Calligraphy: A Course in Hand Lettering

Great! I bought about 7 books, and while I am happy to own them, this one could stand in for them all. There are 5 plastic guides (very sturdy, they will last indefinitely) to help make lines for your practice sheets for the various hands. Use under tracing paper, a wonderful tool, excellent time saver. Worth every penny/dime/dollar!

Of the many books for beginning and intermediate calligraphers, this is simply the best. Grebenstein is obviously a talented calligrapher and a good teacher. Moreover, she has a solid scholarly knowledge of the history of writing and the rare skill to render complex historical and technical subjects briefly and clearly. The core of the book is her instruction in the five basic hands, italic, uncial, Carolingian, gothic and foundational. She presents each in a similar manner that is easy to understand and learn. The intelligent, thoughtful page arrangement and spiral binding add much to the books practical value for those who want to learn, rather than just read about, calligraphy.

I've never done calligraphy before but always been curious. I picked up this book and found that I learned much more quickly than I expected. I would recommend it. The clear plastic sheets at the back are especially useful in helping keep a consist letter size.

Beautifully and intelligently executed, both beginners and advanced calligraphers will find value in this book. The scripts are rendered beautifully with excellent instructions and diagrams for practice as well as final lettering. It is spiral bound - a thoughtful touch for a book that will be left open to certain pages for lengthy periods of time. There are pull-out templates to use on a light-box underneath paper or vellum. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's well worth the price and could replace an entire bookshelf of less worthy tomes.

This has to be the best Calligraphy Book. It lays flat and will also "hang" off the top of your drawing table. The descriptions and explanations are well thought out and easy to understand. Maryanne Grebenstein has put a TON of thought into this book and how well its laid out. The tear out sheets in the back are fantastic! The only one I've come across that has them (and I have MANY calligraphy books). I recommend this book above all the others out there.