Day 2 — What makes handwriting beautiful?

Today's Notes

In Day 2, we’re looking at what actually makes handwriting beautiful. After comparing several very different handwriting samples, we found that beautiful handwriting doesn’t have to follow one particular style.

Instead, the common thread is an overall visual coherence:
Consistency: Letters repeat the same slant, height, width, and shapes.
Proportion: The different parts of the letters feel balanced in relation to each other.
Spacing: Letters and words have room to breathe and are spaced evenly.
Intention: The writing looks deliberate rather than rushed.

One of the best ways to build consistency is to use an exemplar, or a reference alphabet, so you have a clear model for how each letter should look.

Today we start uncovering the structure behind one such exemplar, known as Spencerian handwriting. You’ll begin with the straight lines, zigzags, and ovals from Day 1, then learn how to combine straight downstrokes with curved upstrokes and smooth turns.

A few things to remember as you practice:

• Rotate your paper so the downstrokes come comfortably toward your body.
• Stay relaxed and take your time. There is no need to rush.
• You can lift your pen. Letters can look connected even when they aren’t created in one continuous stroke.
• Pay attention to the difference between straight downstrokes and curved upstrokes, as well as the smooth turns that connect them.

Finally, we reveal how these simple shapes become the foundation of certain lowercase letters. Each letter is built from the same underlying zig-zag structure, with curves and turns added in different places. Because the letters share the same basic structure, they naturally have consistent height, width, spacing, and slant.