Learning Spencerian Penmanship #1

[@glendamenger414]

When I was in high school we were taught the Palmer Pen method. You have to realize this was in 1965. I graduated with my coveted Palmer Pen but then I went to college. When you start taking notes and since I was in nursing school and so many words had what some would call weird eg: q means everything, with is a c with a line on top of it and without an s with a line on top. So needless to say over the years I lost my great penmanship and I so desperately want to get it back. I have tried Calligraphy but I like this method the best. Thank you for helping to bring back decent writing.

[@theurzamachine]

In middle school for me (2004), we had to do handwriting. My teacher was actually a pro at it so she would write out paragraph on the chalk board, typically 4 - 10 lines long and we had to copy it in pen. If we made a single mistake (spelling, spacing, proportions were out), we had to redo it from scratch before we could leave. In high school, handwriting was common for writing essays but once I got to university taking technical courses, I lost it as I was mostly writing something along the lines of v = 10 m/s or something like that.

[@theodorkonstantinidis7456]

I want to express my gratitude for this, I needed to improve my handwriting technique and I just found pure gold! I will practice everyday, you are very inspiring, Sir, thank you for all !

[@markcoward2472]

Good idea to print the workbooks! I am just starting my Spencarian journey, and found this video very useful. Many thanks!

[@MRefaat]

Thank you so much for stopping by :) And good luck. I can tell my own handwriting improved greatly after finishing just one workbook, so it pays off quite quickly. Stay in touch and let me know how it goes.

[@TirthaNag.]

@@MRefaat sir could you please scan the workbook you're using in this video and upload it.. I looked into the link but the quality isn't printable and some pages are missing also so please could you scan all 6 books and upload it

[@RightToSelfDefense]

Hello Renaissance Man. I like your video. I intend to watch the rest of the ones on penmanship. One thing I will comment about the publisher of the Spencerian books. For the past 20 years or so, I have learned a lot about humans learn things. For physical activities, Muscle Memory takes a long time to develop. Learning to ply a violin requires a combination of Audio Learning and Muscle Memory. In learning physical things, the natural order is to practice BIG movements, and then refine them down to smaller movements. That's why the current method to teach them cursive writing is to show them how to form the letters in Big, Large movement with their fingers before they even hold a pen. The when they learn to hold a pen, they still write their letters the same size, until they gradually migrate to smaller letters. I do NOT believe there is a better muscle memory in while trying to write them as small as possible. The same goes for Art. I believe Artists first learn to draw large pictures and then gradually learn to draw smaller and smaller until they reach a size they are comfortable with. Just my 2 cents.

[@Valkaneer]

Thanks for the download! I will be watching the videos as well.

[@mandimccormack7331]

Workbook link is broken. Thanks for sharing your experience with Spencerian.

[@kjvonly2451]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I just decided to start my journey. Many thanks for the workbook!

[@kjvonly2451]

Just received my books today. Wow, they are small.

[@PrasannaNelli-n5b]

Thank you for the link to download.

[@user-qv4ni9hd8m]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@JacobMoen]

Really perfect timing! Thanks a lot - I've been meaning to learn proper Spencerian because I want to write novels in longhand like John Irving, and don't want to wreck my hand doing it. :)

[@MRefaat]

Wow! That would be brilliant. And best of luck on the novels :)

[@Psalm_27.4]

@Jacob Moen "...novels in longhand..."! Wow! What an aspiration! 😁😁😁

[@FaisalAhmadNoori]

Hello! The links doesn't work. Can anyone help me here

[@Rvc546]

Hey the link is expired... If you still have the PDF copy can you upload it somewhere ??

[@danielasmale8835]

Thank you for the link to the workbooks. :)

[@VoluptuousLynn]

Thank You

[@ManishKumar-pr8et]

Thank you so much for your link

[@ArtistWizardry]

Thank you for the link!

[@IrwanJoe]

The link is broken

[@michaelschaap1645]

I just got my book. After watching your videos Im a tad confused. I keep reading the pen hold. You appear to be holding the pen primarily between your thumb and first finger. The book clearly states that the correct hold is between the first and second fingers with the thumb on the bottom supporting the pen. The pen also crossed the second finger above the knuckle. Which is correct?

[@googlewantstoknowyourlocat1115]

Idk

[@MRefaat]

Thanks for pointing that out. I did look back over the book and what I can surmise is that my fingers are placed correctly but maybe the wrist positioning is what makes it look different to you. Please take a look at some of the later videos and let me know what you think.

[@abrahamlee4009]

Just follow the book.This video mainly help you with the letters themselves.That's my idea.

[@readwrecks]

I wonder why the books aren’t available on Gutenberg.

[@MRefaat]

I just found the PDF version online. It also helps if you want to reprint multiple times for more practice

[@marksmith1791]

Hello sir, where would one buy a pen suitable for this kind of writing?

[@TacitSwine750]

Amazon is your best friend.

[@marksmith1791]

TacitSwine750 what’s amazon?

[@JuanPablo-vc7py]

Sir, what notebook are you using?

[@canhtran3597]

I can't download your file, helpme

[@MRefaat]

Cảnh Trần I’ll check the link again

[@brandonriggs1788]

I liked it because it is a good video; and to mess with the OCD people who have left it on 777 likes for so long. Hahahahahaha!

[@thackythac]

Where did you get the dip pen and how must does it cost?

[@nalanihamby3710]

James Thacker check hobby lobby if you’re in the states or amazon. Both should have it.

[@MRefaat]

Here it is on Amazonwww.amazon.com/Speedball-Products-SB2961-Calligraphy-Lettering/dp/B000BYQLT4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1516610232&sr=8-3&keywords=caligraphy+dip+pen

[@lukeleighton3872]

Is it fast to write?

[@MRefaat]

Once you get the hang of it, yes. But since I am still in the learning phase, I have been advised to go slowly and focus on correct form rather than speed.

[@james-dt4ei]

That is the wrong way to set the paper

[@MRefaat]

ghost vapor what I understood is that the pen should be straight with the paper so even though the paper is twisted I twist my chair to suit it. What is the right way?

[@james-dt4ei]

Renaissance Man I guess u can have it anyway u want I was just taught by my mother and grandmother to have the paper normal, not tilted straight up and down. My great grandmother and grandmother taught Spencerian hand writing in school when they were young they were teachers. That's how they always told me and taught us kids. Your hand position is correct

[@MRefaat]

ghost vapor U r probably right. And maybe because u got used to it early on it works. I’m more trying to overcome old bad habits 😃

[@james-dt4ei]

Renaissance Man what I tell people is do what works for u. Your doing a great job so far. None is perfect specially me we can all fix somthing. Salaam alakiam

[@Isaac-lb1gl]

Uhh

[@tomlivesay8407]

Isaac MacMenamin I like the video, but I’m really looking for purist videos in Spencerian penmanship, complete with the perfect holding of the pen, the perfect seating position, and the perfect hand and arm movements.

[@Dzbiq]

The problem with this book is that the technique is poorly described and that's why you don't hold the pen properly and your movement is definitely incorrect (you use finger movement instead of whole arm movement). Misleading video...

[@MRefaat]

Marcin Dźbik Thank u for pointing this out. I’d appreciate you take a look at the later videos and let me know if there’s any improvement. Also, I didn’t intend this to be instructional because my level does not allow me to be an instructor. It’s more of just sharing my journey, including all its problems, in case someone else is going through the same thing. Thanks again and hope to see you around in the comments section 😊

[@Dzbiq]

​ M.Refaat I'm thankful and also surprised for such a warm welcome. I skimmed through your Spencerian videos and the movement you use is "finger movement" and you have natural "standard" grip. It is possible to keep good shape of letters with "finger movement" but "whole arm movement" is far more beneficial while practicing business penmanship. Michael Jgebhart runs a blog (and yt channel) called: In Pursuit of Penmanship, and it's one of the most useful source I found on the internet, also Perfect Biscuits and dieyen DualPen - those yt guys are real help in practicing Spencerian and that's the easiest, safest way to get the proper technique. Good luck in your calligraphic journay!

[@MRefaat]

Marcin Dźbik Thank u so much! This is really helpful 😃