Dr. Joseph Vitolo

The art of script writing enjoys a prominent place in modern calligraphy since it adorns many of the Wedding invitations that calligraphers are commissioned to produce. Any technique that can add flair to one's script without requiring many hours of practice would be of great value. In this article, I will describe such a technique.

It has been said that the majority of pointed pen calligraphers do not know when to replace their nib. Direct manifestations of this problem include difficulty executing pen strokes and ultimately poor script. Anyone who has ever spent hard-earned dollars on pen points, especially the vintage nibs, knows the anxiety of throwing that precious nib into the garbage after wearing it out.

Historical Perspective on Engrosser’s Script

The Re-touched Cutoff

In this article we will examine the various styles of pointed pen script and the sometimes confusing terminology that apply. The samples provided in the reference image should allow you to visually compare and contrast the different styles of script.

In this article, I will examine the baseline crossing on descender stem loops. For the remainder of this article, anytime I use the term ‘stem loop’, I will be referring specifically to the descender stem loop found in letters such as ‘g’, ‘j’, ‘y’ and ‘z’. Figure 1 (script from Willis A. Baird), illustrates a typical descender stem loop in Engrosser's script.

In this article we will examine an all too common problem, namely maintaining slant angle on certain capital letters such as 'C' and 'E'. For this discussion we will focus on the capital 'E'.

In this article I would like to discuss an aspect of script writing that qualifies as both fundamental and advanced concepts, namely the symmetry of curves. Those who have seen my workshop presentations know the emphasis I place on the concept of curvature in Engrosser's script.

In this new series of articles, I would like to discuss my approach to letterform analysis. A prerequisite for understanding the proper formation of letters in any script discipline is to first identify the fundamental shapes that make up a given set of letterforms. To simplify the discussion, I will focus on Engrosser’s script as the model for this analysis.

by Dr. Joseph M. Vitolo Forming any letter consistently well requires precise knowledge of not only the pen strokes involved but also the structural components that help form the letter. Of course, some letters are harder to pen than others. In this installment I would like to discuss the challenge that is the Engrosser's script capital 'D'.

In this article I would like to address the topic of getting started writing script in the Copperplate Style. I will cover pen points (nibs), inks, paper, penholders, guidelines and where to find instruction.

There are several styles of oblique penholders available on the market. Some of them have set or glued flanges, while others have non-fixed (i.e. not glued) flanges that can be removed with care such as the premium quality (Figure 1) Del Tysdal’s Zanerian Style oblique penholder and the Century Oblique penholders in regular and 5/8th inch diameter.