Operina (Rome, 1522)
The author, Ludovico Arrighi, was a copyist, papal scribe, publisher and type designer.
THE GREATEST MANUAL OF CHANCERY ITALIC EVER PUBLISHED
Facsimile with an English translation
Early in the fifteenth century, Florentine scholars created a new style of handwriting. The shapes were influenced by classical texts. The movements came from blackletter cursive.
Operina is a slim volume of 32 pages. Each page was printed from a separate woodcut by Ugo da Carpi, who is best known as a master of chiaroscuro engraving.
How to get it right
You begin with basic letterforms. You learn pen paths and joins. Every page is a model sheet, ready for copying.
FREE, COMPLETE, UNABRIDGED
Download Operina.zip (Acrobat document, 1.6 MB)
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