digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

See the original image at smashingmagazine.com

Beautiful Handwriting, Lettering and Calligraphy

smashingmagazine.com — Handwriting seems to have lost some of its attraction over the last years. Nobody writes beautiful handwritten letters, and uses digital means of communication with smileys, abbreviations and standard lettering instead. And that ’s a pity. Since handwriting is unique, it has a tremendous expressive power a standard lettering isn’t able to achieve.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • aaaleman, on 04/07/2008, -2/+34Wow. I'll just stick to typing to avoid feeling utterly inferior.
    My eye-hand coordination will be devoted only to GTA IV.
  • dtele, on 04/07/2008, -1/+11Calligraphy with a fountain pen or brush - I don't see it much anymore.
    Cool - thanks
  • beyond12am, on 04/07/2008, -0/+9Wow. Extremely awesome collection.
    "Nobody writes beautiful handwritten letters, and uses digital means of communication with smileys, abbreviations and standard lettering instead."
    F'kin A :)
  • MrFanrastic, on 04/07/2008, -0/+7Makes me want to clean up my penmanship. I find that it gets even worse when I haven't written for a while. Kind of embarrassing considering the only times I usually write are when I'm sending a greeting card.
  • crywolf, on 04/07/2008, -1/+5Graffiti anyone? Anyways, calligraphy is such a beautiful art. Its truly amazing, and actually somewhat easy if you start out with a basic gothic font. Get off that keyboard and contribute to an art thats lasted for hundreds of years, you know you want to. :)
    • MrHappy123, on 04/08/2008, -0/+4Calligraphy is not easy by no means. It is an art form which must be practiced like any other skill.
  • crywolf, on 04/07/2008, -17/+4THERE WAS A ***** PROBLEM COMPLETING YOUR ***** REQUEST! PLEASE ***** RELOAD AND TRY AGAIN!

    DIGG NOT ***** SAVED, PLEASE RELOAD THE ***** PAGE AND TRY AGAIN!
    • veotho, on 04/07/2008, -3/+6THERE WAS A ***** PROBLEM WITH YOUR ***** POST! PLEASE STOP SPAMMING AND GET A LIFE!

      seriously, we all know theres issues, just let it go
    • danielce, on 04/07/2008, -2/+3Ai ai ai!
      If that's your reaction to a minor inconvenience, I don't want to be near you if you stub your toe on the door frame.
    • scrag10, on 04/08/2008, -0/+4Your font isn't pretty enought to get dugg
  • Zambodian, on 04/07/2008, -5/+1I bet these people are descendants of those who wrote books 500 years ago (or before the time of printing presses, which ever is more appropriate)
    • KSUdesigner, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2Are you serious? It's not that difficult to learn on your own, and they certainly teach it in college art classes because I took a full semester of calligraphy.
  • NathanCH, on 04/07/2008, -0/+5Sad that it's more of an art nowadays. Very impressive.
  • SuperJimmyJimbo, on 04/07/2008, -0/+8Max Fischer: President/Founder: Rushmore Academy Calligraphy Club.

    oh, and I wrote a hit play.
    • SirWho, on 04/07/2008, -0/+5well, I saved Latin...what did you ever do?
  • laserblazer, on 04/07/2008, -3/+8Writing by hand is an ergonomic nightmare. I prefer to select a script font and save myself the nerve damage.
    • danielce, on 04/07/2008, -2/+15Please don't put a script font and hand writing in the same category, that's like saying that Modernism and Post-Modernism are the same...
      Bad Laserblazer!
      • MxM111, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1and yet one can prefer one or another...
        • danielce, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1but in this context he is comparing the two as if they are similar...
          If not, the sentence would not make much sense: "I like space travel, but prefer bacon."
        • kingvik, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2But I do like space travel, but prefer bacon.
          • danielce, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1So if you had the choice between bacon or space travel you'd go for the pig parts?
  • jessestorm, on 04/07/2008, -2/+5so.... anyone want to make a font out of these?
  • ItsMyWii, on 04/07/2008, -1/+9What I wouldn't give to be able to write script like that...
  • SmellyFingers, on 04/07/2008, -5/+2Am I supposed to be turned on by this? lolz
  • monktallica, on 04/07/2008, -3/+1Looks like a pretty standard error page to me
  • jiller, on 04/07/2008, -5/+9***** THE RIAA
  • kujo740, on 04/07/2008, -1/+7Chicken scratch, its what champions use. Do you want to be a champion?
  • krystofr, on 04/07/2008, -5/+1Thanks to No Child Left Behind, most schools are so worried about teaching to standardized tests that they are spending less and less time on handwriting and penmanship. Thanks, again, Bush.
    • dougm68, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1You can't teach our kid to write better at night when in between commercials lazy?
      Quit blaming everyone else for your inadequacies.
    • Metasquares, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1There are better things to use classroom time for, IMHO. In fact, this is one of those rare instances where I think the tests might be a better use of the time.
    • Lutremi, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1As much as I hate Bush, I think you're stretching this way, way too far.
  • mistergoodburge, on 04/07/2008, -2/+1As a leftie i can say my handwriting sucks...
    • MtheoryX, on 04/08/2008, -0/+3As a leftie, I can say that the fact that you're a leftie has little to do with why your handwriting sucks. I would venture to say it's because you suck, that your handwriting sucks.
  • serif69, on 04/07/2008, -0/+2Kudos for the mention of Alejandro Paul, IMO the best display type designer of the modern era.
  • ketchupcorsair, on 04/07/2008, -1/+0Uhh, hand rendered type is actually quite popular right now, in the creative community. More-so than it had been a decade ago...
  • Kronos6948, on 04/08/2008, -2/+3As far as I'm concerned, cursive handwriting is inefficient. Everyone's handwriting skills are different, so it makes it more difficult for a stranger to read someone's handwriting. Sure, if you're really good at it, most people can make it out, but it also took you 15 minutes to handwrite a one page letter, when you could've typed it up in a minute and a half, only taking up less than half the page.

    Schools should focus more on typing skills and grammar more than how pretty your writing looks.
  • tian2992, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1Helvetica FTW
    My handwriting sucks, chicken scratch, although this was REALLY amazing.
  • mrsdz50, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1Some may already know that handwriting is an opportunity for students (of all ages) to take more time to think about what they are saying/writing. It also is an opportunity to copy text that is well written by imitating its style and style. Who doesn't love getting a well written note or letter?
  • Nelka, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2I've tried to improve my penmanship over the years, but there's no hope. I have terrible handwriting, and am quite content to to stick with typing. Like another commenter mentioned, the only time I really write is when I'm making out a birthday or holiday card. Being somewhat dyslexic, I end up throwing away several envelopes before I get the address right.
  • Spottswood, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2comic sans or GTFO
  • ch1x0r3r, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1Si Scott ftmfw
  • louiebaur, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2Always thought calligraphy was fun. Never was very good with those pens, though.
  • ki11a2k, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1great; but the digg intro doesn't fit the actual site, about half are digitally made.

    still, dugg for coolness.
  • dougm68, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2I think callig went out because its really kinda silly and time consuming.
    Sure its cool to receive invitations with this writing but if I got a letter from my bro with this writing
    I'd call him a fruit and probably beat the ***** outta him.
    For his own good.
  • life38, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1I have this friend whom sends me their letters in callig and it is just beautiful to receive something to read in such writing. Each time I read it, I find more of the personality in and the art form that it represents. Thanks Pauline.
  • Metasquares, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1All well and good for those of you who have legible handwriting! I'll stick with my keyboard, thanks :)
  • sgvprelude, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2People here in LA practice it all the time. Most of them are displayed under bridges, side of liquor stores and freeway signs.
  • morningchai, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1I used to have really nice penmanship, up until around 7 or 8 yrs ago, when I started doing less artwork on paper and more digital design on computer. I secretly detest it. When I do have to write stuff out by hand, I'll admit, it becomes scribble, with the occasional "do over" because it seems like my hand isn't capable of moving as quickly as I think/type. Grr.
  • michaelchyles, on 04/08/2008, -1/+1http://www.dustinarnold.com/
  • elementalgrace, on 04/08/2008, -0/+0That was an awesome article, with some really beautiful and inspirational work in there. Keep it up.
  • sammydeath, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1i love that sort of writing. You can see some great examples of caligraphy on some modern street-culture clothing, although i think the popularity of script fonts has been over used to an extent
  • ulmanor, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1Gorgeous! After many, many years I decided to brush up on my cursive skills... I recommend doing so to anyone who hasn't written (as opposed to printed) for years. The purpose of handwriting need not always be utilitarian: there's room, and a need, for aesthetic beauty as well, especially in personal correspondence.
  • OmegaWolf, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1That's to be expected since technology has made us lazy and illiterate.
  • oldcyborg, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1Even that much artistry,(writing pretty), might have changed my life. I have none. I was around doctors during formative years, and I write just like an old doctor does. Unintelligibly(sp). Something I still regret not trying harder to do.....

    Cyborg
  • alpha754293, on 04/10/2008, -0/+1Beautiful. Absolutely Beautiful. I've been doing calligraphy since I was like 11. Still do at times, but definitely far less now. Tried to take my class notes once entire in calligraphy. That didn't work out so well -- it was too slow. Still, it's beautiful work though. My favorite's probably has to be Jane Austen's autograph manuscripts.
  • habenneas, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1Fast, text-only mirror: http://www.lynxcache.org/usr/1/Beautiful_Handwriti ...
  • habenneas, on 04/15/2008, -0/+1LynxCache mirror: http://www.lynxcache.org/usr/1/Beautiful_Handwriti ...
  • mnemonick, on 04/17/2008, -0/+0Just wanted to say that your posts, including this one are just amazing. A great source of inspiration. As a matter of fact I consider smashing magazine the best source of webdesign resources!
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.