The Humanistic Script

By Luca Barcellona

Humanistic handwriting is the reworking of the Latin alphabet based on a model of minuscule Carolina, proposed by the intellectuals of the time, including Petrarca, in response to the sharp and harsh forms of Gothic script, for centuries of widespread use in Europe. The refinement of this writing (sometimes similar to the Foundational) gave birth to the round humanistic small letter, also called Littera Antiqua, later adopted also in typography and ancestor of the textual characters we still use today. Based on round and airy forms, the Humanistic is a very readable and elegant script, whose forms have known countless typographical variations over the centuries.

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The alphabet proposed here is a personal reworking of the teacher of this historical writing, which we will address by studying the alphabet lowercase and uppercase, rewriting it with a fountain pen, starting from individual strokes to form the letters until the writing of short texts. The course is suitable for everyone, beginners and writing enthusiasts who want to approach the wonderful practice of calligraphy.

Note to Students

•  This is a live online workshop via Zoom (please make sure you have a Zoom account to access the workshop)

• All live sessions will be recorded and available for 60 days following the final class.

• All recordings expires on Friday, 30 December, 2022 at 12:00 pm Hong Kong Standard Time.

• Student can submit homework to the discussion corner for Luca to critique.

• Recommended supply list, handouts, zoom links and recordings are available on the workshop page three weeks (or as soon as practicable) before the first session. Click here for user guide on how to access your workshop page.

• All workshop dates and times are according to the Hong Kong Standard Time. 

All sales are final and fees paid for the online workshop are non-refundable.