History: Viking Raids and Anglo Saxon Renewal

The vikings made a notable appearance in 793, when they terrorized all of north western Europe. They raided Lindisfarne in 793, a peaceful defenseless settlement, and moved south to Tours in 853.  By then any settlement by water, river or ocean, was under the viking threat. The vikings destroyed over fifty years worth of work inside the monasteries using fire or the blade of their swords, forcing  advances in the art of books to stop. However, Anglo-Saxon England would not stand to this new rule, and in 871 they recaptured England over the rule of King Alfred, the ruler of Wessex. This would cause a new monastic movement throughout England in 970, and English monks would rebuild monasteries, attached to churches. Carolingian minuscule would be used within these monasteries, with influence from the Anglo-Saxon style of writing. This script would be written in a thicker pen, and the serifs would have a rounded form. This would change in the eleventh century, when the letters would take more of an oval shape. This would then lead to the sharp shape of Gothic lettering. These achievements however, were threatened when England was concord by Duke William of Normandy.

Clayton, E. (2014). Roman Foundations. The golden thread: The story of writing  Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint. (pp. 60-63)

History: Growth of Christianity

The growth of Christianity and writing begins with the advancement of  the art of writing.
With the rumored Egyptian ban on the sale of papyrus  in 190BC, Pergamum librarians turned to writing in a codex; wax tablets which were bound together at the spine. This proved to be easier to read than scrolls, and by the sixth century the parchment codex was dominant. By the ninth century, papyrus was only used for administrative purposes.
Within these codices writing began to advance as well. One of the greatest advancements was the Origen's  creation of the "Hexapla" which would have: writings from the old testament, written in two languages (Hebrew and Greek,) in six columns lined side by side. This creation would lead St. Jerome to consult Origen's manuscript, and create the official text of the Roman Catholic church. Origen's "Hexapla," also influenced Pamphilus, who created the largest Christian library for their time, up until their death on Febuary 16th, 310. "Hexapla" still had influence even after Pamphilus's death, by a person named Eusbius.
Eusbius would create the Chronicle, a writing which incorporated tables and rational. It gave readers and writers a new visualization. His imagination as to how the codex could be formatted would lead to the creation of the Canon. The Canon divided the Gospel into ten sections, with tables listing passages, and linked it all together as one. It is because of this creation, he received a commission by Emperor Constantinople to furnish all the churches with Bibles. These Bibles were written in Greek uncials in a parchment codex. (Clayton, 2014, pp. 40-55)


Clayton, E. (2014). Roman Foundations. The golden thread: The story of writing  Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint. (pp. 40-55)

Calligraphy: Carolingian Minuscule

The Alphabet: This week I had been practicing the Carolingian Minuscule alphabet. It appeared in the late eighth century, within the scriptorium of Charlemagne. It was then spread into his other monasteries, and by the eleventh century it was widely adopted across Europe. It was created to improve the legibility of handwriting, as well as the uniformity of the alphabet. [1] [3] It's script is both round and sharp, and it's serifs are well defined. For your better understanding, I have attached a sample image of the alphabet below. [2]

         

Image Source (URL)

Reflection: This week I was rather influenced by William Graily Hewit. He was a British calligrapher who had revived the art of gliding. His calligraphy flows together very well, and if you would like to know more, I have provided a link for you.

Click Here to Learn More

This week I decided to try something different, as I did not use guidelines. On top of it all I tried to glide my pen into each letter. I learned that not every word looks good being written in a gliding motion. I also learned that it is immensely difficult to write straight across the paper without a guideline. I rather enjoyed how the letter "e" flowed into the following character. What I didn't like about this alphabet however, was how the letter "S" is written. I was quite revolted by the letter, and chose not to use it most of the time.

Time-Frame: In total I practiced this alphabet for a little less than two hours. I am a little upset with myself for not meeting the two hour requirement, however I plan on putting a little bit of overtime into the next alphabet.

Progress: I started off this week a little shaky, however I cleaned up my work towards the end.

Attachments (Photos):

Note: None of the following images are in a particular order.

Practice:

Paper Used: Printer paper.

Pen Used: Y&C Calligraphy Pen; Size 3.5

Paper Used: Printer paper.

Pen Used: Y&C Calligraphy Pen; Size 3.5

Paper Used: Printer paper.

Pen Used: Y&C Calligraphy Pen; Size 3.5

Paper Used: Printer paper.

Pen Used: Y&C Calligraphy Pen; Size 3.5

Paper Used: Printer paper.

Pen Used: Y&C Calligraphy Pen; Size 3.5

Paper Used: Printer paper.

Pen Used: Y&C Calligraphy Pen; Sizes 2.5, 3.5

Exploration:

Paper Used: Printer paper.

Pen Used: Dip-pen and marker.

Paper Used: Lined paper.

Pen Used: Fountain pen.

Note: EDITED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY.

Citations:

[1] Tillotson, D. (2005, May 4). Caroline Minuscule. Retrieved February 26, 2019, from
          http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/history5.htm

[2] McGavren, C. (2004). Carolingian aAlphabet [Digital image]. Retrieved February 25, 2019, from
         http://cmcgavren.home.sprynet.com/azcarolingian_p1of2.html

[3] The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2008, April 16). Carolingian minuscule. Retrieved
          February 26, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/art/Carolingian-minuscule

Calligraphy: Japanese

Image Source (URL)

I found this piece interesting because it reminded me of my third grade art class. Our art teacher purposefully put us ahead of schedule so she could give us a non-academic assignment. We spent that day writing Japanese calligraphy, writing words such as: "earth" "hope" and "water", using a very specific brush and black paint.

Calligraphy: Pre-Colombian Writing

                            Image Source (URL)

I found this image interesting because of how colorful it is. It reminds me of the stories the church as depicted in stained glass windows. Perhaps the church took inspiration from them?

Image Source (URL)

I found this piece interesting because it is very clearly stating a sentence. It drew my attention so much, that I looked up the piece and what it means. It was created by the Maya, documenting the discovery of zero. It's really interesting to see how society has grown in mathematical documentation from then until now.

Image Source (URL)

I found this image interesting because it is the same alphabet my sixth grade art teacher made my class write our names in. I don't remember much of the assignment, however I remember writing my name, in this alphabet, in clay, using very special chisels designed for writing in this alphabet.

                                                          Image Source (URL)

I found this piece interesting because somebody spent the time documenting perhaps a sale onto a what appears to be a clay slab. It's interesting to see how sales worked in a pre-colombian era.

Calligraphy: Middle Eastern

Image Source (URL)

This image appealed to me because it had made me realize that I had never thought that Arabic could be written in calligraphy. It makes me wonder, could there be even more styles of calligraphy which Arabic can be written in? 

Calligraphy: Western Calligraphy

                                             Image Source (URL)

This image was appealing to me because of how unique the "T" and "W" character is. The characters seem to flow together smoothly while still bearing their sharp edges. Finally, I really enjoyed how most of the letters have a gradient, it's almost as if the writer used a pen that always needed to be refilled with ink.

Image Source (URL)

This image was appealing to me because of how sharp each letter is. The way each letter is written makes me think about old European musicians. It is this font, which comes into my head when  anybody says "calligraphy."

Calligraphy: Uncial

Assignment:

• Explain that the alphabet you're working on is called Uncial. Give some background information about it.
• Explain which photos are practice and which are exploration
• Reflect on what you did, what you learned, what you liked or didn't like, what progress you made across the six 20-minute practice sessions (or whatever your time frame was and tell what your time frame was)

The Alphabet:

The alphabet I have been practicing is called Uncial. Pronounced "un-chill," this alphabet was rather round in shape. This alphabet was created by the Romans, with influence taken from their cursive writings. This alphabet allowed writers to write faster, because it was easier to write in. When this style was created, the Romans tended to use Roman Rustic if they wanted the reader to know that the document was important. Uncial was used more by the modern day man for everyday documents. Attached below is the uncial alphabet, to show you how the alphabet looked like.

Source

Reflection:

Over the span of two weeks, I have spent about four hours in total in my calligraphy practices. I found that PRISMACOLOR markers are awful to write this alphabet in. However, the Expo markers work rather well, as well as the 5.0 and 3.5 sized calligraphy markers found on the UMF bookstore. The fountain pen was okay, however it was not my favorite. I'm finding that writing in general has become "busy work" for me, however I figured out that if I write about events in my life, then I can sort of pace through it. Perhaps next time I will write my pseudo code in calligraphy, so my interests in coding will reflect within my writings. I really liked writing on my whiteboard, so perhaps I will explore that medium more as well.

Attachments:

Please note: The order of the events posted are in no particular order.

Exploration:

Paper Used: None. I used a whiteboard.

Pen Used: Expo marker.

Note: Please mind the Python pseudo code in the upper left corner.

Paper Used: Low quality notebook paper.

Pen Used: Calligraphy marker (5.0)

Paper: Printer paper.

Pen Used: PRISMACOLOR.

Practice:

Paper Used: High quality laser print paper.

Pen Used: Calligraphy marker (5.0)

Paper Used: High quality laser print paper.

Pen Used: Calligraphy marker (3.5)

Paper Used: High quality laser print paper.

Pen Used: Calligraphy marker (3.5)

Paper Used: High quality laser print paper.

Pen(s) Used: Calligraphy marker (3.5) and fountain pen.

Valentine:

Paper Used: Pink paper given in class.

Pen Used: Fountain pen.

Translation: You are sweeter than sugar on a cake.  

In Class Practice:

Paper Used: High quality laser print paper.

Pen(s) Used: Calligraphy marker, 3.5 and 5.0.

History: BC Rome

The era of BC Rome was during the third century. The Romans were neighbors with the Greeks, and so the Greeks influenced their politics, mythology, science, as well as writing. Politically, the Roman government was ruled by a king as well as a senate. During this era of Rome, it was looked down upon to read and write. At the time, writing was only used for records. However, most could read and write. Writing was done on wax tablets using stylists, on stone using squared brushes and chisels. The Romans were fond of writing on papyrus, as well as carves stone or metal. 

Clayton, E. (2014). Roman Foundations. The golden thread: The story of writing
(pp. #-#)

History: Middle Ages Rome.

During the middle ages of Rome, between the third century and the fifth century, it was unsuitable for the modern man to write. Within this era, it was looked down upon to write; however most Roman citizens could read. By the fourth century, Rome had twenty nine libraries. Typically slaves were taught how to write so they could copy or write books. Slaves also kept their master’s financial and legal records, and worked as secretaries and managers in their master’s business.In writing, there were two variations of the Roman script which was used by it’s citizens. The formal script was used for public monuments and books. The less formal script was used for “everyday writing” such examples include but are not limited to: informal purposes, lists, as well as note taking. This variation is believed to have been influenced by the experience of learning to write upon a wax tablet. Wax tablets had also influenced the Romans writing utensil of choice: the edged pen. Romans also wrote using a bone metal stylus, on either papyrus or parchment. By the end of this era, the Greeks were influenced by the Roman way of writing, and it soon spread eastward in a focus in Latin based languages.

Clayton, E. (2014). Roman Foundations. The golden thread: The story of writing
(pp. #-#)

History: Early Greece

Our journey starts in 334BCE, when the Greeks first began to realize that writing was as important as democratic values. To them, it had become an art form, something beautiful and important. It would be around 1000BCE when the Greeks would use the Cypriot system of writing. It would then be replaced, and influence for yet another system of writing. In approximately 1400BCE, It was replaced when the Greeks began to use the Syllabic system of writing. It was during this period, known as the Hellenic Period, when the first instance of writing on Papyrus was found. This system was not widely used, as the only found writings only revealed business transactions. This system was later replaced by a a phonetic system, adapted to the sounds of the Greek language. It is theorized that it was created in the area known as Cyprus. This new system seemed to also have been influenced by the Roman and Etruscan alphabets. It is because of this, by the 9th century Sillibic was no longer used by the Greeks. The new phonetic script had become very popular among the Greeks, soon splitting into two variants; The eastern Ionic alphabet and the western Ionic alphabet. The eastern alphabet would become the "standard," while the western variant would gain popularity on the island of Euboea. The standard alphabet has been proven to show that perhaps, the Greeks had taken influence from the Romans and the Etruscans. As the Greek letters for F, S,and L look strikingly similar to the Romans and the Etruscan letters. Delta, however, took a new look, it sat sitting up. The Greeks used the standard alphabet to carve inscriptions into their art, or to paint calligraphy onto pots. Brushes were made of reed and hair, while chisels were used to engrave the writing. By the 10th century, the Greek alphabet influenced the Italians, as that was when the first found instance of their alphabet was found there.

Clayton, E. (2014). Roman Foundations. The golden thread: The story of writing
(pp. #-#)

Roman Rustic Calligraphy

Assignment Details:

• Explain that the alphabet you're working on is called Roman Rustic
• Explain which photos are practice and which are exploration
• Reflect on what you did, what you learned, what you liked or didn't like, what progress you made across the six 20-minute practice sessions

Assignment:

The alphabet I have been working on this week is called Roman Rustic. It was one of two ways the alphabet could have been written within the Roman Era. The other alphabet is called "uncial," and I will go over it next week in a blog post. Both alphabets have serifs, and the Romans did not have the letters J or U. The purpose of using Roman Rustic was to words seem more "old fashioned;" giving readers a sense that the work they were reading was important. To help visualize the alphabet, I have attached an image; the source can be found under it.

Image Source

Reflection:

What I did:
I spent a good amount of time writing in Roman Rustic, I practiced a lot with the hand movements, and finally I had also experimented with different tools and paper. In total I had spent around three hours in total practicing.

What I learned:
I learned how to write in Roman Rustic without having to look at the alphabetical guide. I also learned that special characters were non existent.

What I liked, What I didn't like:
I loved the style of writing, as I find styles close to the mid-evil era or the Victorian era lovely to look at. However, I absolutely did not like how there were no accents or special characters, such as ł, ć, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż, ą, or ę, within the given alphabet. This makes writing in Polish a hard creative task, due to these characters interfering with the serif.

Progress:
Over the whole time period I had worked on the assignment, I went from having to constantly look at the alphabetical guide, to memorizing the muscle memory for each letter. While my work may be a little sloppy, I'm sure over time it will grow into something beautiful.

Attachments:

Exploration/Practice: Monday 02.05.19
Today I wanted to explore some more, with a new medium and paper. While I was warming up, Owen asked what I was doing; and I let him try writing in Roman Rustic. Afterwards I played around a little bit using a blue highlighter. I wanted to spice things up as soon as I finished, and so I pulled out my fountain pen, some typewriter paper, and wrote out the whole alphabet. I tried to focus on all the letters, and some characters got written more because I needed practice with them. Afterwards, I wanted to try writing some simple Japanese characters using the fountain pen. I had spent maybe 40 minutes writing.

Exploration/Practice: Monday 02.04.19
On Monday, my fountain pen had finally come in. I wanted to play around with it, and so I wrote the alphabet, each letter getting it's own block.

Exploration/Practice: Over the weekend:
Between 02.01.19 and 02.03.19, I had practiced the Roman Rustic Alphabet. My supplies had not arrived, and rather than using a double pencil, I had used a Prism marker on some high quality laser print paper. It was difficult to focus on the assignment due to my broken nose constantly hurting, so I had to work in small bursts. Overall I took my time with these pieces, and I accumulated almost three hours doing them.