No-thing)
exercise 11: Ichigyo Zanmai (Be in the Moment)
Writing Western Script
exercise 12: Writing Western Script: ABC
exercise 13: Shodo (Calligraphy)
Painting
exercise 14: Orchid
exercise 15: Bamboo
exercise 16: Plum Blossoms (with inscription)
exercise 17: Mount Fuji
exercise 18: Daruma
exercise 19: Wall-Gazing Daruma
exercise 20: "One-Stroke" Daruma
exercise 21: Ji-Wa-Choku (Compassion, Harmony, Honesty)
Part IV Appreciation
Works by Old Masters
Works by Terayama Tanchu
Glossary
What is Zen Calligraphy?
Calligraphy (sho) is a formative art based on writing. It includes not only writing that is beautiful, but phrases that are novel and interesting. According to the Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro (1870-1945; see figure 1), true creativity is not the product of a conscious effort but rather the
"phenomenon of life itself." True creation must arise from mu-shin, or the state of "no-mind," a state beyond thought, emotions, and expectations. Work that is produced through conscious effort is ultimately devoid of life.
Zen calligraphy in particular must spring from shonen sozoku, a Buddhist term equivalent to "true thought." Shonen is a state of full concentration that is devoid of thoughts and ideas, while sozoku here means "free-flowing continuity." Greatness in brushwork cannot be achieved through conscious
effort; it is only achieved through the states of mu-shin and shonen sozuku, or "no-mind" and a continuous state free of the thoughts and ideas that distract the mind.
Zen calligraphy differs from other calligraphic disciplines as it is focused on the realization of "no-mind." Furthermore, in contrast tosho, which uses Chinese characters as a basis, it is the expression of Zen through a brush, whether the result is a single stroke, a Zen circle, or an ink
painting. While sho is restricted to brushed writing, Zen calligraphy extends to other forms of brushwork.
Nearly all calligraphy today is born of conscious attention to an aesthetic concept, but we rarely find lines that are truly alive. In contrast, the calligraphy of Zen masters such as Daito Kokushi (1282-1337; founder of Daitokuji temple in Kyoto) or Ikkyu Sojun (1394-1481) resonates with the energy
of "no-mind" achieved through complete concentration. In these works, the lines are filled with vitality and the shapes are fresh and original.
Sen no Rikyu (1522-91), who established many of the basic precepts of the tea ceremony, held that nothing surpassed Zen calligraphy as a subject for display in the alcove of the tea room. He undoubtedly felt that only art works that reflect the eternal vitality of Zen writings could encourage the
mind toward enlightenment.
Rikyu recognized that calligraphy necessarily demands the highest level of spirituality. A line that manifests clarity cannot be drawn if the heart is clouded by worldly concerns; a stroke cannot be brushed with resolution if the heart is agitated; and calligraphy that reveals depth cannot be
produced if cultivation and experience are shallow.
To write kanji characters that resonate and demonstrate their deeper meaning, one's own mind must achieve unity with the meaning of the words-a requirement that calls for a higher level of spirituality. The calligrapher, therefore, must strive for the state of "no-mind" through meditation and
contemplation.
Customer Reviews:
Japanese calligraphy / caligrafía japonesa.......2007-09-10
Excellent book about Shodo, japanese art of calligraphy. Antique and Terayama sensei's pictures are superb, great election.
Excelente libro sobre Shodo, el arte de la caligrafía japonesa. Las pinturas, tanto las antiguas como las del propio maestro Terayama, son increibles, una gran elección.
A thoughtfully written and an easy-to-follow guide.......2004-02-10
Ably translated into English by Thomas F. Judge and John Stevens, Zen Brushwork: Focusing The Mind With Calligraphy And Painting by Tanchu Terayama (Nishogakusha University) uses black-and-white photography to illustrate simple exercises and practices that one can follow to expand one's mind and meditation skills through the arts of calligraphy and painting -- especially as they have been practiced in Asian nations for thousands of years. Showcasing works of art as well as advice and practical instructions, Zen Brushwork is a thoughtfully written and an easy-to-follow guide that especially recommended to students of meditation, Zen Buddhism, and the contemplative aspects of the martial arts.
Customer Reviews:
Best Chinese Book of 2006.......2007-01-12
Beautiful written characters combined with excelent text and funny image.
Good for both students and teachers !
Exquisite Chinese Characters.......2005-10-12
Each and every Chinese character has a form of its own, representing a particular meaning and/or sound. This book is a good introduction to Chinese characters. An exquisite Chinese character, like thousand words, tells its own story and evolution. Through understanding these key characters, sometimes called radicals, one can discover the beauty of Chinese culture as well as civilization. (...)
One of a kind...but definitely not Japanese.......2004-11-04
I have been inspired by this book to pursue the study of Chinese characters to a deeper level. On the other hand, the more I read and compare it to other resources on the same subject, the more critical I become.
This book has inspired me to a deeper study of Chinese radicals (for a better understanding of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean). The result - I've found it makes a great stepping stone, and can be used for comparative analysis of the surprising variety of information available to English speakers mostly through the internet, or through native language dictionaries for those with access, but it should NOT be relied upon as a single source for learning, teaching, or research. It is reasonably educational and artistic, but not authoritative.
Even though I love this book and go back to it occasionally, there is one huge glaring error, to the point of unethical advertising, starting on the cover of the book. The title misleadingly contains the word "Japanese." Although Chinese characters are an important part of the Japanese language, it contains NOTHING about Japanese. You would have to be aware of Japanese independently of this book in order to make the connection that is made ONLY in the title. It is an English language book explaining aspects of Chinese, with the use of simplified characters created by the Peoples Republic of China as examples - although the simplified PRC characters bear some resemblance to the traditional characters that are mostly used in Japan, they are not the same, therefore making this book less useful for dedicated students of Japanese.
Anyway, despite this beef with the title and the fact that it should not be used a sole source for academic pursuit, it has many more merits than demerits. Since it is one of the very few books dedicated to this specific subject as well, the uniqueness adds a little to its value.
An interesting study.......2004-05-29
I like this book, and so I'm giving it 4 stars, but that is not to say that the criticisms of it are without merit.
Firstly, this book has absolutely nothing to do with learning the Chinese language. You will not be able to read Chinese from buying this book, and it will be impossible to study the language, since there is no systemitized presentation of the language. What this book instead does is presents an interesting geneology of some fairly common, culturaly relevant, or visualy interesting characters. For people who already know some Chinese, or for people who are interested in evolutions of writting systems or graphic design, this is not a bad book.
There are some strange inconsistencies, but I have a theory that explains them. First, the book inconsitently presents some characters in simplified form, while others are in traditional form. Second, criticisms of the caligraphy are fair. They have heart, but it is not really outstanding, and certainly not something to be emulated.
From these two problems, I concluded that the book was not a product of the Chinese mainland, Xiang Gang (Hong Kong), or Taiwan, since such inconsitencies would have been corrected. If you do some checking, that's because it isn't. As you probably could have guessed by the author's name, it's an Italian book. The Italian author worked with a Japanese illustrator to compile the book.
Japanese Kanji are Chinese characters adopted into the Japanese language, but they have been isolated from Chinese for centuries. As a result, some of the more complex characters have been simplified. Simplification of Chinese characters started long before Mao made them standard in the PRC. Infact, they are generaly based on cursive and calligraphic short-hands developed by people who had to write a lot, or who were not educated enough to constantly be in need of writting formal characters.
Many characters have been simplified from their original forms even in the so called "Traditional" character set (Fanti Zi) such as the numbers, and the Tai in Taiwan. The original, complex numbers used in formal Chinese can still be found on currency, mostly to confound counterfiters. Some characters, such as Li, meaning 'inside,' or Zhen, meaning 'real' can be found written one way, but typed in a less simplified way.
Simplification in pre-Mao Chinese was common, but not standardized. When Mao standardized all the characters for the PRC, he took all of the commonly simplified characters, as well as simplifying some other, more complex characters with whole new sets of visual symbolism, some time to enhance the 'phonetic' part of the character, so that it is easier to guess the sound of the word. The characters 'ren' and 'shi,' together meaning 'to come to know' are great examples of this.
Japanese characters are written without these contemporary simplifications since they were linguisticly isolated from Chinese by the 20th century, but reflect many common older simplifications. An prime example of this is the character 'ya' used in 'yazhou' for Asia, or otherwise just meaning second. It is rather dificult to write aestheticaly in Traditional Characters, but in Simplified Characters (Jianti Zi) it is much much easier, if not as beautifull. On the other hand, the correspondent Japanese Kanji is written in the old hand-written style.
Needless to say, the Japanese also have different aesthetic standards from the Chinese. The use of Japanese is not at all uncommon in earlier European Sinology. Ezera Pound, for instance, in translating the works of Li Bai (Also called Li Po, or Li Bo, as it was pronounced during the Tang Dynasty) actualy translated an Italian manuscript which itself was translated from a Japanese copy of the Chinese Poet's famous writtings. This circuitious route would explain some of the, er, to put it kindly, eccentricities of Pound's translations, and it explains some of the inconsistencies in this book.
There are many things this book is not: it is not an introduction to Chinese. It is not an instructional book on how to paint calligraphy. It is not a comprehensive academic study of the Chinese system of writting.
As long as you accept it for what it is, though, and don't mistake it for something it's not, this is a pleasant book. The characters are more or less acurately explained, and they are organized according to important cultural themes. Thus, it is a nice primer on the subject of the esoteric meanings and evolutions of Chinese characters for the casual (not academic) student. There are better books I've read on the subject, but they are all in Chinese.
A fairly good introduction to the Chinese writing system........2002-12-26
This is a fairly good introduction to the Chinese writing system providing insight into its origins and current use. While the calligraphic representations of the modern forms of the characters may be somewhat off, much of the background information is fine. The romanisation system is the officially recognised pinyin romanisation scheme developed by Russian and Chinese linguists during the 1930s and updated in the 1950s; it is generally employed in the transliteration of Standard Chinese into Latin letters. There is no need to worry over what 'dialect' the transliterations belong to because the vast majority of any given publication concerning China and the Chinese language will be in Standard Chinese, the national normative based on Northern Chinese. There are seven to eight Chinese languages with a myriad of dialects each, and it would be illogical to favour the others over the national standard. With regards to the evolution of characters, the sources from which the author bases the evolution is explained in the background information towards the front. I would recommend this as a wonderful coffeetable book, art book, and general introduction to the Chinese writing system, but not as an ultimate foundation in learning the Chinese script. If one is seriously interested in learning good handwriting, I recommend Johan Bjorksten's «Learn to write Chinese characters» from the Yale Language Series. It's inexpensive and perhaps even more useful than the volume on sale here. Both books use pinyin romanised Standard Chinese -- and usually with the tones noted, too! Most books, unfortunately, tend to leave them out. Bjorksten's work should be used as a supplement to a full on course in Standard Chinese (biaozhun hanyu... or, as many may say, putonghua); however, it can stand alone for those who are simply curious about the writing system itself and would like an appliable introduction.
Book Description
OPULENT REPRODUCTIONS OF ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS SPANNING 12 CENTURIES
This oversized and magnificently printed tour de force contains examples from 167 of the most dazzling and significant illuminated manuscripts in existence. Presented in chronological order, each reproduction illustrates a one-of-a-kind painting originally created for the church, for royalty or for the wealthiest private benefactors. Although the focus is on European manuscripts (French, Dutch, German, Italian, English and Spanish), nearly two dozen examples have also been included from Persia, Turkey and India - cultures with their own rich traditions of exquisite miniature painting.
The highly readable text is both factual and informational. Each entry provides the date and place of origin, format, content, name of miniaturist, number of illustrations, owner and provenance for the featured manuscript. Enriching the facts are essays describing the circumstances of the commission, description of the technique, history of the workshop from which it came, and much more.
CODICES ILLUSTRES is an unparalleled reference, but also an irresistible story book, revealing to the reader the significance of imagery used, and sharing fascinating facts about the painters who created these treasures and the patrons who were lucky enough to possess them.
A thirty-six page appendix contains biographies of the artists, an extensive bibliography, an index, and a glossary in which the technical terms used in the book can quickly be found. Flanking the page numbers are charming characters and symbols taken from the manuscripts, providing a witty decorative grace note to what is already an embarrassment of riches. Of special note; a fifth color - gold - was used in the printing of two hundred and twelve pages of CODICES ILLUSTRES. This complicated and costly process is the only way to genuinely reproduce the lavish gilding used in so many medieval manuscripts and the book wouldn't be the same without it.
CODICES ILLUSTRES is an essential addition to the library of anyone with an interest illuminated manuscripts, medieval art, and the history of books before the invention of printing.
**Hardcover with Vellum Dust Jacket
Customer Reviews:
A joy to hold and behold.......2006-12-14
Illumination has fascinated me since I was a boy. This is the best book I have seen of illuminations. The scope includes books in Greek, Latin, Old Church Slavonic, Persian, and Mayan. The printing is superb. Detailed descriptions tell who did the work, who patronized it, who owned the book, where it is now, and so forth. Great for browsing for enjoyment and as a source of inspiration. I expect this book to be a favorite for many years to come. Anybody who enjoys calligraphy and illumination would be delighted to own this book.
One of the coolest books I own!!.......2006-07-06
This book is worth every penny! It has fantastic HUGE pictures full of great detail. As an artist who specialises in ancient illuminated manuscripts, I value this book above all others in my personal library. So many great manuscripts are represented here. Truely high art!
A great book on medieval illumination.......2005-11-11
This book deserves a seven stars score, as it is magnificent in every sense: Paper, Colour palette reproduction, basic and reliable information accompanying every depicted facsimil, and specially because of the scope of the compendium, involving manuscript examples from arabic countries as well as a XIII century mexican manuscript (The Borgia Codex currently held at the Biblioteca Vaticana) This collection shows (as rarely done by supossedly comprehensive treatises) that Mesoamerican, Chinese and Arabic cultures do also possess a very rich medieval heritage, characterised by a colourful tradition in art production. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in Medieval illumination, as well as for those modern illuminators concerned with applying only authentic medieval colours (mostly inorganic compounds) in their manuscript reproductions and finally, this book serves also as a comprehensive guide for visiting great libraries and museums all around the world where some of these manuscripts are exhibited (Do not forget to visit the Condé Museum and The Marmottan-Monet Museum in France).
A magnificent, unwieldly place to begin.......2002-12-04
For those interested in the sheer beauty of medieval illumination, this book is a wonder. Color repro values among the best I've seen, and the range of both period and style is superb. The huge size and great weight are the only reasons this did not get 5 stars - it is so big that I clamp it in my portable easel when I'm using it as an exemplar.
For those, like me, who also do illumination as a hobby this book offers a good range of exemplars of very high caliber. Just remember that this represents the best of many times and places, and don't be intimidated by the quality of the work displayed here. Codices Illustres is big enough to be a coffee table book, but is serves much better as a reference in the scriptorium.
YIS,
THL Ragnar Ketilsson
Book Description
Illuminated manuscripts provide a rich source of inspiration for today's calligraphers, artists, and graphic designers. Patricia Lovett, a professional calligrapher and expert on the medieval book arts, looks at the history of calligraphy and illumination, explores the use of gold in miniatures and highlighting, and then shows how to create a variety of projects ranging from the simple to the technically advanced.
The step-by-step directions provide ideas for creating letter shapes and page layouts and instructions on how to design and paint a coat of arms. Exquisite illuminated manuscripts from the British Library and other sources illustrate the text, and a detailed reference section provides help in selecting papers and brushes, mixing colors, and preparing and stretching vellum. With special chapters written by experts in the fields of calligraphy, illumination, and heraldry, and clear instructions throughout, this colorful volume is a treasure trove.
PATRICIA LOVETT is a professional scribe, author of several books on lettering, and chair of the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society in England, where she lives.
325 illustrations, 175 in full color, 81/2 x 101/4"
Customer Reviews:
Great for calligraphy and gold illumination, ok on painting styles.......2006-07-17
Being a newcommer to calligraphy and illumination, I was looking for a book that covered both. Reviews I read here, and suggestions from others steered me to this book. I love the book for the amount of history it covers, the details on how to write each hand, how the hands progressed, and the wealth of information it covers on gold illumination, heraldry, even how paper is made is wonderful. If you want to make your own gesso sizing for gold illumination, it provides the recipe. It even covers how to make a little money from your calligraphic skills.
My only disappointment comes in the lack of detailed information in the various styles of illumination. It gives you a couple of projects to illuminate and paint, and it gives good information on choosing basic paint colors. It even describes egg tempera mixtures so you can mix your own paints. But it does not give you information on the various historical styles of decorative work, such as the vine/ivy style, knotwork, or other styles, or even how to apply your paints in what order. For that, you will have to look elsewhere, as I am trying to do.
A Scribe's Best Friend.......2005-12-28
This book is the #1 book in my scribal library. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to get it.
It not only talks about the technique in lettering, but it has examples of the hand from period in full color photos. It has how to make the tools, be it a quill or a reed pen, with step by step photos! It talks about which tool is used for which hand. It has step by step instructions on Illumination as well, including guilding! There is more about how the paper or parchment is made, the inks and paints.
But it's not just for the Medieval Scribe, it also has some instruction and projects for using calligraphy for making cards, bookmarks and little booklets for modern use or gifts.
This book is worth every penny for a scribe of -any- level.
The best book on calligraphy, illumination and heraldry!.......2003-09-02
Without a doubt, this is the best book on calligraphy and illumination ever in print, and the chapters on heraldry are as detailed and lucid as any other text devoted solely to that subject. Whether you are interested in this book to learn calligraphic technique or simply desire it for coffee-table 'eye candy,' you will be genuinely pleased with your purchase.
GORGEOUS book, would be well worth several times the cost!.......2002-04-13
I *LOVE* this book. It is a gorgeous hardcover, which puts to shame many skimpy books at the same price (or much higher). The directions are clear and explicit, covering virtually every aspect of this exquisite art.
In addition to all the basic essentials of illuminated calligraphy (including in depth descriptions and directions for gilding), this even includes explicit directions for coats of arms and similar heraldry -- which is very often an important part of illuminated calligraphy, but which I've never before seen addressed in print, much less with such detailed descriptions and explicit directions. (It not only relates the components of the coat of arms, but what they're based on, how to have one designed and assigned if your family history doesn't include a "legal" one, etc. -- as well as how to decorate this for illuminated calligraphy.) From how to make essential paint mixtures (color, fish glue, or whatever) to how to make the decorations, this book includes everything. The pictures are beautiful, the text is priceless, the directions are invaluable, etc. -- for anyone seriously interested in illuminated calligraphy, this book would be worth many times its modest cost -- and, I never expected to describe 29.95 as a "modest cost", but that really seems to apply to this book when I compare it with other books on the subject.
Fabulous resource for calligraphers!.......2001-02-02
I'm a long-time calligrapher. This book is a must have for any calligrapher. Not only does it cover all the basics, such as materials, historical alphabets, layout, etc, but also covers Illumination, including gilding and Heraldry, including how to design and paint a coat of arms and touches on Copperplate and handwriting, something not usually found in a calligraphy reference manual. My favorite chapter is on "Working to Commission", which is VERY practical.
The book is very easy to read, and quite enjoyable. I read it from cover to cover like a novel. The author did such a good job summarizing all the important details of each subject. The text is heavily supported by wonderful illustrations, from ranging sources as medieval manuscripts to modern calligrapher's work. Each "hand" is laid out with the keystrokes, and organized by "key features".
A must have for all calligraphers, beginners and masters included!
Book Description
The first book on Japanese calligraphy from the significant Momoyama and Edo periods (1568–1868), 77 Dances examines the art of writing at a time when it was undergoing a remarkable flowering, as illustrated by over one hundred sumptuous illustrations. Everything from complex Zen conundrums to gossamer haiku poems were written with verve, energy, and creativity that display how deeply the fascination for calligraphy had penetrated into the social fabric of Japan. Examining the varied groups of calligraphers creating works for diverse audiences will show how these artistic worlds both maintained their own independence and interacted to create a rich brocade of calligraphic techniques and styles.The book begins with basic information on calligraphy, followed by six main sections, each representing a major facet of the art, with an introductory essay followed by detailed analyses of the seventy-seven featured works. The essays include: The revival of Japanese courtly aesthetics in writing out waka poems on highly decorated paperThe use of Chinese writing styles and script formsScholars who took up the brush to compose poems in Chinese expressing their Confucian idealsCalligraphy by major literati poets and paintersThe development of haiku as practiced by master poet-painters The work of famous Zen masters such as Hakuin and Ryokan
Pages 8–9.
Pages 82–83.
Pages 220–21.
Book Description
Spirited history, comprehensive instruction manual covers 13 important writing styles (ca. 4th century thru 15th). Fascinating facts about Roman Rustic, Uncial, Carolingian Minuscule, Early Gothic, 8 other styles; all examples beautifully photographed. Detailed directions for duplicating medieval techniques with modern tools. 232 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Good Basic Book.......2007-07-27
Pros: Nearly half the book covers the history of calligraphy as well a selection of various scripts. The other half covers basic technique and specific instructions for 13 different scripts plus numerals.
Con: No colour images of period examples.
Great for SCA/reenactor
More colour please!.......2007-02-08
This is an excellent book with the exception of the glaring lack of colour in the photos.
Great explanations, good connnections between the different eras and styles, but again, if one is depending on a book for colour suggestion, this is not the tome.
Worth having in your library........2006-07-14
Medieval Calligraphy by Marc Drogin is comprehensive and historically informative, certainly worth having in your collection.
Historical/Instructional Manual .......2005-01-03
This is both an historical and an instructional manual with information on materials, supplies, and other resources. It shows the strokes for each letter, and has many examples and covers alphabet styles that almost no one else does.
The alphabet styles covered are: Roman Rustic, Uncial, Artificial Uncial, Roman Half-Uncial, Insular Majuscule, Insular Minuscule, Luxeuil Minuscule, Carolingian Minuscule, Early Gothic, Gothic Textura Quadrata, Gothic Textura Prescisus vel sine pedibus, and Gothic Littera Bastarda.
This is a standard reference for calligraphers in the SCA (SCA is the Society for Creative Anachronism, which is a group dedicated to researching and recreating the Middle Ages in the present.)
The only thing that I feel is missing in this book-is that the pictures are not in color.
Other than that this book is Great!
A Work Of Art.......2002-01-15
This book is a work of art and love in its self. The sheer number of positive reviews is a testament to that statement.
Average customer rating:
- Beautiful, inspirational
- Caligraphy, fancy the pen.
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Letters in Gold Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakip Sabanci Collection, Istanbul
Ugur Derman
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0300086326 |
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful, inspirational.......2004-01-02
Letters of Gold is one of the most beautiful and informative books on Arabic calligraphy (khatt) I know. Ottoman calligraphy naturally strongly influenced calligraphy throughout the Islamic world, and in Arabic-speaking countries in particular. Certainly my two calligraphy teachers in the U.A.E. and Damascus had the highest regard for Turkish caligraphers.
As to the book, the introduction is the best I've ever seen: it covers the development of scripts, equipment and techniques, composition of pieces and concludes with a piece on the training of a scribe. All this is done with constant reference to the 71 examples in the book. The samples themselves are not, as so often in Western books on Islamic calligraphy, selected miniatures, but instead are frequently pages in the body of a work rather than merely ornate headings. It is possible, therefore, to concentrate on the khatt itself rather than the work of the anciliary craftsmen. The reproduction is excellent. Each piece of khatt has a facing-page biographical outline of the author and a small commentary on the khatt itself. Works range from the late fifteenth to the late twentieth centuries.
Terms are naturally presented in their Turkish form, so Arabists may need to guess the Arabic spelling of the word - it's not hard (h = h/H/kh, k = k/q, s = s/S/th, final Arabic b/d can become p/t). There's a glossary and a bibliography of works in English and Turkish. Anything else? I'd recomend the hardback edition.
Caligraphy, fancy the pen........1998-12-11
This is a well presented work explaining the art of caligraphy as well as presenting the marvelous pieces from the Sabanci Collection which have also toured the Met.
Book Description
For many a deep and lasting interest in Japanese culture, its people and its language, begins with a fascination for beautifully drawn characters produced by a master calligrapher. Compared with the squarish, regular representation of Chinese characters reproduced in books, newspapers, and
magazines by modern printing techniques, the appealing brush strokes of a handwritten Japanese scroll, letter, or menu is often considered a work of art, and associated with the aesthetic and mystical. Brush Writing is dedicated to such enthusiasts of Japanese calligraphy who have searched for a
basic and introductory guide in English to this traditional and challenging Eastern art.
Any learner of Japanese will almost certainly find this book an invaluable aid to writing kanji, a subject that is rarely dealt with. adequately in language textbooks, as well as providing fundamental clues to decipher handwritten Japanese. Through nearly fifty model characters, Brush Writing
teaches the basic techniques of writing almost any kanji. For each character, we have clearly shown the correct stroke order, major readings in romanized Japanese, and meanings in English. Advice on balance and other practical tips on writing kanji have also been included. Equally important to all
non-native learners of Japanese, this book explains the secret of writing attractive hiragana, the key, in fact, to ensuring that handwritten Japanese is clearly legible and leaving the impression that it was penned by an adult Japanese hand.
But it does not end there. Brush Writing is more than a kanji guide for students of the Japanese language. After working through the systematic instructions carefully explained in this volume, anyone, with an appreciation of the beauty and art of quality brush work, should find little difficulty in
creating fine calligraphy of their very own, even if the meanings of the shapes themselves remain a mystery. This volume begins with a comprehensive, but brief introduction to the history of Chinese and Japanese characters to satisfy the curiosity of the enthusiast. For novice calligraphers, not
only have we explained how to use the necessary materials and equipment, such as brushes, paper, and sumi ink, but we have also appended a list of stores selling calligraphic supplies throughout the United States.
For Japanese language students and aspiring calligraphers alike, Brush Writing is the perfect introduction to the art and technique of shodo, Japanese calligraphy.
Customer Reviews:
Good buy for beginners.......2005-11-10
Like the title promises, this is a good book for beginners. It has useful suggestions on how to begin and end the main strokes found in Shodo, as well as suggested kanji with how to write them and what they mean. I found it very helpful.
As promised: Basics for beginners.......2003-07-28
The title well describes the content. The focus is on the techniques with a short intro of the essential equipment. The reader is guided through a selection of some 50 characters with the emphasis on how to proceed stroke by stroke and how should the result look like.
This book is a good quick start but won't serve as a long-lasting reference. As soon as you find the art of shodou as the thing for you, you'll be looking for more in-depth and covering texts on the subject. Although somewhat narrow, all the content is useful - except a list of the equipment suppliers in the US.
Great for beginning students.......2000-05-02
This is a good book for beginning students learning to write Kanji and Hiragana. The large format makes it easy to see how to form the character correctly.
The instructions are excellent, showing you step-by-step, how to write each symbol in detail. Though cursive script is shown, it is smaller and detailed instructions for writing it are not given.
Each character's reading and meaning are shown as well. However, since less than 75 words are covered, it is not intended to teach you to read Japanese.
The book also covers materials, techniques, & a brief history of Asian calligraphy. There is a beautiful calligraphy appreciation section in the back. It shows some of the characters reflecting their meaning.
Good beginning brush technique book. Beautiful examples........1999-12-07
This is a good beginning book for learning brush technique for Japanese calligraphy of the pictographs that are based on the Chinese characters. She goes through everything from basic setup and rubbing ink through a couple dozen characters, so if you already know stroke order and have some idea of the characters you want to do, this book focuses on how to make the brush strokes for plain 'block' characters work, with some hint as to the possibilities with script characters and more artistic forms. There is a single page for how to form the phonetic characters as well.
The sample characters are big, bold, and easy to learn from and have the easier posture of a native calligrapher, rather than the squared-off posture of most American renderings.
It's a very good starting place for someone wishing to make characters with more personality than can be done with a normal pen or pencil. But is only a beginner's book if you already have some experience with a brush and ink.
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