Left Handed Calligraphy-8.2010

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Calligraphy and the Left-Handed ScribeJodi Christiansen August 22, 2010

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Calligraphy and the Left-Handed Scribe:

Or, what Ive learned after 4 years ofputting pen to paper

Most calligraphy teachers arentsure what to do with us lefties and I almost feel guiltywhen I walk into a classroom and admit that Im left-handed. In the generalpopulation, around 10% of us are left-handed. In calligraphy classrooms, however, weare a rare and troubled group.

Left-handed calligraphers come in two flavors:

curlers curve their hand around the pen to mimic the writing angle right-handers achieve naturally. (Some call these lefties hookers but that seems ill-

advised to me) ;-) non-curlerswrite without bending their wrist.

Curlers and non-curlers approach calligraphic strokes in very different ways. Whatworks for a curler is almost never useful for a non-curler and vice versa. Often times,things that are obvious to right-handed calligraphers elude us lefties. It can beextremely frustrating to watch a righty easily manipulate the pen when all we can do issmudge, smear and make wobbly marks on the practice sheet!

First off, Im a curler. Needless tosay, this makes calligraphy quite a

challenge. Heres a picture of myawkward hand position (and my liverspots).

Usually, following a period ofextreme frustration, I resort todissecting how a right-hander doeswhatever it is thats plaguing me.When Im lucky, I come to some kindof understanding and figure out a

way to mimic or reinterpret theirmovements to work for me.

After several years of classes,workshops and practice, Ive had a few insights Id like to share.

1. PULL vs. PUSH: Right-handers pull almost every stroke. Curlers attemptingthe same stroke must push. Pens, like people, dont like to be pushed and they


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resist. This is especially true of dip nibs as they tend to be quite sharp and diginto the paper if pushed. To compensate, I have learned to draw letters from the

bottom up rather than top down. This way, most of my strokes are pulls whichmakes the pen and me much happier.

With a very cooperative pen (like a parallel), I can use the right-handed ductussuccessfully. However, the strokes are sometimes ragged along the edges due tothe resistance of the nib on the paper. I find its better to be consistent andalways draw from bottom to top.

2. SPACING: In the photo above, its clear that I cant see what Ive just written.This makes it difficult to figure out where the next letter should start. Solving

this problem has not been easy. A combination of craning my neck, using smalltarget marks to give me placement clues and developing an eye-feel for spacinghelp somewhat. This problem continues to plague me, but then I hear its not soeasy for right-handers either.

3. SMEARING: Again, the first pictureshows that the likelihood of smearedink is right around 100%. Ivecobbledtogether a small platform that helps.(Figure 2). Its clear acrylic with tiny

rods glued to the bottom. I rest myhand on it so I can slide over wet inkwithout bathing in it. Most of thetime, however, I just write verysloooowy, so the ink dries before I cansmear it.

4. ARM MOVEMENT: Right now Im studying Black Letter for the first time.Marian Gault, our instructor, believes its one of the easier hands to learn.Making the straight lines that are fundamental to Black Letter has proven to benearly impossible for me and this makes me very grumpy.

Correct arm movement is key; its also very difficult. Using the forearm ratherthan fingers and wrist gives a much straighter line. I rest my forearm on thedesk and press my elbow downward so my forearm can more easily pivot. Ittakes soooo much concentration to do this consistently. Practice, practice,practice!


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5. MUSCLE MOVEMENT and STRAIGHT LINES: Because I pull my strokes upfrom the bottom, I use different muscles than right-handers. I suspect themuscles that control upward pulls are not often asked to make straight lines sothey arent accustomed to it. Again, practice is probably the way to train them.If not, Ill stick to round wiggly hands and avoid straight lines altogether.

6. NIBS: I started broad-edge calligraphy using a fountain pen. Its probablygood I did or I might have given up after the first lesson. Fountain pens are notas sharp as dip nibs and are more forgiving of push strokes. Until I figured outpushing vs. pulling, I did a LOT of pushing! Now that I understand how a nib ismeant to work, Im able to use some dip nibs.

The Hiro/Tape nibs (right-handed) are the best Ive found so far. They arent assharp as the Speedball C series and dont mind being held upside-down (seehand position photo again). Mitchell nibs dont want to cooperate at all!Parallel pens are especially adept at making push strokes, so it may be helpful tohave beginners start with them.

7. POINTED PEN: The first obstacle to overcome is getting an oblique holder thatworks for a curler. The best I have found is the cheapo Speedball because the nibholder (oblique arm piece) is circular and the nib can be inserted anywherewithin the circle. Curlers flip the holder such that the oblique piece is to theirright (for right-handers, itsto the left)see photo below.

This arrangement allows curlers touse the same ductus as right-handers. However, because of thecurled position of the hand, itsvery difficult to position the nib on

the paper so both tines get equalpressure. Ive resigned myself towearing out nibs unevenly and justdoing the best I can! Its that or nopointed pen and who can resistCopperplate, Spencerian and allthe pointed pen variations of italic,


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uncial, etc.?

Here is a list of left-handed calligraphy reference books Ive found helpful. Theycontain more information than any beginner could possibly digest, so reading and re-reading as I gain more experience is a good way to pick up tips and tricks.

Insights into Left-Handed Calligraphy, Betsy Rivers, 1984 Left-Handed Calligraphy, Vance Studley, 1979 Basics of Left-Handed Calligraphy, Margaret Shepherd, 1988

Calligraphy is difficult enough without the added burden of being left-handed.However, some of us enjoy the struggle and are stubborn enough to keep at it. Thanksfor taking the time to read this, if nothing else, youllunderstand why youre unlikely tofind yourself sitting next to a lefty in a calligraphy class!!

Left Handed Calligraphy-8.2010

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