Hello..!
There are many types of Blackletter alphabet you see on Internet and some times its getting more confusing which types of letter is correct for easy start, right? If you are confuse too, this blog is for you. Here I'll telling you how you can start your Old English Calligraphy journey easily. We will go basic to advance. so you can learn without any pressure. Let's understand Blackletter little bit more. I know history boring part but this is gives you idea about different fonts.
1. Different Styles of Blackletter
Blackletter is simply a reference to a variety, or school, of gothic calligraphy styles. But to distill things down for the sake of simplicity, you accurately categorize the main classic varieties of blackletter into to the following four styles: I upload pictures with the name so you can understand easily.
This is just for an information.
1.Textura (also known as Textualis)
2.Rotunda
3.Bastarda (also known as Batarde)
4.Fraktur
This tends to confuse or overwhelm people when they first attempt to learn blackletter because it becomes tough to understand the differences and why there are so many variations of each of these four core styles. Why? Well, simply because it evolved over time, across lands under different rule, through the instruction of people that were all trained differently, and with access to different tools and materials.
But don’t overthink it. Here’s a simple and roughly loose way of explaining:
Textura, a rigid and vertically structured form of blackletter started in the 11th century in Northern Europe. Shortly thereafter, Rotunda emerged in Southern Europe. Rotunda is inspired by Textura, but features many round forms. Over the centuries when it became more common for the everyday person to learn to write, Bastarda. Hence the name, it’s truly a bastardized version of Textura and Rotunda, often written quickly (which results in more flow of gesture and expression). In the 1800 and 1900s, German blackletter evolved into Fraktur (from a hand called Schwabacher), a more formalized and rhythmic rendition of Bastarda hands. This was the font used by Hitler and the Third Reich. Those assholes inevitably tarnished the hand’s reputation.
Once again, it’s hard to sum up centuries of history in just a couple of paragraphs, but hopefully this gives you a high-level understanding of blackletter’s origins and it’s four core styles. Let’s get to the fun part.
2. Tools for blackletter
There are many tools at our disposal and what works
best for one person might not work best for the
next. You could use brushes, pens, markers, or even classic quills. However, the key factor is that your writing utensil is “broad edged”. Also referred to as a “flat”, this style of edge is simply one which can produce thick and thin lines, depending on the direction it is moved.