Calligraphy Armenian tradition

Two years ago, I received a request from the editor of the “Encyclopedia of World Calligraphy” to contribute to an upcoming edition by drawing samples of Armenian script. I was told that they needed all four major scripts executed with sequence of strokes (the direction of writing). For over three months, I spent my nights drawing letters, digging out anything I could find on my bookshelf, only to discover that calligraphy as a discipline was a rare find in the rich legacy of Armenian culture. How could it be, I asked myself, that we have so little written about it? We have studies of paleography (the science of writing) but practically nothing on calligraphy (the art of writing).

calligraphy in the Armenian tradition is certainly one of the least explored and studied areas. What was different about us?

calligraphy style writing

Many of the fonts you find in word processing programs were originally based on different calligraphic styles.

Roundhand Calligraphy

A good roundhand consists of very regular, well-proportioned, well-spaced letterforms. Clarity and simplicity are the key qualities. Of all the calligraphy alphabets, this is probably the easiest to read, and so is very suitable for longer texts such as passages of prose, books of poetry, diary entries etc.

Your nib should be held at an angle of around 30 degrees; the x-height is 4.5 nib-widths. Ascenders are 7 nib-widths high, ie 2.5 above the x-height, and descenders go 3 nib-widths below the line.

Allow plenty of white space inside and between your letters; don't cramp them. The rounded shapes of 'a', 'b', 'c' etc are quite circular, and strokes are confident and absolutely vertical. Serifs are bold and elegant and letters ending in a downstroke finish with a rounded upflick. Roundhand majuscules are generously proportioned and a full 7 nib-widths high.

Variations of Calligraphy

The East Asian style, also considered old calligraphy, dates back to 200 B.C. There are no ready parchments available today to prove its worth, but it has been found carved in tablets showing traces of ink long since dried into impressions. Similarly the Japanese and Chinese old calligraphy writings are works of art done with brushes instead of pens. These brushes have different hair types for work in different styles.

India too boasts of old calligraphy works dating back to 265 B.C. when copper was used as the main media for inscriptions of calligraphy. In addition, calligraphers used materials such as palm leaves and birch barks for the purpose. The leaves were cut into long rectangular strips of uniform size tied together by a string sent through a hole in the leaves. Indian calligraphy gained its renown with its writing on palm leaves that are delicate and easy to write on.

Other important countries who can boast of a rich history in old calligraphy are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tibet and Nepal. Iran has made use of Arabic calligraphy to write the world famous Qur'an and other holy books of different religions. Old calligraphy cannot be considered a thing of the past since it has turned the written word into a thing of beauty, bringing the world together by giving special awareness of various religions and styles.