Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy

Copperplate, a widely used commercial script in the eighteenth century, gets its name from copperplate engraving, the method writing masters used to reproduce copybooks from which students could learn penmanship. Today, once again, this elegant calligraphic style is being studied and appreciated for its fluidity and beauty. Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy is a comprehensive student as well as the serious practitioner. Written by Eleanor Winters, an eminent calligrapher and teacher, the book begins with a brief but fascinating history of copperplate illustrated with writing samples of some of the great eighteenth-century masters. The reader is then guide through an in-depth examination of the alphabet, numbers, and punctuation of this unique art form. Each letterform is demonstrated stroke by stroke with a clear explanation. Other considerations, including writing in color, using the proper paper, and learning how to retouch , correct, and crop are discussed at length. After familiarizing the reader with the letterforms and teh materials, Mr. Winters shows how copperplate calligraphy can be used to write a simple paragraph, a short quotation, and a poem and explains how to use the script commercially for addressing envelopes and writing name cards and invitations. With this easy-to-follow, step-by-step manual and serious practice, calligraphers will be able to create copperplate scripts with the rhythm, grace, and ease of the great writing masters. -- from dust jacket.