Rediscover Beautiful Handwriting
24 July 2011
Read by 1419 persons
Some situations require us to put aside the computer keyboard and pick up a pen. And then, no crossings-out…
An illegible cover letter, unreadable instructions… Unintelligible handwriting can be a real handicap professionally. Put off by your scribbling, recruiters, in particular, risk relegating your application to the bottom of the drawer. And even if you type most of your documents on a computer, it’s impossible, in some cases, to do without a good old pen… A memo or a thank-you note, for example, will always have more impact if it’s handwritten.
To master calligraphy, you must first practice. For this, like children, do pages of writing. Get a school notebook, with large squares. Try to follow the lines without going over them and to have vertical writing, not slanted. Repeat the exercise, then move on to blank paper.
A good craftsman must have good tools: choose a pen that feels comfortable in your hand. Neither too light nor too heavy. A fountain pen facilitates the execution of thick and thin strokes, while a Bic pen gives fluidity to the tracing. Hold the pen between your thumb, index finger, and middle finger (which can also serve as a rest), leaving your index finger free enough to easily guide the movement. As for the paper, choose a light weight, but one that absorbs the ink well.
Regular practice
Writing is also a question of posture. Sit upright in your chair, your left hand resting on the paper and your right hand remaining free (the opposite if you are left-handed). Tilt the top of the document 5 degrees to the left. You should be able to see it entirely. When you write a word or a sentence, learn to manage pauses: lift your pen and take care to shift your wrist before resuming.
Dedicate half an hour a day to this exercise. At the beginning, by focusing on drawing the letters well, on linking the ‘backstrokes’ (when the tracing goes from top to bottom then from bottom to top, as with n, m or v), on perfecting the ligatures that connect certain letters (br, vr or av) and on respecting the height proportions of l and z, for example. Write slowly at first, you will gradually increase the speed.
Your own font
To make this learning enjoyable, copy texts you like (poems, songs…). Afterwards, take every opportunity to write manually so as not to lose your skills. Do you like your handwriting? Note that the website Pilothandwriting.com allows you to design a font from your own handwriting: once created, you can type your documents on a computer as if you were writing them by hand!
Marie-Madeleine Sève
Published July 4, 2011.
Posted online July 24, 2011.
Capital.fr
An illegible cover letter, unreadable instructions… Unintelligible handwriting can be a real handicap professionally. Put off by your scribbling, recruiters, in particular, risk relegating your application to the bottom of the drawer. And even if you type most of your documents on a computer, it’s impossible, in some cases, to do without a good old pen… A memo or a thank-you note, for example, will always have more impact if it’s handwritten.
To master calligraphy, you must first practice. For this, like children, do pages of writing. Get a school notebook, with large squares. Try to follow the lines without going over them and to have vertical writing, not slanted. Repeat the exercise, then move on to blank paper.
A good craftsman must have good tools: choose a pen that feels comfortable in your hand. Neither too light nor too heavy. A fountain pen facilitates the execution of thick and thin strokes, while a Bic pen gives fluidity to the tracing. Hold the pen between your thumb, index finger, and middle finger (which can also serve as a rest), leaving your index finger free enough to easily guide the movement. As for the paper, choose a light weight, but one that absorbs the ink well.
Regular practice
Writing is also a question of posture. Sit upright in your chair, your left hand resting on the paper and your right hand remaining free (the opposite if you are left-handed). Tilt the top of the document 5 degrees to the left. You should be able to see it entirely. When you write a word or a sentence, learn to manage pauses: lift your pen and take care to shift your wrist before resuming.
Dedicate half an hour a day to this exercise. At the beginning, by focusing on drawing the letters well, on linking the ‘backstrokes’ (when the tracing goes from top to bottom then from bottom to top, as with n, m or v), on perfecting the ligatures that connect certain letters (br, vr or av) and on respecting the height proportions of l and z, for example. Write slowly at first, you will gradually increase the speed.
Your own font
To make this learning enjoyable, copy texts you like (poems, songs…). Afterwards, take every opportunity to write manually so as not to lose your skills. Do you like your handwriting? Note that the website Pilothandwriting.com allows you to design a font from your own handwriting: once created, you can type your documents on a computer as if you were writing them by hand!
Marie-Madeleine Sève
Published July 4, 2011.
Posted online July 24, 2011.
Capital.fr
