a VERY early piece

[dgford]

This is not a very good image but is an example of composition and spacing, achieved by excellent teaching in my very first days. It was written in the Edward Johnstone (google him) Foundational Italic style on vellum in 1958 (wow!!!) as a presentation by my wife to her church, in Exeter, Devon, when we emigrated to Australia. The church has since been demolished so I have no idea where this piece is now! I had started calligraphy, under the tuition of Ruth Mary Wood (a pupil of EJ,) about two years previously and this was my third completed piece.
It had raised, burnished 24c gold at the beginning, then Newman's Vermilion, and ground Chinese stick ink. About 12 inches long. It was photographed on a slope (to avoid reflection off the glass) on a 135 Kodachrome transparency film.
Posted just as a comment piece.
Geoff

[dgford]

Sorry --- spelling error. Knock the e off --- it should be Johnston.
Here is a sample of his Italic

[dizzyau]

Thank you for sharing. Gives me some hope that I will one day be able to complete a piece one day if I keep trying.

Jaki

[JanetSmith]

Wow - exciting to have been taught by someone who learnt from the great man! I have some scraps of paper in my plan chest with his actual handwriting on (not lettering - just everyday writing) - I always hope that some of his magic will seep out onto my calligraphy! I really hope that your work was relocated with any other treasures of the church - it should have been!

[dgford]

WOW! Fancy having some of his 100% genuine handwriting !! I am envious. I am sure "some of the bloom has rubbed off the butterfly" because you are now teaching it. Ruth Mary Wood (a petite elderly lady always referred to by her full name) designed a rather attractive, sharp "Script Alphabet" I must try to find a copy of it.
Geoff

[salman.khattak]

Thank you for another lovely example of your work. Is that 'M' in 'HIM' yours or did Johnston come up with that?

I find that I like your rendition better than Johnston's original for the restraint it shows. Also curved strokes in the 'w' in Johnston's version looks out of place with the rest of the alphabet.

Considering this is an early piece, would you do change anything if you were doing the composition today?

Salman

[dgford]

If I had a decent memory I could possibly answer you, Salman, but I think I may have added that final top serif on the M just to emphasise the horizontal eye movement along the very top The fact that the M in the word Muriel at the bottom doesn't have it seems to reinforce that possibility.
Have you noted the finer points in EJ's example to show his awareness of spacing --- The wider o ( unto ) at the end of a word to help the closing of the extra space; the overlapping of curved letters. He tended also to make the s to go a little above the x-height and then give the top a curve.

Would I change anything? A good question. I wouldn't change the layout or letter sizes because I think overall it looks good. But those horizontal serifs of the majuscules and strokes in the lower-case t and f would definitely be written with a slighlty flatter pen-angle to lessen their thickness --- they are a fraction too dominant. Also the cross-bar in those letters t I would shorten to not go through the following letter and lower them to the x-height (as in the final red line).
Thank you for those questions --- they made me rethink !
Geoff

[salman.khattak]

Thanks for the detailed reply Geoff - you have once again opened my eyes to new things :-)

I did notice the varying width of some letters in EJ's example but couldn't really get over the 'v', 'w' and 'y' and the ascenders and descenders fighting for space.

Upon more careful study I see how smartly the third line's ascenders are managed with the descenders from the second line. I think I was taken aback by the 'y' in 'thy' and the second 'p' in 'people' (both in line 1) running into the ascenders from line 2 when I saw it first.

I'm so glad you invented that 'M' - I just fell in love with it when I saw it. Do you have an exemplar (or source) for the majuscules you used here?

I can understand the improvement shorter and thinner crossbars at x-height would make, thanks for pointing it out.

Salman