Handwriting: a work in progress

 I've been working on my handwriting this summer in my spare time, and thought I'd do a chronicle on how it's going so far. I can't say that it's the best in the world... here's what I've got so far... BEFORE samples and AFTER samples! The pictures are pretty dark, but I haven't discovered yet how to photo-edit on my mac without actually moving them ON to my hard drive (I would rather keep them on the SD card. :). )

 OLD PRINT

OLD CURSIVE

when I first started trying to 'improve' my cursive, using the Ames Guide to Self-Instruction (to practical and artistic penmenship) on IAMPETH, which has scans of instruction books on various styles. It's inconsistent between my old style and the style I was trying to take on, and messy!

Writing sample from earlier today (err, Sunday, because it's the middle of the night now... ^_^) while I was writing to write an essay...

Ahh.... As I said, it's a work in progress! Not the best at all. Unfortunately, at times I myself have trouble reading my own handwriting in the new cursive because I'm not used to the slant and the loopiness of it. In the middle, I accidentily lost where I was at, and then somehow started practicing the Palmer method of Business writing (which is totally different!!), so I had a setback a while ago. I'm currently practicing the 'practical side' of the Ames hand, which is a lot like the Palmer business writing in the beginning (which is how I got confused!). I hope to go on later to Ornamental writing as well, partially because it's so pretty!!)

I'm currently taking a break (I know, I just barely started!) from calligraphy because I have to return the library books soon, and I'm taking a reading/thinking-intensive class (Moral Problems) and have less time for it. Calligraphy practice takes more time than handwriting practice! Unless, of course, I start trying to writing my essays and reading prompts in a calligraphic hand, but that would be 1) slow, 2) ink consuming!

Fun picture: while I was wandering around downtown with my sisters last week, we saw a guy literally come and plomp down his piano and started playing! People with instruments are a common sight in the area, but this is the first time I've seen a person bring an outright piano! And he was pretty good! Hooray for the people we find in SF!

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