Customer Reviews

Calligrapher's Bible

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was a Christmas present to me from my daughter, and it is my favorite book on the subject of Calligraphy. It is spiral bound (Yes, the book lays flat!), which is great and it should be a must, with this type of book.

Its range is from classic Roman to elegant contemporary styles with some history. I found it to be suitable for beginner or expert.

Subject that are included are:

Tools and materials

Layout basics

Numerals and punctuation

Illumination and ornamentation

Tips for left-handed calligraphers

I have dabbled with calligraphy and have several books myself, most of them are big and have beautiful pictures and present the same styles; Roman, Uncial, Italic and Gothic styles with some variations. I ordered this book because of the raving reviews and its low price and was greatly, pleasantly surprised!

Firstly: the book isn't big in size, it's actually about the size of a normal novel but had 256 pages. Secondly: it is spiral-bound which means it will stay flat and the spirals are inside the cover, safe from damage. And as the book doesn't take up much room on the table it's ideal to have around when you're working. Calligraphy equipment takes a lot of space. And thirdly: yes, there really are lots and lots of styles! I found beautiful, tempting styles with romantic names such as Luxeuil, Cancelleresca and Beneventan. There are two pages for every style, the alphabet is presented on the left page and basic structure on the right one. And many styles seem to include also such rare latters as German double-s, Swedish o (a with a little square on top) and Icelandic o with / over it.

I think this book works best for those who have already done some calligraphy, because it isn't as detailed when it comes to layout and other technical points as some of the books I have, the ones that have big pages and big pictures. But this is a very good book indeed for anyone interested - and look at the price! It's ridiculously low!!

The Calligrapher's Bible is a must have book for anyone interested in calligraphy. I have been writing in only one style of calligraphy for years. So, I was excited to find this book of 100 complete alphabets of calligraphy. Now, I am learning all types of calligraphy from simple to elegant. The complete alphabet is provided for each style of calligraphy. There are also several examples of how to write letters for each alphabet. It is easy to follow and duplicate the alphabets from the book. The book also describes how to get started and provides some history of calligraphy. I would recommend this book to anyone who is learning calligraphy for the first time or the expert who wants to learn new alphabets.

I've taken several individual courses in calligraphy and have lots of individual workbooks of alphabets but this book is a concise and complete encyclopedia of different calligraphic hands. A great reference work when you want to find a specific style and also a great reference for beginners.

If you only have one calligraphy book--this is an excellent choice! Compact size, lays open flat, clear and detailed instructions. And, unlike many older calligraphy books--good design and layout!

The exemplars are first-rate, if a bit small. But this keeps the book size down, which makes it convenient to have right next to you as you try out the scripts. There are 200, and they are organized in informative chronological categories..

Highly recommended.

The book is very easy to follow, with diagrams showing you the angle to hold your pen and numbers to show you the order for writing each letter. Absolutely excellent; a must-have for true lovers of this art.

I recently began a calligraphy service of my own and this book has been a tremendous help. It explores technique and shows exactly how to make all the letters. It's easy to look things up and use, since it has a well-organized table of contents and it lays flat on the table. I'm excited about learning all the new hands described here.

All of the postive reviews were spot on; this book is everything
you could want in a very easy to use format.

Love the quality and as well as the quantity of info.

Buy it, you won't regret it!

As a calligrapher, I am always trying to find new hands to increase my repetoir. This book has been invaluable to me. With over 100 different scripts, this book keeps me challenged and inspired to continue practicing. I absolutely love the layout of the book and I love how the alphabets are arranged historically. This gives the reader a greater appreciation for the developement of writing - an art that communicates in what is says and what it looks like. Not only does this book give the different letter forms, it explains a little of the History of calligraphy, how to get started, and even has a section on illumination.

It is amazing that this one small book contains the physicality of writing of Western civilizations and its development. Writing has forever been the keeper of culture, and this book allows you to travel through time, visiting its development, not only in its formal venues, but variants as well. It gives you the how-to, but brilliantly flashes bits of history to better understand the evolutions of calligraphy. This is one book that no calligraphy afficionado should be without. It is the ultimate collection of alphabets used in various time periods, as well as a springboard into further research of the history of calligraphy itself.