Reviving a Calligraphy Hand — Lynne Yun
Channel: TypeCon
Date: 2019-05-05

Recorded during TypeCon2018: Xx in Portland, Oregon

When I found a beautiful antique manuscript written in gothic cursive from the 1600s, I was instantly enamored. Before long, I set out to teach myself how to write it. The process starts from analyzing the historical documents, standardizing the forms, modernizing them, then practicing until the letters flow from the hand on to the paper. The process can be similar to reviving an old typeface, but there are additional aspects to consider since calligraphy is composed of physically written forms. How we can adapt the historical letterforms to the modern calligraphy tools available to us? We also need to consider the work in context. Were the scribes fine-tuning their writing to be smaller to save costs on precious parchment? In our present day when paper costs are much less, would we adjust the letterforms for writing at larger sizes? Although the many questions may seem daunting at first, there is a method to this madness of training your hand and eye. And with some hard work, dedication and a lot of practice, eventually a new calligraphic hand can come within reach.