Cursive Calligraphy Writing

What is cursive writing?

Cursive or Script writing is quite a popular form of calligraphy. It is characterized by sloping italic forms, which is joined up to the next letter.  Some people know this style as joined up writing, looped handwriting, script or italic calligraphy. The terms 'Cursive' meant 'running' as in 'running handwriting'.

Cursive calligraphy is sometimes characterized by complex, heavy and light strokes of the calligraphy pen, usually using a finer nibbed width of the nib.  The letters are characterized by joined up letterforms using a sweeping and elegant action.  The letterforms have varying widths depending on the strokes of the pen and the letters written.  The style of calligraphy can look quite elegant and pleasing to the eye, but it is relatively easy to learn.  This style is most usually used for wedding invitations, special greeting cards, place name cards and other general uses.

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History Of Script Handwriting

In the middle ages, people used the cursive style calligraphy scripts to avoid constantly lifting the quill pen from the paper as so prolong the life of the quill nib.  This was also for speed purposes and to avoid damaging the quill nib.  As a result, the letters became joined up because the pen used rarely left the paper.  This was a practical solution because it helped prolong the life of the nib, which was quite fragile and easily broken.  After the middle ages, steel nibbed pens were invented, and they tended to have a longer life.

There are many types of Cursive Calligraphy writing styles, such as Italic or Cursive Italic, Hebrew and Roman.

If you would like to learn how to write in elegant cursive or script calligraphy, all you need is a good quality calligraphy pen with a nib width, which is not too broad, some smooth paper, which does not smudge or bleed, and a ruler and set square.  

Draw some very faint guidelines using a sharp hard nibbed pencil.  Using your calligraphy pen, preferably with black ink, write slowly at first using sweeping strokes and joined up letters.  Hold your calligraphy pen at a slight angle for good sweeping effects.  Cursive handwriting is so popular and very pleasing to the eye.  You can find many cursive handwriting fonts and templates in many good art and craft stores, even joined up handwriting worksheets for adults and children to encourage them to write more neatly.  Many worksheets have faint guidelines to start with.