FRAKTUR
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Overview
Fraktur. Just looking at the word itself allows us to guess its meaning, since it so ressembles the English word “fracture”. And that’s exactly it! Fraktur letters are “broken up” into bits with lots of angles in them.
Fraktur falls into the category of Gothic styles of calligraphy, along with Textura Quadrata, Blackletter, Old English and their many variants. Credited to Albrecht Dürer and Hieronymus Andreae (or Andreä), Fraktur first appeared in the 16th century and was used regularly right up until the Second World War, especially in German-speaking countries. Even still, certain newspapers and ad agencies use Fraktur-style letters in printed paper titles, logos and advertisements.
Even if we tend to think of the gothic styles as being quite strict, the Fraktur has immense possibilities for decoration, fantasy and embellishment. What’s more, many letters have several different forms and styles. Variety is the spice of life!
Completing this course will help you:
- Use a parallel pen or reed pen for traditional Foundational Hand calligraphy
- Write both Lowercase & Uppercase letters
- Make simple greeting cards written in calligraphy
Who is the course for?
If you’re a beginning calligrapher, this is probably not the best course to start with. Try the Simple Gothic Hand or the Foundational Hand first, then come back to this one.
would you like to learn more?
Keep reading!
Twenty video lessons – 1 ¼ hours of presentation
Our two class projects include a simple birthday card and a “Gift Certificate” envelope.
The course was designed for a 3.8 mm parallel pen or a 4 mm reed pen. A 4 mm oblique nib could also be used.
Fraktur falls into the category of Gothic (or Blackletter) styles of calligraphy
Fraktur first appeared in the 16th century but has enjoyed a lifespan of several centuries
- Many letters have several variant
- Fabulous arabesques often adorn Fraktur calligraphy
Over the twenty lessons, we will:
- learn a little history concerning this letter style
- have a look at the technical information you’ll need
- study the lower case letters, then the uppercase letters
- do a text project
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