Pens may be obtained from various stationery sources – from the traditional “nib” pens dipped in ink,to calligraphy pens that have cartridges built-in, avoiding the need to have to continually dip them intoinkwells.
Styles & techniques
Sacred Western calligraphy has some special features, such as the illumination of the first letter ofeach book or chapter in medieval times. A decorative “carpet page” may precede the literature, filledwith ornate, geometrical depictions of bold-hued animals. The Lindisfarne Gospels (715-720 AD) arean early example (Brown 2004).
As with Chinese or Arabian calligraphies, Western calligraphic script had strict rules and shapes.Quality writing had a rhythm and regularity to the letters, with a “geometrical” order of the lines on thepage. Each character had, and often still has, a precise stroke order.
Unlike a typeface, irregularity in the characters’ size, style and colors adds meaning to the Greektranslation “beautiful writing”. The content may be completely illegible, but no less meaningful to aviewer with some empathy for the work on view. Many of the themes and variations of today’scontemporary Western calligraphy are found in the pages of The Saint John’s Bible. A particularlymodern example is The Holy Bible, Timothy Botts Illustrated edition (Tyndale House Publishers2000), with 360 calligraphic images as well as a calligraphy typeface.
Historical developments
Calligraphy in a Latin Bible of AD 1407 ondisplay in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire,England. This bible was hand written inBelgium, by Gerard Brils, for reading aloud ina monastery.
The Georgian calligraphy is centuries-oldtradition of an artistic writing of theGeorgian language with its three alphabets.
Western calligraphy is recognizable by the use of theLatin script. The Latin alphabet appeared about 600BC, in Rome, and by the first century developed intoRoman imperial capitals carved on stones, Rustic capitals painted on walls, and Roman cursive fordaily use. In the second and third centuries the unciallettering style developed. As writing withdrew tomonasteries, uncial script was found more suitable forcopying the Bible and other religious texts. It was themonasteries which preserved calligraphic traditionsduring the fourth and fifth centuries, when the RomanEmpire fell and Europe entered the Dark Ages.
See also
SINGING IN PARTS AND CADENCE IDENTIFICATION
BASIC HARMONY IN MUSIC COMPOSITION
Related Words
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