History of Uncial Calligraphy

Series Summary

Calligraphy is the art of stylistic writing. It is also known as the practice of giving an artistic form to letters and signs. It is considered a skill and is often taught in art classes or craft seminars. The skill set learned in calligraphy classes ranges from practical usage to artistic interpretation. In the latter form, function takes a backseat to artistic expression. Practical uses for calligraphy include fancy invitations, font design, logo design, maps, and documentation of other sorts. Depending on the area you are in, different types of calligraphy include East Asian character calligraphy, Indian calligraphy, Persian calligraphy, Islamic calligraphy, or Western calligraphy. There are many different tools used in calligraphy but the two most important are the paper and the pen. Uncial calligraphy is characterized by round, concentrated strokes. This form began in Ireland and the British Isles. Learn how to write using Uncial calligraphy in this free series. Our expert will also discuss inks and papers for your writing practice.

Video Transcript

"This series covers a writing style called Uncial, which was popular in Ireland and also the British Isles, and it's characterized by round, concentrated forms. So, we're going to be looking at ways to construct it. It was very useful in the transcription of manuscripts, so Uncial hand is going to be seen in many manuscripts that are very famous. Such as the Book of Kells, the Book of Durrow, and then Linda's Foreign Gospels. There's some curiosity about the name Uncial, it's an odd word, I've spelled it out for you here, U - N - C - I - A - L. And, Uncial may refer to the unit of measurement used by the Romans which was called an uncia which is one unit. And because Uncial has no capital letters, it has only one case, it's very simple to learn and it's a wonderful introduction to calligraphy."