Design Translation · 2008

Writing

Using a writing grid system, I practiced historical scripts: Roman, Phoenician, Greek, Rustic Capitals, and Roman Uncial.

Year
2008
Method
Writing grid system
Scripts
Five historical scripts
A ruled writing grid: horizontal lines at varied spacing inside a rectangle on cream paper, with dots marking the line positions at both sides

Roman

A Roman inscription, then practice sheets of its capitals and a finished sheet.

Reference

A rubbing of a Roman inscription, carved capitals in rows, with cracks across the stone

Practice

Roman capitals practice, sheet 1
Roman capitals practice, sheet 2
Roman capitals practice, sheet 3
Close-up of pencil Roman capitals H, A and B, with a lower row of B and I drawn inside dotted guide marks
Close-up of pencil Roman capitals A and B, with a few dotted correction marks on the B, above a row of B forms
Close-up of a faint pencil Roman A and B, with a row of three B forms below on cream paper
Close-up of pencil Roman B forms above two R forms, one R beside dotted vertical guides
Roman capitals practice, sheet 8
Close-up of pencil Roman S, I and N forms in loose rows, one S inside a box of dotted guides
Close-up of pencil Roman S forms above a row of N, S, I and R letters
Pencil Roman capitals H, A, B, S and R in three rows, drawn with heavy graphite strokes
Pencil Roman capitals I, H, N and E, with one N marked out in dotted guides
Large pencil Roman O and I forms, with one O ringed by dotted guide marks
Roman capitals practice, sheet 14
Pencil Roman capitals I, T, L and D, with a G crossed out in loose pencil lines
Roman capitals practice, sheet 16

Finished sheet

A finished sheet of Roman capitals in seven rows of ten, in pencil on grey paper

Phoenician

A Phoenician stele, then practice sheets of its letters and a finished sheet.

Reference

A carved stone stele with a bearded figure at left and rows of Phoenician characters across the rest

Practice

Phoenician letters practice, sheet 1
Pencil Phoenician letters, angular triangular forms with dotted ink guides over one letter
Pencil Phoenician letters, a grid of triangular and comb-shaped forms with dotted ink corrections
Phoenician letters practice, sheet 4
Pencil Phoenician letters, a zigzag M-like mark beside a round O, with dotted ink correction
Pencil Phoenician letters, including a circle cut by a vertical stroke, a W-shaped mark and a circled cross
Phoenician letters practice, sheet 7

Finished sheet

A finished sheet of Phoenician letters in pencil, in five rows on grey paper

Greek

A Greek inscription, then practice sheets of its letters and two full sheets.

Reference

Greek capital letters carved in a weathered stone slab, split by a diagonal crack

Practice

Pencil Greek capitals A, B, delta, E and Y, with a dotted correction on the delta
Greek letters practice, sheet 2
Pencil Greek capitals lambda, eta, gamma, psi, E, xi and N, with dotted guide marks
Greek letters practice, sheet 4

Full sheets

A full sheet of Greek capitals in pencil in seven rows, with dotted correction marks on a few letters
A finished sheet of Greek capitals in seven rows on grey paper

Rustic Capitals

A Rustic Capitals specimen, then practice sheets of its letters and a finished sheet.

Reference

A photocopy of a manuscript page in narrow, rough Rustic Capitals, in rows of tall black letters with tapered feet

Practice

Rustic Capitals practice, sheet 1
Rustic Capitals practice sheet in ink: seven rows of tall, narrow letters, repeating IHABERUS NON D
Rustic Capitals practice sheet in ink: rows of IHABERUS, then a row of O forms and two rows of S forms
Rustic Capitals practice sheet in ink: rows of A, B, E, then rows of O, D and R repeated
Rustic Capitals practice, sheet 5
Rustic Capitals practice sheet in ink: IHABERUS NI, then four rows of O forms and N and O pairs
Rustic Capitals practice sheet in ink: seven rows of IHABERUS NI repeated across the sheet
Rustic Capitals practice, sheet 8

Finished sheet

A finished sheet of tall, narrow Rustic Capitals in black ink on white paper, in seven rows

Roman Uncial

A Roman Uncial specimen, then practice sheets of its letters and a finished sheet.

Reference

A photocopy of a page of Latin text in rounded Uncial letters, between two vertical borders

Practice

Roman Uncial practice, sheet 1
Roman Uncial practice, sheet 2

Finished sheet

A finished sheet of rounded Uncial letters in black ink on white paper, in seven rows

Closing

Hand, tool, surface. The fundamentals of mark-making.

2008/04/08

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