Calligraphy Step-by-step

by Gaynor Goffe, Anna Ravenscroft

A complete practical course for beginners-a step-by-step guide to the fine art of lettering. Throughout the book, structured exercises and practical step-by-step demonstra-tions help you put your new skills into action. 8 projects.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference

176 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1994

Reviews

[mehg-hen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a good reference book to own. One day my dream will be realized and there will be an 8 foot pile of books related to calligraphy and medieval manuscripts and I will lay on top of them and sleep better than I have ever slept before. If that sounds boring and ridiculous, please disregard this review. I believe calligraphy is the stuff of bone marrow and violence and the triumph of all that is good in human beings. This book did not fully reflect this sentiment, and I would kindly suggest to the publishers the addition of a long historical background and more jokes. Again, this is not the demographic for this book. The book offers a very good overview of calligraphy tools and how-tos. It is also proof that we are meat blobs of mystical complexity with roots in the ancients, but I do not think Reader's Digest Association intended this. In reality, it is nice, clear directions to a good hobby. But I know the truth.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps not thrilling but the best book of basic instruction I've seen. Gaynor Goffe is one of the two authors and she brings years of experience in both doing and teaching calligraphy. The photographs are right up close and there are plenty of them. How to measure and recreate angles, what happens if you use an inappropriate paper and how to analyse an assignment.
This was a library copy but I will most definitely order a copy to use with students.

[Rebekah Giese Witherspoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This calligraphy book is limited in scope, teaching only Foundational Hand and Italic styles of calligraphy...but what it does, it does really well. With a simple step-by-step approach, it teaches how to form the letters with a broad-nib pen, scale (how wide each letter should be in comparison to the letter “o”), and spacing between letters of a single word as well as between words. It also teaches composition on a page (margins, white space, left justified versus centered, etc). And it shows how to create lovely watercolor backgrounds for calligraphy as well as how to use watercolor paint as calligraphy ink.

This book is out of print and I was able to find a used copy through AbeBooks.com. If you’re interested in improving your Foundational Hand or Italic calligraphy, it’s definitely worth the effort to hunt down a copy.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information on layout and colour in calligraphy, and some good projects.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and helpful guide for calligraphy beginners; the ample amount of illustrative photos was very helpful. This is a useful resource, particularly for those interested in traditional, italic-style calligraphy (with a broad pen).

[Clatters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well designed and easy to follow. Went Way beyond the how to book that came with my kit. Would be a great buy to keep.