Foundational Hand based on lettering from 10th century manuscripts
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THE FOUNDATIONAL HAND is based on lettering from 10th century manuscripts, mainly from the Ramsey Psalter. There are strong similarities to the main forms of the Roman style. Capital letters were not originally used in Foundational and it was some time before Roman capitals were used at the beginning of sentences and for names, as they are now.
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It is an upright and rounded letter-form. The letters are based on a circular letter 'O' and the pen is generally held at a 30 degree angle. The top serifs are slightly larger than the ones at the base, repeating the idea (as with Italic lettering) that the eye tends to concentrate on the top 1/3 of a line of writing.
Foundational Hand with flourishes
You can find a practise sheet here, which will give you the guidelines for good proportions. The practise sheet is set up for a 3.8mm Pilot Parallel Pen nib.
Practise sheet
The practise sheet is set up for a 3.8mm Pilot Parallel Pen nib.
The Alphabets
