Ornamental Penmanship Links & Lessons

      Charming and fascinating are the graceful and harmonious curves produced, when, wielded by some trained and skillful hand, the pen becomes an instrument of beauty. As by the power of speech, men may pass from the common tone of conversation up to the melodious strains of music, or may soar in flights of oratory into the sublime, until the multitude is entranced; so the capabilities of the pen are not limited to the common uses of life, but may take on forms of beauty in elegant outlines of bird, or landscape, or graceful swan or bounding stag.

From The Book of Ornamental Alphabets.

      Ornamental writing is not a practical art, and has no connection whatever with the practical business of life. It is in the realm of poetry. The imagery of graceful outlines must first be seen by a poetic imagination. While the great masses may acquire a good style of plain, practical penmanship, few have the necessary conception of mind, combined with the skill and dexterity of hand to become successful ornamental penmen.

      The ornamental pages which follow are given, not as models for imitation or practice by the learner, but merely to show the possibilities of the pen in the hand of a master, and as a fitting closing to this, our chapter on penmanship.

From "Monograms and 
Ciphers" by Turbayne.

      To any one who may have an artistic quality of mind, and delights in beautiful lines and harmonious curves, these pages of ornamental penmanship will serve as models for practice and imitation, and every attempt at such an exercise as the one on this, or the following pages, will give greater strength and freedom of movement, and better command of the pen, so that it will conduce to an easy, flowing and elegant style of plain business writing, while affording a most pleasant and profitable employment in the cultivation of the taste.

      Various beautiful designs or pictures may be made with the pen, in the hands of one that possesses the skill of a penman and the eye of an artist.

• Cursive Practice Sheets: Practice Your Penmanship: For young students
• Visit The Grimm Scriptorium for High School and Adult Leveled Lessons  
• For related art lessons for elementary students see the Alphabet Index

More Exceptional Collections of Ornamental Letters:

•  Initial Letters from British Children's Annuals
• Rise of the Living Type
• Decorative Alphabet Collection by onetwentyeight

Master Penman Michael Sull demonstrates Spencerian and Ornamental Penmanship

Ornamental Penmanship Art Lessons:

• Architectural Letters by Blick
• Complementary Color Names at Crayola
• Illuminated Letters 2012 versions