Writing is where hand and mind meet in flow.
I have been writing in italic script for over 30 years, and it remains a reliable and versatile companion; it can be written with different pens, at varying speeds, and with flexible letterforms that can be made sharper or more rounded, making it a true all-rounder that adapts to any context.
I originally learned it from the manual of Gerardus Mercator, which served as a foundation for my manual. It is so simple that it can noticeably improve someone’s handwriting very quickly.
Writing in italic script, in a word, is fantastic: when pace, hand, and mind are steady, the writing begins to flow naturally.
__The System
The system comes down to a few simple elements. Once you get the hang of those, most letters start to build themselves (well… almost).
To make it easier to see what’s going on, I designed a typeface that shows the basic strokes behind each letter, like lifting the hood to see how it works. It’s all much less mysterious than it looks at first.
__Some content
The manual is split into two parts. In Phase 1, you really get to know italic: how it works and how the letters are built. The result is a pretty strict version I like to call the ‘bare bones’: no swashes, no flair, just the essentials doing their job.
Then in Phase 2, things loosen up a bit. You start adding flow, playing with pressure, trying different pens, and slowly giving it your own character.
There are plenty of exercises along the way to keep you on track, and examples by me so you can see what’s possible.
Paper: Greenlabel 100 grs.
Size: A4
__Practice Books
Edward Johnston believed in working with two notebooks for practice: one for practising letterforms and one for longer texts. I’ve always followed his advice, and it’s been really helpful. That’s why I developed these practice books: to support the process of developing a steady hand.
The ‘Letter by Letter’ notebook is filled with words to write in both large and small sizes, with a focus on letterforms and shape.
The ‘Line by Line’ notebook focuses on writing letters in different sizes. Writing large practises different skills than writing small, as you’ll notice.
Paper: Greenlabel 100 grs.
Size: A5
__Outcomes
Here you can see some results from working with the manual. How things look at the start in Phase 1, and how they develop once you move into Phase 2.
Writing in Phase 1
Writing in Phase 2
__Reviews
I asked people to reflect on their experience with the manual by completing the following sentence:
“My handwriting DOESN’T suck, because…”
“I’ve learned to write in a way that compliments my art style.”
“I understand it now!”
“My mom said it looks cool.”
__Interested?
If you’d like to buy a manual, just send me an email. I prefer keeping things personal. Partly by choice, partly because I’m famously bad at marketing, so a state-of-the-art webshop was never really in the cards.
Just send me a short message about what you’d like, and I’ll sort it out from there.
Payment can be done via PayPal, a payment link through my bank (if you’re in Europe), or if you’re in the Netherlands: I can also send a Tikkie.
STUDENTS
Manual €20
Practice Books €12
→ BUNDLE: €30
NON-STUDENTS
Manual: €25
Practice Books: €15
→ BUNDLE: €35