Book Description

“The design, reasonable price, and quality of calligraphy reproduced all combine to make this publication a worthwhile acquisition....The book is...jam-packed with color illustrations and informative text...[It] presents thirty-four calligraphy techniques....The second section shows how professional calligraphers solve design problems.”—School Arts.
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Reviews (3)

Great at what it does
First, let me make it clear that I love this book! It is primarily a reference, with basic step-by-step directions and tons of photos for a wide variety of techniques and alphabets.

Though the first section begins with "Basic Penmanship," I'm not sure I would not recommend it as a first book. However, I think it would make a great second book. It includes enough detail to allow you to develop a basic working knowledge of just about any of the techniques or alphabets, expanding your skills. Once you have identified a particular area of interest, I would recommend pursuing additional information. (This is not an in-depth work-just an overview!)

The second section is a sort of gallery, with photos of a wide variety of professional work and a short discussion of the artist's intentions or process. The work depicted is often breath taking, and makes ME jealous! I have returned to this book time and time again for inspiration.

Excellent Reference
If you are a beginner or have some experience in calligraphy, I would recommend this book. Excellent overall reference.

generally valuable resource
For anyone who desires to know about the mechanics and history of calligraphy, this book will prove valuable. However, its abundance of text may be daunting to beginning calligraphers, who desire more simple instruction. Advanced calligraphers may learn new techniques, but I would only recommend this volume to those who are willing to sift through superfluous information. ... Read more

Book Description

A fantastic adventure story, based loosely on the exploits of Hamza, an uncle of the prophet Muhammad, who travelled throughout the world spreading the doctrines of Islam, The Adventure of Hamza--also known as Hamzanama--tells of encounters with giants, demons, and dragons; of abductions and hair-raising chases; and of believers, as well as those who resisted the truth. The excitement of these ancient tales was best captured in public recitations at coffeehouses from Iran to northern India. Each oration was given a particular flavor by the storyteller, who departed freely from the written text, which itself varies in composition and structure from manuscript to manuscript. An illustrated version of the Hamzanama was commissioned early in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, in the second half of the 16th century, by the teenage emperor himself. Consisting of 1400 paintings of an unusually large format, it was one of the earliest products of the royal Mughal painting atelier, and perhaps the most ambitious. The enormous size of the illustrations, which are nearly two feet high each, can be explained by their role in complementing the recitations; their sometimes broad and animated style conveys the vigor of the tales. Just over a tenth of the 1400 paintings from Akbar's commission survive today, and this publication of The Adventures of Hamza brings together 60 of the greatest of these works from collections all over the world, and places them alongside new translations of the related text passages.

. . .The next day the champions and heroes of the Army of Islam set forth with thirty thousand of their relatives. When the overseer of the court had crossed, the next day the sultan of the western throne and Mundhir Shah of the Yemen crossed with two hundred thousand men. Behind them came Price Nuruddahr and Malik Qasim's men. After them the kings of the east like Jamshed Golden-Quiver and Khwarshed Golden-Quiver crossed with eighty thousand men. The next day Prince Badi'uzzman's men and the princes of Mazanderan like Shah Shams and Shah Badr crossed with eighty thousand men. The next day. . . --from The Adventures of Hamza

Edited by Alison Effeny.
Essays by John Seyller, Ebba Koch, Rainald Franz, Antoinette Owen and Wheeler M. Thackston.

Clothbound, 320 pages, 135 color and 200 b&w

AUTHOR BIO: John Seyller, curator of the exhibition The Adventures of Hamza, is Professor of Art History at the University of Vermont. He has published extensively on Indian painting, with an emphasis on Mughal manuscripts produced during Akbar's reign. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful, inspirational
Letters of Gold is one of the most beautiful and informative books on Arabic calligraphy (khatt) I know. Ottoman calligraphy naturally strongly influenced calligraphy throughout the Islamic world, and in Arabic-speaking countries in particular. Certainly my two calligraphy teachers in the U.A.E. and Damascus had the highest regard for Turkish caligraphers.

As to the book, the introduction is the best I've ever seen: it covers the development of scripts, equipment and techniques, composition of pieces and concludes with a piece on the training of a scribe. All this is done with constant reference to the 71 examples in the book. The samples themselves are not, as so often in Western books on Islamic calligraphy, selected miniatures, but instead are frequently pages in the body of a work rather than merely ornate headings. It is possible, therefore, to concentrate on the khatt itself rather than the work of the anciliary craftsmen. The reproduction is excellent. Each piece of khatt has a facing-page biographical outline of the author and a small commentary on the khatt itself. Works range from the late fifteenth to the late twentieth centuries.

Terms are naturally presented in their Turkish form, so Arabists may need to guess the Arabic spelling of the word - it's not hard (h = h/H/kh, k = k/q, s = s/S/th, final Arabic b/d can become p/t). There's a glossary and a bibliography of works in English and Turkish. Anything else? I'd recomend the hardback edition.

Caligraphy, fancy the pen.
This is a well presented work explaining the art of caligraphy as well as presenting the marvelous pieces from the Sabanci Collection which have also toured the Met. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great book
The best I guide to practice your hieroglyphic calligraphy. I love it.

The best I could find
This is one of several books on the subject that I bought because I was late on a decorative commission and had to learn how to write hieroglyphs fast. This turned out to be the only book of any value. Using Gardiner's Sign List to organize the symbols into catagories, Fischer first shows a large drawing of the glyph, then shows with a series of sequential sketches how to arrive at the final design. Using his technique, I was able to achieve satisfactory results in a remarkably short time.

Unlike some of the other authors, Fischer does redraw, modify, or try to "reinterpret" the symbols. I compared his hieroglyphs to photographs of tomb and temple walls and found his to be true to the originals.
The 4th edition contains some additional glyphs and information in supplementary references and addenda.
This is a beautifully designed and bound book, worthy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I use this in conjunction with Wilkinson's "Reading Egyptian Art".

Excellent Guide
As others have said, this volume is slim and thankfully clear and concise. The glyphs are simplified to make them easier to draw, but still recognizably hieroglyphs (as opposed to cursive forms or hieratic-- and sometimes clearer than Faulkner). There are many larger illustrations that show the glyph in more naturalistic form; these are quite interesting. When the forms varied significantly over time, all versions are shown (i.e., Old Kingdom form, Middle and New Kingdom form(s).) It's very helpful, for writing and reading.

A Must For Anyone Interested in Hieroglyphs
Books on Egyptology come and go out of print but a select few manage, for good reason, to stay in print. Henry Fischer's "Ancient Egyptian Calligraphy" has always been in print and for good reason. There are scores of books that tell you how to translate and read Egyptian hieroglyphs but very few offer a practical guide as to how to actually write the symbols. Fischer offers a very practical and easy to follow guide that is so simple that it is genius. A slender volume but a truly invaluable one for anyone who is interested in this area of Egyptology.

A GREAT GUIDE TO PRACTICE YOUR HIEROGLYPHIC CALLIGRAPHY
Once again Dr. H.G. Fischer has produced an outstanding title and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, must be congratulated for issuing it as a wonderful book. If you are beginning your own practice of hieroglyphic writing, this is the best (and the only) guide to obtain a nice and elegant hand-writing. TopTen Title. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

brilliant survey of calligraphic history
What I like best about the book is the way in which it traces the historical development of calligraphy. The author's Japan bias matches my own (I got into calligraphy in Japan) and so I didn't particularly mind the heavy Japan slant. What I found frustrating was the lack of a pronunciation guide, especially for the Sanskrit. Given the diacritics in use, I would have liked to have known how to pronounce the dotted consonants, etc. It would be nice to learn more about Khmer and Thai calligraphy also, but I turn to other books...

a wonderful tour of Oriental calligraphy
Sacred Calligraphy of the East takes you through the scripts used in the sacred writings of religions and nations of East Asia. If the book would have just been a wide collection of calligraphic examples, this would have been a good enough reason to get the book. But the book is more than this: It actually teaches you to draw these characters. It's a wonderful book.

An excellent reference to sacred oriental calligraphy
Two years ago, at a Zen retreat, I needed something to relax my mind. The priest who headed the retreat had, at his house, an assortment of books from which to choose. I didn't want something cerebral. I fingered his library and came upon John Steven's "Sacred Calligraphy of the East." It was perfect! It offered pictures from which I was able to relax and study the historical progress of Eastern calligraphic forms. Since then, I have bought the book for myself and I continually refer to it when in need. That may seem rather odd: I don't really know why the book relaxes me and gives me solice, but I am quite grateful to John Stevens for his contribution to the art and to my life.

Excellent compilation of techniques and images
Honestly I bought the book out of pure intuition. I didn't know what to expect except for a very interesting index. It was a wonderful surprise. Leading a meditation workshop based on western calligraphy technique, I had a keen personal interest on reading this book. Extraordinary in its coverage of background, theory, examples and exercises, it sure is an excellent addition to any artist or person interested in finding a creative and trascendental outlet for his creativity. Although a little technical knowledge goes a long way here, it is also easy for beginners to start. Recommended whole-heartedly. ... Read more

Book Description

In this beautiful book Jonathan Alexander surveys European manuscript illumination from the fourth to the sixteenth century. Illustrating his discussion with examples chosen from all over Europe, he discusses the social and historical context of the illuminators` lives, considers their methods of work, and shows the range and nature of the visual sources and the ways in which they were adapted, copied, or created anew. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

From behind the pen...
This book introduces the reader to the people and processes involved in the production of manuscripts, and is interesting as a resource for methods of book production as much as it is for the insight it gives into the lives of the very real people whose efforts and whose lives went into the production of books by hand. With more than enough information to interest the scholar, this book is at the same time extremely accesible to the average reader interested in the subject. I would reccomend this as a textbook and as a good read, but would suggest that a reader have a good guide, such as Michelle Brown's Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts on hand, in order to best understand every facet of the material being presented. The book is clear and well-written, but a deeper understanding of the finished product adds greatly to the value of reading about their creators. This is a book I am proud to have on my bookshelf, for its readability, its attractiveness, and its value as a source for interesting historical information.

excellent, well written and interesting
whether you are interested in the typical lives, education, training, as well as social status of the people whose work became immortal or in the techniques and tools used to create the magnificent pages.. this is a well written and interesting read. beautiful photographs of works in various levels of completion, numerous countries, schools and eras combined with well researched documentation and critiques makes this book an excellent resource. focusing mainly on the creation of illumination and explaining the lives of those creating the page, covering multiple aspects of training, techniques and changing social status throughout the decades leads to an overall thorough understanding. you will walk away not only being able to understand the illuminated page, its signifigance and constructuion but also those who toiled to creatre it. whether an art history lover, in love with the illuminated page or interested in the lives of people who lived centuries ago this book is a wonderful addition to you personal library. i wish my art history books were this well written. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best All-Round Book forUnderstanding the Chinese Aesthetic
The book deals with the traditional art of Calligraphy from both a philosophical and an aesthetic point of view and uses numerous examples for the serious student of Chinese Calligraphy. It is written in a lively and informed manner that will stimulate the reader's imagination and appreciation of the art of Calligraphy and its masters throughout history. It is the #1 book in the field.

A good start
I feel that Mr. Chiang Yee's book provides an excellent introduction to the art of Chinese Calligraphy as well as to the idiosyncrasies of Chinese aesthetics. However, it is an old book, and it constantly dates itself. There is more than a touch of "orientalism" in this book, and Mr. Yee presents China the way it would be seem to a Westerner a half century ago, as a mysterious place, a dark "other" with incomprehensible mystic traditions that stand in sharp contrast to the bright and carefully delineated West. For example, he makes the assertion several times through the book that a person's appearance and personality can be gauged by their calligraphy style. Analyzing Emperor Hui Tsung's calligraphy Yee reveals to us that the emperor was "a well-built handsome figure." Of course, as this particular emperor died nearly 1800 years ago, there is absolutely no way to empirically refute or support his claims. Of course, we can't forget that modern China is not a land of dragons and mystics. It is a nuclear power, and a burgeoning economic superpower. However, with that one caveat in mind, I would still heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Chinese calligraphy or aesthetic traditions. ... Read more

Book Description

Sumi-e (Japanese for “ink picture”) captures the spirit of the rock, flower, bird or landscape in bold strokes. Beginners can start mastering this ancient art with an inspiring guide that introduces the essential materials, techniques and brushwork, and a range of projects.Recreate the Orchid, Bamboo, Plum Blossom, and Chrysanthemum—sumi-e’s four foundations.
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Reviews (1)

Japanese Ink Painting
I have done ink brush painting for over 20 years in Japan, China and now in Alabama. Japanese Ink Painting is a clear, beautifully illustrated approach for all experienced or new to the art. It is a valuable resource to everyne who desires to utilize a brush with ink, watercolor, or any medium and be sucessful with it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Small gem of illumination plates
A very small book containing 85 color plates of miniatures culled from various books of hours. The plates are reproduced at or near their original size, giving an idea of just how truly small most of these pictures actually are.

The plates come from the best manuscripts owned by several museums. Most of the art is Franco-Flemish from 1475-1525, but there are a few earlier works and/or Italian works represented, as well.

There is very little text. This book is intended, I believe, to provide just enough information to pique the curious. The art is splendid, though, and a better, more portable visual reference could not be found. I liked this book so much that I bought two copies; one to use as a reference when painting, and another to just enjoy perusing. ... Read more

Book Description

Shahnama: The Visual Language of the Persian Book of Kings presents the first comprehensive examination of the interplay between text and image in the celebrated Persian national epic, the Shahnama, written by the poet Firdausi of Tus. The Shahnama is one of the longest poems ever composed and recounts the history of Iran from the dawn of time to the Muslim Arab conquests of the seventh century AD. There is no Persian text, in prose or poetry, which has been so frequently and lavishly illustrated.

Offering fresh insights through a range of varied art-historical approaches to the Shahnama, the essays in this volume reveal how the subtle alterations in text and image serve to document changes in taste and style and can be understood as reflections of the changing role of the national epic in the imagination of Iranians and the equally changing messages – often political in nature – which the familiar stories were made to convey over the centuries. ... Read more

Book Description

Famous treasury of English roundhand calligraphy of 1740. Alphabets, decorated pages, scrolls, frames, cupids, similar material.
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Book Description

This giant sourcebook of dazzling headline typography offers a cornucopia of typographical ideas and eye-catching letters, words, phrases, slogans, logos, humorous comments, headlines and graphic symbols. Individual sections present a rich variety of typefaces: Condensed, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Rustic, Thick-and-thin, Calligraphic, Latins, Blackletter and many more. With humorous commentaries and helpful tips that make the catalog as fun to use as it is inspirational. Index of fonts.
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Reviews (3)

Wow! What a Nice Collection of Type!
I received my Solotype Catalog today and it was beyond anything I expected! I have worked with type for over 60 years and this is a wonderful collection of type and includes the colorful 19th Century fonts as well as recent fonts (to 1992). Special effects are well presented. This book is a must for anyone interested in type and letterforms.

A MUST for anyone who loves typography!
Dan Solo's book has the most beutiful fonts I've seen. He has a love of typography, and this comes out not just in the quality and number of fonts, but in the manner they are presented. I did my wedding invites with these fonts, and keep looking for reasons to bring back such beautiful typefaces as Nicholas Cochin, or authentic Gold Rush era such as Smuggler, French Kate, and Lyons Egyptian.

this is a great book to get really inspired
this is a great book to get really inspired and makes to instantly want to create something beatifull with it. Only problem is to get it in your computer system (digitalize it) which takes me about one hour for most headline fonts which don't need so much car ... Read more

Book Description

Calligraphy, the art that combines visual image and written word, is perhaps at its most brilliant in the arts of Islam. Islamic calligraphy traditionally took its inspiration from the Muslim belief in the divine origin of Arabic writing, the medium through which the Qur'anic revelation to the Prophet Muhammad was recorded. In early Islam the use of Arabic writing is sacred, and official texts gave rise to a wonderful profusion of scripts and a calligraphic tradition that has flourished for over a thousand years—not only in manuscript decoration but in architecture, ceramics, and painting. With chapters on the use of calligraphy in architecture and contemporary painting, The Splendor of Islamic Calligraphy provides a comprehensive and fascinating survey of the subject from its earliest origins to the present day. It explains the geometrical and ornamental principles of calligraphy with the help of numerous line drawings, and examines the interdependence of script and page decoration. It gives an overview of the many complex variations of this most graphic form of writing and traces its evolution up to its current expression in the paintings of artists such as Shakir Hassan. Finally, and perhaps most important, it contains outstanding examples of scripts—kufic, thuluth, naskhi, and maghribi among others—in a series of magnificent reproductions of manuscript pages, paintings, and other works of art. 232 illustrations, 98 in color. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a beautiful book...
This is a beautifully presented book on Islamic Calligraphy. While providing background material and being informative, it also has many and varied examples presented in color. I did not know what to expect when I ordered it, but as soon as I opened it I was bowled over. This is a must for anyone who appreciates Islamic art, or for anyone who would like to learn more of the history behind it.

An informative look at Islamic Calligraphy
This is an informative look at the development of Arabic Calligraphy through the ages and also at the leading figures engaged in its progress throughout the centuries. It has a detailed chronological format for those wishing to us it as a research aid. All round value, especially the calligraphic family tree on the back cover. ... Read more

Book Description

“The art of illumination is re-examined in this richly illustrated publication. Each page is filled with eye-catching full-color examples of the illuminator’s art. This in-depth historical overview...begins with The Lindisfarne Gospels and moves through contemporary forms....[This] unique publication...[includes] hundreds of skillfully rendered full-color examples.”—School Arts.
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Reviews (3)

Solid starting point for anyone doing illumination
When you start illumination, you want to try different styles to see which fits your interest and talents best. This book creates a step by step walk-through for many different styles in a do-able manner for a beginner. But beyond that, the book provides examples of where to go from there. For instance, start of with the letter used as the example. When you finish that, try including one of the borders shown in that section using the same skills developed by following the example.
What this book accomplishes is to help you develop the "vocabulary" used by the sample styles. As you develop the vocabulary that the sample styles illustrate, you are on the path for more complex work (i.e. see Christopher De Hamel's books). Also, by learning the basics that this book provides, you are ready to play with styles not covered because you have the basis for where other styles came from or what they led into.

a feast for the eyes
this book couldn't be more beautiful! i just love paging through it randomly. the projects are not for beginners, but they're not impossible either. the materials are explained thoroughly. the instructions are a little sketchy (so to speak) - they assume a pretty high level of expertise. but the book is just lovely to look at - i recommend it to beginners as inspiration and experts for the actual projects.

an excellent book for intermediate to advanced art student
a well done and inspiring book on illuminating letters. a good read for a small book. the illustrations were beautiful and easy to follow. ... Read more

Book Description

Scrapbook artist Becky Higgins has one of the most appealing styles in scrapbooking today. In this her first book, Becky gives easy instructions for making hundreds of different alphabets that will add a personal touch to scrapbooks--and to cards, invitations, signs, and posters. Scrapbooking moms, schoolteachers, librarians, teenagers, rubber stampers, card makers, and other crafters all need ideas for creative lettering! Brides can add a personal touch to place cards, gift tags, invitations, envelopes. This book includes 50 brand-new alphabets (never before published in Creating Keepsakes scrapbook magazine or anywhere else!) plus hundreds of ways to use them. It's a complete lettering course in itself, with easy-to-follow 5-step instructions, 6 basic lettering types, lots of design templates, and 75 fill-in patterns. Becky's lettering is for everyone, at every level of skill. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

How to letter for those of us who lack the knack
There is a reason this is the standard in scrapbook lettering guides: it explains how to create those fancy letters in a simple, logical way that even people with atrocious handwriting can pick up quickly to improve their page layouts. All that , and it's cute, too!
It turns out that Becky Higgins' style of creative lettering is based on a simple alphabet that is adorned in one of six basic ways, then embellished and colored in. Yes, it really is that easy! Your titles and first paragraph letters can be customized according to season, color scheme, occasion, pattern match, mood, etc. The fifty variations on the six lettering styles will be more than enough for most people to fill their scrapbooks without seeming repetitive - but you may find yourself designing variations of your own after practicing for a while.

The limitation of The Art of Creative Lettering is that IMHO, the lettering styles lend themselves almost exclusively to a country and/or casual feel in the page designs. This is a popular way to scrapbook, and you may not need anything else. However, sometimes a more sophisticated, adult look is called for. And if like me you have a formal wedding and a heritage album to complete, you may end up turning to sticker letters or laser cut titles to get the traditional look you want.

I would highly recommend this book for anybody who believes s/he"can't" letter nicely.
-Andrea, aka merribelle

No more excuses for poorly lettered titles!
Beautifully lettered titles can make the difference in the appearance of our scrapbook pages. As a busy person who still wants classy-looking pages, cutting out those letters from templates is too time-consuming to do for every layout. This is where Becky's book is such an inspiration. With clear directions and numerous visual examples, she show even those of us with terrible penmanship how to letter wonderful and creative titles.

Beyond showing how to do the lettering, she gives inspiration for clean, classic layouts in all her examples. She provides many ideas for how to place the letters, so that these 50 fonts can provide a multitude of looks. There are a lot of books on the market to help us improve our lettering, but if you are looking for only one, this is the one I'd suggest.

A book to use over and over....
I do scrapbooking and was never fond of the sticker letters, so on a whim I bought this book. Goodbye sticker letters! Your own lettering on the scrapbook page looks much nicer to me than the stickers and you never have to worry about running out of the alphabet letters or what color you need. These are very simple to do, I can fairly easily copy them, but I know I could never come up with them on my own. There is a great variety of lettering, each one having its own type of "mood" so you know when it is right for the page you are doing...fun, serious, kiddish, whatever. This book has been worth its weight and if you are bored of writing titles in plain block letters, this will really brighten up your titles.

Creative Lettering: An Art Form All Its Own
This book is truly amazing. It is so helpful for making scrapbooks. Everyone marvels at the lettering job that this book has helped me with. I also have used the techniques to make signs and cards and things of that nature. A lot of creative lettering books that I have seen have really boring fonts, but this book has really really fun lettering styles. I mean, there are styles for Christmas, Halloween, flowery ones, Back To School, and just some really fun swirly ones. If you are into scrapbooking or just need something to help you make invitations for that big upcoming party, I really recommend buying this book. Unfortunately I lost my copy, but since I liked it so much I am going to buy it again! Enjoy!!!

Very useful
I bought this book quite some time ago and I am really using it a lot lately. I find that for my titling on my scrapbook pages and on the guestbook/scrapbook pages I am creating for my wedding, I needed some creative inspiration and needed to expand my lettering. This book has a huge amount of lettering styles (Some of which I love and some I know I'll never use) The best part about this book in particular is that it shows the alphabet on one page in color and then the opposing page has color example scrapbook pages illustrating their use. (And it can inspire your pages as well)

If you enjoy lettering and want to expand your horizions or if you are a beginner I would suggest this book be in your library. I have definately used it when I am stuck, in a rut, or want to try something new and different! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

As promised: Basics for beginners
The title well describes the content. The focus is on the techniques with a short intro of the essential equipment. The reader is guided through a selection of some 50 characters with the emphasis on how to proceed stroke by stroke and how should the result look like.
This book is a good quick start but won't serve as a long-lasting reference. As soon as you find the art of shodou as the thing for you, you'll be looking for more in-depth and covering texts on the subject. Although somewhat narrow, all the content is useful - except a list of the equipment suppliers in the US.

Great for beginning students
This is a good book for beginning students learning to write Kanji and Hiragana. The large format makes it easy to see how to form the character correctly.

The instructions are excellent, showing you step-by-step, how to write each symbol in detail. Though cursive script is shown, it is smaller and detailed instructions for writing it are not given.

Each character's reading and meaning are shown as well. However, since less than 75 words are covered, it is not intended to teach you to read Japanese.

The book also covers materials, techniques, & a brief history of Asian calligraphy. There is a beautiful calligraphy appreciation section in the back. It shows some of the characters reflecting their meaning.

Good beginning brush technique book. Beautiful examples.
This is a good beginning book for learning brush technique for Japanese calligraphy of the pictographs that are based on the Chinese characters. She goes through everything from basic setup and rubbing ink through a couple dozen characters, so if you already know stroke order and have some idea of the characters you want to do, this book focuses on how to make the brush strokes for plain 'block' characters work, with some hint as to the possibilities with script characters and more artistic forms. There is a single page for how to form the phonetic characters as well.

The sample characters are big, bold, and easy to learn from and have the easier posture of a native calligrapher, rather than the squared-off posture of most American renderings.

It's a very good starting place for someone wishing to make characters with more personality than can be done with a normal pen or pencil. But is only a beginner's book if you already have some experience with a brush and ink. ... Read more