14 x 21 cm, 44 pages, laserprint, edition of 65
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The assignment
I was taught writing two times. The first time was when I was six. We had to write upright letters. If you did your writing well, you would get a curl, your cahier stamped or you had the privilege to use the teacher's red pen. When I was seven I changed schools and I was taught to write a joined script letter. I remember being very much intrigued by the copy books we had which were supposed to teach you how to write a certain handwriting. They were filled with beautiful italics, a variation of lines and random words. During the past few years I came across some other types of copy books. Some are to teach children how to write. A lot of these copy books were published to promote a specific type of pen. I'm very much intrigued by the simple beauty of these books.
Speedball Text - lettering - poster desing - for pen or brush, by Ross F. George, 16th edition 1952. (Book found in the trash in Algutstorp, Sweden.)
Ten alphabets for writing. (Present from my father.)
Copy books with Russian type, issue 1 and 2, 1997. (Found at the Russian market in Tallinn, Estonia.)
Series of three copy books from Heintze & Blankertz, Berlin for Redis and Ato pens.
Guide to shorthand writing. (Book bought in bookstore in Tallinn, Estonia.)
C.C.F van der Laan - writing course. A modern re-issue copy book. (Bought in bookshop in Amsterdam.)
The briefing
Because a lot of these copy books were published to sell a specific type of pen, I asked the students to design two types of writing tools: one to write big type with and another for small type. In the end they have to make a copy book with exercises to promote their new writing tool.
(My father recently sent me this picture, it all starts to make sense now...)
