The Art of Handwriting by Rebecca Blackmore

The Art of Handwriting

THE ART OF HANDWRITING By Rebecca Blackmore

The Art of Handwriting

AN INTRODUCTION Introduction to the Art of Handwriting

THE ORIGINS Origins of the Alphabet Writing as an Art Form The Art of Graphology Early Graphology Graphology in the Modern Day Graphology & Crimes

SIGNATURES Significance of a Signature Anatomy of a Signature Signature and Writing Differences How to Analyse your Signature

PERSONALITY Common Writing Traits The Science Behind Graphology The Left-Handed Writer The Three Zones and Shapes Influence of Gender on Handwriting Social Status and Upbringing Changes in Writing Levels of Pressure

LANGUAGES Chinese Lettering Grounding Chinese Calligraphy Hebrew Scripts and Lettering Arabic Lettering

107

RELATIONSHIPS Anatomy of a Love Letter Writing and Relationships Health and Handwriting

110 127

Handwriting sample from myself, aged 20. Find out what joined handwriting means on page 52.

The Art of Handwriting

An Introduction

AN INTRODUCTION To the Art of Handwriting and Graphology

This book will give an in-depth look at the art of graphology and handwriting. Graphology is one of the branches of diverse group of sciences of character reading. Humans have always been intrigued by human variability and uniqueness of the individual. With the help of graphology one focuses on interpreting individual’s character and personality traits by analysing the handwriting. We can use graphology to determine the personality and character of any person. The many uses of graphology and handwriting will be explored throughout the course of this book. It will explore how handwriting can

reveal almost anything about a person while also studying societal factors that can lead to it's drastic change. Starting off by exploring the origins of the alphabet and the early study of graphology, this book will delve deep into the science behind handwriting analysis. It is also important to consider what handwriting means to the rest of the world. For example, Chinese and Arabic lettering. The meaning of one's handwriting will be explored through the analysis of signatures and letterforms while also looking at it's placement on the page. Graphology can tell you a lot about yourself and your character.

Handwriting sample taken from Ben, aged 22. See page 62 for an analysis of letter forms and what they say about an individuals personality.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

ORIGINS OF THE ALPHABET Many of the world’s writing systems today are based around what we commonly think of as an ‘alphabet’. Alphabets (or alphabetic systems) can be subdivided into three different groups; 'alphabets’ which are writing systems with individual characters for both consonants and vowels, like the Roman and Korean alphabets. ‘Abjads’ whose main characters stand for consonants only (e.g. Arabic and Hebrew) ‘Abugidas’ where different character sets represent combinations of a consonant with the vowel sounds attached to it (e.g. the Indian script Devanāgarī). Most of these systems can be traced back to Egypt, where the first archaeological evidence dates

from around 1850 BC in the period we know of as the 12th Dynasty. In the Wadi el Hol (‘Terrible valley’) graffiti can be seen on a cliff face that was written by non-native Egyptian speakers, who took elements of Egyptian writing and adapted them to sounds and phrases in their own language. They take an existing hieroglyph, a wavy line that stood for n, (the initial character in nt and nwy meaning ‘water’) and used it instead to stand for the initial sound of their own word for water mayim; it would become our letter m. Within a century, similar signs are found further north in the Sinai Peninsula.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

People began to communicate visually by making very simple drawings of the things that existed in their world. For example people, animals, tools and weapons. These basic images, called pictograms, were symbols representing objects, such as an ox or a house, food or water.

As the need to communicate more abstract thoughts developed, the symbols began to take on multiple meanings: ox, for example, could also mean food. The new symbols would represent not objects, but ideas and are called ideographs. Abstract thoughts were also communicated by combining different pictographs. A contemporary example of the ideograph is the warning symbol of the skull and crossbones, which is not seen for what it is, but for what it represents: danger, death, pirates of poison.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

Around 1200 8.C.€., a new concept in written communication evolved using symbols to represent sounds of speech rather than ideas or objects. The symbols above show the Phoenician aleph and beth. One of the primary spoken sounds the Phoenician's recorded was A. This sound occurred at the beginning of their word aleph, meaning ox.

This process was continued until a symbol was assigned for each sound. The new simplified letterforms could be written more rapidly, were easier to learn and provided an ideal means of communication. A standardized alphabet was born.

Instead of devising a new symbol for the sound, they simply took the existing symbol for ox. They did the same for the sound B, which was found in their word beth, meaning house. Again, the took the existing symbol for the house and applied it to the sound

The Art of Handwriting

Here we have the Greek alpha and beta. The ancient Greek civilization gradually adopted the Phoenician alphabet for their use around 800 B..E. They noticed the alphabet was not only useful as a tool of trade, but offered a valuable means of preserving knowledge. The Greeks altered the names slightly, for example, alpeh became alpha, beth became beta. From these two letters we derived our word alphabet. The Greeks added five vowels and formalized the letterforms.

The Origins

By 1BCE–as Romans standardized papyrus scrolls into uniform sheets, wrapping them in binding to create what we could come to call the book–they created what is more or less our modern Latin Script of today. That means 2,000 years ago, our alphabet was largely done. Of course, it would still take two more whole millennia for written language to reach its true potential.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

WRITING AS AN ART FORM Studying the use of calligraphy and graffiti in the 21st Century.

Writing can be a form of art: a playground for human invention, ingenuity and skill. This applies both to writing by hand (calligraphy) and to letters and characters designed in printed or digital form (typography). As calligraphy is a gestural art, it incorporates more variation in form than typographic writing which is made mechanically and often within narrow technical constraints. If we picture this on a sliding scale, on one end is typography, where legibility is primary (e.g. notices on a motorway sign or someone’s name on a form), and down at the other end is calligraphy – writing that is produced primarily for its decorative or expressive qualities – where legibility is less important (e.g. architectural friezes, lettering in paintings or the ornamental lettering engraved on a banknote). But all letters and characters – handwritten or typographic in

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The Origins

form – have been ‘designed’ by someone, and are a means of artistic expression. Although Europe had entered the age of printing in the 16th and 17th centuries, calligraphy and handwriting continued to flourish. Engraved handwriting manuals in all the major European languages show elaborate visual displays of penmanship and flourished decoration. They also show that Roman letters and italic continued to develop in the hands of these writing masters.

pattern, with short verticals and flattened curves and units of text that seem to drop diagonally across the page. Today new typefaces continue to be designed as the uses for type multiply across different media and platforms. BBC Reith, for example, is a new typeface family produced for the British broadcaster by type designers Dalton Maag.

Meanwhile, during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in Iran and Central and Southern Asia new calligraphic styles continued to be elaborated. The nasta’ liq style (a variation on Arabic calligraphy developed in Persia) became more streamlined, swiftly written and linked, giving us the shikasta, or broken nasta’liq style. The sense of distinct lines of writing is weakened in favour of an overall

Calligraphy, handmade lettering and signwriting flourishes, both at the local level and sometimes with a conceptual twist that places it in the context of an art gallery. The creation of an art market for calligraphy and fine typography is now affecting all the world’s major writing systems. One of the most innovative developments in recent years has been graffiti. For the first time we have seen a new style of writing develop within youth culture, an unanticipated side-effect of a century of effort to provide education.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

The Art of Handwriting

Robert Palladino, the calligrapher who inspired Steve Jobs, eventually influencing Apple's designs.

The Origins

Robert Palladino’s name appears nowhere in Steve Jobs’s lengthy authorized biography, but he had an enduring influence on Jobs and the business empire he erected. Jobs sat in on Palladino’s calligraphy class at Portland’s Reed College, which inspired the elegance for which Apple computers are renowned, the tech icon recalled in his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University. “It was the first computer with beautiful typography,” Jobs said. “If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.” Palladino’s legacy will forever be tied to what he taught Jobs during his brief, aborted stint in college, a craft the professor honed over nearly two decades of monastic life. Five years later, Palladino moved to Lafayette, Ore., where local artists brought news of a skilled amateur to Lloyd Reynolds, an icon in the field and the creator of Reed’s calligraphy program. “We corresponded a bit, and one day he came out and spent the entire day helping me to improve my writing,” Palladino recalled in 2008 for a Reed College oral history project. He also taught other famous students, including Sumner Stone, famous for his work at Adobe and creating the ITC Stone font. Then, in 1972, Jobs came to campus. The future Apple co-founder enrolled in Reed College that year, but sadly dropped out after a single semester.

The Origins

The Art of Handwriting

THE ART OF GRAPHOLOGY Graphology is the study of handwriting, examining the movements of the hand to identify an individual.

We were all taught to write in a specific way when we were children at school, but it is evident that no one continues to write exactly the way they were taught and everyone's handwriting looks different. In fact as soon as someone can write, he or she gradually alters the shapes and sizes of letters in accordance with individual likes and dislikes. The reason is that our personalities affect the way our handwriting develops after we were taught to write. This is because handwriting is the pattern of our psychology expressed in symbols on the page and these symbols are as unique as our own DNA. When you get to know a person's handwriting well enough, you recognise whose script it is, just as if it were a well-known painting or photograph. Graphology is based on the principle that every individual's handwriting has a character of its own and this is entirely due to the uniqueness of the writer's personality. So it is the writer's deviations from the copybook learnt that allows expert graphologists to

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The Origins

assess, with the greatest accuracy, the character and capabilities of the writer. In fact graphologists are exceptionally fortunate in that they see before them, in black and white, the pattern in symbolic form of a writer's whole psychological profile. By contrast, psychoanalysts and psychotherapists all over the world must formulate their own opinions solely on the basis of what is told to them over a period of time by the client in question.

Handwriting reveals how the writer thinks, feels and behaves, and it does so directly and immediately. It shows the motivation behind actions, and outlines the writer's propensity to behave in ways that may not be expected.

It's purpose is to give a realistic view on problems that confront people from all walks of life, every day of their lives. Handwriting is a universal skill that does not discriminate against sex, race, colour or creed. Graphology gives an unbiased outline of the unique personality and behaviour of an individual, without them even being present. Graphology is a blend of art and science. It is a science because it measures the structure and movement of the written forms - slants, angles and spacing are accurately calculated and the pressure is observed in magnification and with precision. And it is an art because the graphologist has constantly to keep in mind the total context in which the writing is taking place: the 'gestalt' of the writing. Writing consists of three things - movement, spacing and form. A graphologist studies these variations as they occur in each of these aspects of writing, and attaches psychological interpretations to them. Expert graphologists can achieve a very high degree of accuracy. The truth is that appearances can be deceptive, but handwriting never lies.

Graphology not only examines behaviour, but the subconscious or the whys that lie behind actions, providing information that could not be established in any other way or in such a quick time. This makes graphology a very powerful tool. Handwriting analysis is therefore highly effective in a wide variety

HANDWRITING IS A UNIVERSAL SKILL THAT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SEX, RACE, COLOUR OR CREED. of practical situations .Much emphasis is placed on the holistic approach to handwriting observation. That one person demonstrates one characteristic because of letter size and position does not indicate that they have a particular personality trait. Graphology may suggest this handwriting feature as a signal or marker in one direction that, if combined with several other markers pointing towards the same trait, could be evidence of its existence. Handwriting analysts also suggest that handwriting that changes during the course of a text can reveal a person’s desire to mask their true self which is often revealed in the latter parts of such a text. Likewise, close analysis of the last letter in any given

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

"Graphology is the study of all graphic movements." word can also be revealing. Graphology is the study of all graphic movements. In addition to handwriting, the graphologists study doodles, drawings, sculptures, and paintings. These studies give insight into the physical, mental and emotional states of the writer or artist. Although graphologists can study all graphic movements, they mostly concentrate on handwriting. Because practically everyone writes but not everyone paints or draws. Our handwritings are unique. Whether you write it with your hand or feet or mouth, it is all the same. They all will look alike; because they are your handwritings. The handwriting is not done by your hand or feet but by your brain. Therefore some call handwriting as ‘brain writing.’ Thus we leave our brain print on the paper. What we write at a moment is an instant photo of how we think, feel, and behave. From handwriting we may not make

out whether it was written by the hand, or mouth, or feet. When we speak, words flow; likewise when we take a pen or pencil to write, words flow. Our writing is in a way rote memory and thus it is automatic. In that sense, they are unconscious. What was consciously learned has become unconscious. We do our writing without thinking about it. It is a learned habit that expresses itself in our writing. Anything consciously practised for a long period of time can become automatic and we do not perform those acts consciously as we did earlier. Take for example, typing. Initially you learn each letter separately and consciously and are aware of each letter as you type. But once you have sufficiently learned and practised, then when you type something, you are not aware of each letter but automatically you type the correct letters, much like learning to ride a bike.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

EARLY GRAPHOLOGY The first book on graphology was written in 1625, it's popularity as a science has only risen since then.

Graphology has been studied, as far as we know, since the 17th Century. The first book that dealt with the subject of handwriting analysis was written by Camillo Baldi, an Italian doctor of medicine and philosophy at Bologna University. Baldi’s book was entitled Treating or How from a Missive Letter, One May Know the Nature and Qualities of its Writer. Colloquially, it was known as the Trattato, written in 1621 and published in 1625. In it, Baldi describes the study of handwriting as; “Manifestation reflecting something of its writer’s inner makeup” It was this search for the ‘inner makeup’ that perhaps inspired the second century Roman historian and biographer, Suetonius who noted the handwriting characteristics of each of the twelve emperors who were the subjects of his most famous work. He is best known for his book

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

De Vita Caesarum or The Twelve Caesars. The term graphology was first used by a French abbot and writer, Jean Hippolyte Michon (1806-1861) who described graphology as an art which he had learned through experience, studying the handwriting of thousands of people whose character he was familiar with. This led to the perhaps simplistic observation that people, who shared similar handwriting characteristics, also shared similar personality traits and mannerisms..

and Austria had made contributions to the growth of graphology as more than just an ‘art’ as Michon had described it; it was now being referred to as a ‘science’. Whilst the origins of graphology lie in mainland Europe, the works of Swiss physiognomist, Kasper Lavater were available in England.

He created a vast record of the handwriting qualities that he associated with certain attributes. His records also contained a dictionary of graphological signs and rules as he had observed them, whilst not trying to attempt to explain the connection between a person’s writing preferences and their character. By 1895, a number of doctors and university professors from France, Germany

His book Physiognomy was first published in German in 1775 but underwent more than 50 editions until 1810 with nearly half of these available in England. Lavater’s work is known to have inspired the text written by the first Englishman on the subject, Thomas Byerley in 1823. In his essay, On Characteristic Signatures Byerley wrote that; “In using his pen, a man acts unconsciously, as the current of his blood impels him; and there, at all times, nature flows unrestricted and free.” Two other key figures in the history of graphology are Dr Georg Meyer and Dr Ludwig

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

"People who share similar handwriting traits, share similar personality traits." Klages. Klages (1872-1956) was the first to identify that handwriting could be a reflection of the human personality and established a systematic approach. He believed that handwriting was a constant struggle between a person’s ‘natural impulses and rhythms’ and ‘mental discipline’ on the other. When the two are in harmony with one another the quality of a person’s handwriting is of a higher standard than when they are in conflict. Klages did not state that a particular handwriting trait revealed a specific personality attribute. For each handwriting trait Klages believed that there could be a favourable and an unfavourable personal characteristic, depending on the general standard of the writing. For example, large writing could be an indication of greatness in a person, but conversely, it could suggest a boastful or inconsiderate person. One of the criticisms of

Klages’ approach was his disregard for the role that national identities and characteristics may play in handwriting. In some countries, the speed at which children are taught to read and write and the style of writing are more closely dictated than others. Another contemporary of Klages was Max Pulver. Pulver was also a graphologist, however he was based in Switzerland. Pulver described the empty page like a canvas and the writer like an artist seeking to fill the space. Those letters that extend above the short letters (such as h, l and d) symbolise a move towards the spiritual world and those that extend below (such as p, j and y) represent the more material and subconscious world. Therefore, the appearance of words written on the page are a representation of a more holistic picture of the writer, regardless of the subject.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

Anja Mendelssohn, a graphologist and writer based in Germany, giving a lesson in basics of graphology.

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

"Graphologists interpret the strokes, pressures and loops of a person’s handwriting, which reveal their strengths, weaknesses and hidden motivations." Graphologist, Allan Conway states in his book 'Understanding Graphology.'

The Art of Handwriting

The Origins

Graphologists interpret the strokes, pressures and loops of a person’s handwriting, which reveal their strengths, weaknesses and hidden motivations. Every aspect of the way words are formed and set out on the page yields clues. People often think, ‘I’ll deceive them, I’ll alter my usual style.’ But by the third line, they have subconsciously reverted to at least certain aspects of their normal script. There’s nothing magical or mystical about graphology – it’s simply a precise and detailed process of analysying handwriting.

‘thrifty’, which can also be taken to mean ‘mean’, could be the cause of objection. A man who can afford to give a £10 donation but gives £1 may be seen as thrifty by onlookers; however, he may consider himself generous, purely because he made a donation.

As this book will illustrate, it takes into account every feature of handwriting, including the pressure used, the flow, the slant, the baseline, the layout, the spacing on the page and the gaps between the words. For instance, large first letters indicate a desire to be noticed, comparative distance between words is a measure of individuality, while small and compact writing may indicate intelligence, discipline, thoroughness and precision. So those who think they can hide their personality by changing the shape of their letters can’t get away with it that easily. In fact, simply watching someone write can reveal hidden secrets. Individuals often initially disagree with the findings of an analysis, but when they discuss it with those who know them well, the majority find that it is more accurate than they had at first thought. This is particularly the case when an analysis reveals someone’s weaknesses, which they might not have previously admitted or recognised. For instance, the term

Precise in its interpretation, this discipline can assess character through handwriting. Graphology is also unobtrusive and noninvasive, especially when compared with other evaluation techniques, particularly in the area of recruitment. Medical cases have shown that where people have lost a hand or an arm, and have had to learn to write with their other hand, their writing develops the same characteristics as before. Where patients have lost both arms, then mouth or foot writing also develops with the same characteristics. However, when people become ill, stressed, very tired or greatly troubled, their handwriting changes. There are remarkable similarities that show up in the writing of different people with similar medical or mental conditions, but – as far as we know – no two people can have exactly the same handwriting. It is also impossible to perfectly mimick another person's handwriting. Things like the pressure used, the sizing and strokes will instanly give this away. Any good graphologist would easily be able to pick up on these traits. graphology, when done right, can be extremely accurate in identifying a person's personality along with their intentions.

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Dandi volo blab ipsaeptat. Veliam quatemquam, occulle ssitio te evento

The Art of Handwriting

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Gwen Sampson, right, teacher of graphology class at Cherry Hills Country Club, explains meanings hidden in various handwriting strokes. Mrs. W. Granville Tierney, also a graphologist, watches.

The Art of Handwriting

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GRAPHOLOGY IN THE MODERN DAY The relevance of handwriting in the modern day, according to Angela Webb, a psychologist.

The Art of Handwriting

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At the turn of the 21st century, it was commonly believed that the chances of handwriting surviving were remote. Technology was developing rapidly into new areas we might not have imagined possible. Handwriting was beginning to look rather out of place. Although modes of written production among adults were changing, the fact remained that in education – schools and universities – the use of handwriting was not only not in decline but was still very much the norm. Even in a 2014 survey, 94% of adults and 86% of employers believed that handwriting is a vital skill for young people. Surprisingly it was also found in 2016 that primary school children still spend 50-60% of the day on pen and paper tasks and that only 10-17% of secondary school pupils use technology as their day-to-day mode of text delivery.

the content after a month than those who used laptops. Similarly, narratives of children and adolescents contained more ideas, more complex sentence structures and more varied vocabulary when they were handwritten rather than spoken. Going forward, handwriting needs to be re-conceptualised. It seems unlikely that it will retain the dominant position it has enjoyed for so long, yet clearly it still contributes something extraordinary.

So you can see that there appears to be a mismatch between what we expected and what was actually happening. Happily, research findings can help us understand possible explanations for this contradiction. In most cases, handwriting has been found to be superior to alternative modes for producing text. The findings suggest that the physical connectivity of pen on page seems to have a beneficial effect by impacting differentially on the workings of the brain. Studies suggest that by writing our work by hand we enable information to be processed at greater depth. For example, students who took lecture notes by hand recalled more of

Perhaps the first step is to differentiate between an art form and a functional tool. The art form focuses on the aesthetics and is exemplified in calligraphy, with all the beauty and cultural hinterland that it brings. In contrast, the functional tool activates or supports a range of cognitive processes and stimulates written creativity. Handwriting can be both an art form and functional, as long as we do not confuse what each approach contributes. The relationship should be symbiotic. Take, as an example, architects designing a building. They can draw and write on a tablet surface using a stylus, then the images can be transformed by the software into 3D drawings and into models. This way, the creative advantages of the human connection, through the graphic skills, can be maximised and combined with the advantages of digitisation. This is an example of how handwriting can enhance digitised delivery. However, the opposite is also true. We can derive benefits for handwriting through use of tablets, smartphones, and sensitive pens as these aid motivation for writing things by hand.

The Art of Handwriting

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GRAPHOLOGY & CRIMES Graphology is often used to identify forged documents in many court cases. This is called forensic graphology.

Forensic graphology is the branch of questioned documents. Graphology is defined as the scientific study of human personality with the help of graphic movements such as handwriting, scribblings, drawing, or painting. These graphics are mostly found in documents like suicide letters, blackmail letters, suspicious letters, and many more. The graphics or style of writing shows the mental status of the suspect or victim. Forensic Graphologists cannot tell about a person’s age or sex but it indicates the person’s state of mind while committing a crime or creating particular documents whether it be a blackmail letter, poison pen letter, or suicide notes. However, forensic graphologist looks for insights into the writing patterns of the suspect. For example; the mood of the suspect while writing, motivation or intention

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behind the writing, the suspect integrity, their intelligence before writing the letter and the emotional stability of the person while writing. Even other factors play an essential role as it depends on the individuality of the crime and investigation. Forensic graphologist calls upon to investigate the handwriting and offer any advice as to how the individual was feeling at the time of writing. There are many cases where graphologist opinion helps in solving the crime by providing the psychology behind the writing and crime. Graphologists will use the Electrostatic Development of Indented Writing Impression test to bring the pieces of evidence on paper that is not visible to the naked eye. Through the ESDA test, we analyse whether the document is altered or not and whether the document is rewritten from the top of another document. It is also analysed whether any fingerprint is present on the document which might not be

visible to the normal eye. Forensic graphology plays an essential role in providing the usable profile with the conjunction of forensic psychologist that police use to draw the list of suspects. Individual writing will prove as valuable information and can throw light on the evidence as of their state of mind, level of education, intellectual mind, and egotistical tendencies of the person. However, no two individual writings must be the same, and also as a graphologist you cannot tell about the sex and race of the individual. But as a Graphologist, you can provide clues about their mental and emotional state. A problem that arises during handwriting analysis is a simulation, which is the attempt to disguise one’s handwriting or the attempt to copy another’s. Simulation is a huge problem because it can make it much harder to make a determination about a document.

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"When an individual signs their own name it is done without thinking, whereas an imitator with a sense of purpose will invariably use heavier pressure on the paper." Graphologist, D. John Antony states in his book 'Personality Profile Through Handwriting Analysis'

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The Origins

Clearly one of the most fundamental manifestations of dishonesty in handwriting is the forgery of signatures. Identification of forged signatures is not so much graphology, or the analysis of handwriting, as it is quite easy to detect a forged signature. When an individual signs their own name it is done without thinking, whereas an imitator with a sense of purpose will invariably use heavier pressure on the paper, and the ending will often not correspond with the beginning, since concentration has diminished. An unconscious minor stroke or a punctuation mark or i-dot that the real owner of the signature would not make will often give the forger away. Counterfeiters who attempt to trace a signature will be detected when a number of authentic signatures of the true owner are examined.

signature or handwriting to confirm whether or not it is a forgery, and attempting to identify the forger. There was a case in the US where a minister of religion had engaged an engineer who had quoted $550 to remedy a problem. On completion of the work, the customer handed the estimate to the engineer, who returned to his car to retrieve his copy. When he returned, both copies of the estimate said $2,550! The harassed customer paid the engineer, but then stopped the engineer from receiving the cheque.

In reality, each time we sign our name there is some slight variation. So if all versions of a signature are identical, they are surely tracings. Equally important is the rhythm of the writing. A forger may be capable of copying features such as the angle of the writing and the formation of the letters but they will not be able to emulate the rhythm of the writing, which in turn reveals the personality of the writer. Although graphology is accepted in court for detecting forgeries, it’s rarely considered ample ground for dismissal or prosecution. If you are seriously worried, call in the experts. Judicial graphology, or document authentication, consists of examining a

The engineer’s company sued the customer and a graphologist appeared in court for the defence and pointed out: The shape of the ‘2’ in the estimate was vastly different from the ‘550’. Feeling the back of the page, the ‘pressure’ of the ‘2’ was three times that of the ‘550’. There was a suspiciously large gap between the $ sign and the figures – it looked like this trick had been tried before. The judge examined the documents and halted the case with costs, saying it might go to a higher court. A few days later, the company cancelled the entire debt; they required no payment at all for the work completed. It was obvious that they had tried this before and did not want the case to go further and be reported in the press. So, do not provide anyone with the opportunity to add or alter figures. Always think consciously when writing a cheque. Don’t leave gaps between words or figures for others to insert words or numbers. Make sure you don't give anyone the opportunity.

Handwriting sample taken from Joseph, aged 16. See page 32 to see how modern technology influences young people's handwriting.

The Art of Handwriting

Signatures

SIGNIFICANCE OF A SIGNATURE A signature is unique to every single person, it is used as a mark to verify authenitcity.

Signatures, which are completely unique to each of us, are of particular interest to graphologists. They are the manner in which we represent ourselves to the world throughout our lives and speak volumes about who we are as a person. The way in which we form our signature – whether it slants upwards or downwards; is long or compressed; is large or small; is underlined, through-lined or features a line across the top; and whether we press firmly or lightly – can all give an adept graphologist an intricate insight into our personality and thought process. The role of a signature in many consumer contracts is not solely to provide evidence of the identity of the contracting party, but also to provide evidence of deliberation and informed consent. Many individuals have much more fanciful signatures than their normal cursive writing, including elaborate

The Art of Handwriting

Signatures

ascenders, descenders and exotic flourishes, much as one would find in calligraphic writing. Several cultures whose languages use writing systems other than alphabets do not share the Western notion of signatures per se: the "signing" of one's name results in a written product no different from the result of "writing" one's name in the standard way. For these languages, to write or to sign involves the same written characters. The signature on a painting or other work of art has always been an important item in the assessment of art. Fake signatures are sometimes added to enhance the value of a painting, or are added to a fake painting to support its authenticity.

modest and unassuming. On the other hand, where the signature is much larger than the rest of the writing it shows a writer who is trying to impress and please a crowd. Any writer who has a signature that is very large and flamboyant is trying to project himself as being far more important than he really is. By signing his name with a flourish, he is attempting to make up for his underlying feeling of inferiority.

You’ll notice that where a signature is written simply and looks similar to the rest of the handwriting, the writer has a balanced and down to earth opinion of himself. He is

It may not be apparent on the outside, but in some way he feels insecure. In this case, the size of the middle zone letters will give you a more realistic indication of his true self-image. So whenever you see a large signature and a basically small handwriting you may be sure that the writer is sending out an appeal for attention. It is difficult to get an accurate reading from a signature alone as depending on the person.

The Art of Handwriting

With the signature, the writer takes responsibility for what they have just written or typed. On a typewritten document, it becomes the writer’s only opportunity to personalise their work and reveal themselves to the outside world. The impact of computer technology is so great that handwriting is used a good deal less than previously, but the signature has retained its importance. Beyond its obvious practical function, it is an expression of the individual and unique character of the writer, whereby a person projects unconscious images and feelings rich in meaning. One knows little about the writer without the signature, as it is the key to the writer’s real personality and inner life. An individual’s writing shows their potential. Their signature indicates whether and how they use this potential. It is the expression of the official side of the personality and the face they show to the world. It reveals

Signatures

their vitality, the direction they give to life, their ability to realise their potential, and how they put their abilities to use. It is their own evaluation of self, their personality, and how they see themselves in the public eye. It indicates the degree of the writer’s spontaneity, morality and honesty. It also gives clues about the writer’s family history, the summation of their childhood and personal history, the situation in the family home, and even how attached they are to memories of past events. Signing one’s name is generally an important act, whether or not one is conscious of it. A signature is unique in that it reveals how you would like the world to perceive you, which is not necessarily how you really are. The signature is both an expression of the ego, with which it identifies itself deeply, and is representative of the social ego or the

The Art of Handwriting

Signatures

"A signature is unique in that it reveals how you would like the world to perceive you." image of self which the writer, more or less consciously, wants to give to others. The first thing a graphologist observes, apart from the general appearance of writing, is the first letter of a word. Just as the impression a person makes the first time you meet tends to be lasting, so the first letter of a written word indicates how a person is likely to behave when interest is focused on them. This is because the first letter of a new word is not connected to the previous word, leaving the writer free to move their pen in the way they consciously or unconsciously wants. And a signature, of course, is entirely disconnected from any other script. One cannot expect to see the whole character of the writer expressed in their signature. An individual can be very different in their private life from their social and professional life. However, to the skilled eye, the signature

contains significant clues about a person’s strengths and weaknesses. In modern society, the usual signature consists of three or four parts – the given name, middle name, family name and, in most cases, a final appendage. This may be a simple dash, or a terminal stroke. It may be a complicated flourish or a curlicue, or a characteristically formed jumble of lines. The signature may present an illegible configuration of slurred letters and embellishing strokes which the writer habitually uses as their personal device. The graphologist will look at numerous points, including; Whether the first name is written in full or simply confined to an initial. The position of the signature on the page in relation to the text. Extras within the signature, such as flamboyant strokes and paraphs, including an doodles or shapes drawn around the signature.

The Art of Handwriting

Signatures

ANATOMY OF A SIGNATURE

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A paraph is a mark or flourish under, above or around the signature, and is very revealing. Despite the modern concern for simplicity, the paraph is still very revealing of an often subconscious tendency in the individual. All marks and flourishes under a signature compensate for an inner complexity. A signature without paraphs belongs to someone who is natural, modest and discriminating. Someone who signs with both a forward and backward stroke has a dramatic instinct. Those who use a straight line continuing at either end of the signature are emphasising their ego, and if the line is very heavy, then they are bound to have an assertive personality. A small convex line under a signature indicates self confidence, while strokes going both over and under the signature show persistence.

A stroke which moves in a downward direction and stops abruptly indicates the will to ensure material success. Written in zigzag form, where it is angular and resembles a stroke of lightning, suggests a cold, vindictive and brusque nature. One of the most obvious differences between signatures is their size. Some are small and cramped, taking up only a very small amount of the paper available to them. Others are much larger, sometimes taking up much of the paper.

A PRIME FACTOR AFFECTING THE SIZE OF THE SIGNATURE IS SELF-ESTEEM. The person whose paraph covers the whole of their signature has a desire to dominate. And where the paraph encircles the name, this is an attempt at protection or to keep others at bay. If the paraph is in a lasso form at the end of the name or underlining it, this is usually a sign of a supple, adroit, diplomatic or commercially adept mind. A centrifugal stroke preceding or following the signature and directed towards the right reveals physical courage and a generally aggressive attitude.

A prime factor affecting the size of the signature is self-esteem. When the signature is larger than the rest of the writing, this indicates that someone considers themselves to be important. They believe that what they do or say matters, because it came from them. Those whose signatures are completely illegible may be unconsciously protecting themselves or hiding something that they do not want the world to know. Alternatively, they may have such utter disregard for others that they do not care if their signature is legible enough for others to make out their name. Generally, and in hurried circumstances, a legible signature reflects sincerity and an illegible one reveals unreliability and evasiveness. An irregular signature with a complicated structure indicates a complex personality, whereas a signature that is smaller than the text signals unconscious self-devaluation. A signature that is considerably larger than the text is a mark of autocracy. A signature that is similar in size and style to the text is an expression of modesty and sincerity.

The Art of Handwriting

Signatures

SIGNATURE & WRITING DIFFERENCES To get a better reading from a signature it is best to have a sample of handwriting; this will give you a better reading.

Although handwriting alters with the development of character, the signature will usually remain close to its original form. This means that for most people their writing and their signature do not structurally marry. In youth, variations in the signature are not considered important. But as soon as the individual becomes responsible for their actions and has to honour their commitments with their signature, the signature must remain constant and consistant. As an adult, it is important for the signature to be uniform, particularly when signing documents. So some people may retain an odd signature simply because necessity forced them to preserve the one they developed during the earlier part of their life. For instance, they may continue to include a paraph above or around the signature. This is an important feature, which can reveal the

The Art of Handwriting

Signatures

subconscious tendencies in the individual. If the signature is written in a style similar to that of the text, one can assume there is no difference between the writer’s intimate self and the ‘front’ shown to society. But where there is a marked difference between the signature and text, it is a sign of a twosided personality – of behaviour in public which does not correspond to the writer’s inner nature. The former is reflected in the signature and the latter in the text. Where a signature is placed centrally under the text, the writer has a natural modesty, displays caution, and has a desire for security. If the signature is placed to the extreme right, the writer is eagerly active and impatient.

it is difficult to believe they belong to the same person. Many explanations exist for this condition. A logical one says that the writer experimented a great deal as a child and consequently developed an oddlooking signature. It is interesting to note the variation between the first (given) name and the surname (family name) in many signatures. This indicates the direct expression of the writer’s reaction to family ties and to parent/child relationships. In any signature, the family name represents the social ego, whereas the given name dwells on an inherent part of the ego.

Signatures to the extreme left of the text are indicative of a state of anxiety and a strong inclination to escape reality. Sometimes signature and writing are so different that

When both names are similarly written in the signature, this indicates a harmonious existence in both private and public roles. Overemphasis of the family name will usually indicate a form of family pride or a feeling of prestige and preoccupation.

The Art of Handwriting

Signature from Barack Obama, Former President of the United States of America.

Signatures

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Barack Obama's signature shows desire for Responsibility . This may sound a very obvious trait for a person who was arguably the most powerful person on Earth at one point. This trait is important in a leadership role which requires a person to take up responsibilities abruptly. Obama has a desire to be needed by a large number of people.

is also frank and honest while relaying his comments and thoughts. Obama has the need to be socially prominent, as someone of enormous stature. He wants to stand-out in public. He has this innate need to be famous. He has immense pride in self and his abilities also. He is also extremely cautious in his decision making approach.

His signature shows that he possesses fluidity of thoughts in his personality. Fluidity of thoughts at a granular level is the ability of a person to move from one thought to other with ease. This forms the basis of supreme communication skills that he possesses. He

He possess good deal of determination in his personality. Determination is one positive trait that helps anyone achieve the goals one has set for self. This can all be read from the size and openess of the letters in his signature, particularly the emphahsis of the capitals.

The Art of Handwriting

Signature from Marilyn Monroe, an American actress and model.

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The Art of Handwriting

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When one takes on the exceptionally difficult task of graphology, or analysing a person’s hand writing, it is important to recognize how the base line of the signature or word is affected by the rest of the phrase.

In this, there is evidence of people pleasing, as though she could do nothing else but attempt to please others, and so the big eccentricities in her handwriting showed her very nature, that is, hoping that everyone would love her and treat her as a whole person.

Meaning, when Marilyn wrote to her fans, the first and last letters were normally big and swooped beautifully, but the tightness with which the rest of the letters pushed together showed someone who was afraid of something, afraid, had mood swings, suffered between being super happy and then very sad.

Unfortunately it was all too often seen that Ms. Monroe was objectified by many, and some would say, based on the lonely strokes of the ‘roe’ in her name, where they were almost non-existent that they genuinely showed her as someone who was very lonely.

The Art of Handwriting

Signatures

Signature from Lady Diana, Princess of Wales.

Grapholgy is the study of handwriting, examining the movements of the hand to identify an individual.

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Diana’s handwriting shows a very rounded style with a notable absence of angles highlighting a need for communication with others and a generally non aggressive personality. The small spaces between her words indicate her need for attachment and connection with others. She is not a person who would have relished time on her own. It was vital for her to be loved and needed.

the middle zone at the expense of the upper zone reveals a greater interest in people and things than in ideas. Diana showed a need to be maternal and ‘look after’ others. Others would have found her beguiling and she had a gift for empathy. However this same trait would have made her an expert in understanding others’ motives.

The openness of the writing indicates her desires for the social and sensual world around her. Pride is important to her, too. The movement to the left indicates her being less at ease in facing problems. The emphasis on

Not academically blessed or intellectually curious, she was however emotionally intelligent and her charm would have had the capacity to turn into manipulation when under stress. Diana’s handwriting shows a complex but loving and caring character.

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HOW TO ANALYSE YOUR SIGNATURE

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Underlining The encyclopedia of handwriting analysis says that embellishments to your writing reveal a lot about who you are. For example, underlining may indicate a need for responsibility and importance. It also shows a lack of self-confidence and a desire for status and recognition. Embellishments matter because these are attempts to draw further attention to something that is already apparent—and the things you choose to draw attention to often reveal who you really are.

An indecipherable You might think legibility has to do with how quickly we're signing our names, but the truth is more complicated than that. Signing your name in a way that people can actually read is an intentional choice, according to the encyclopedia of handwriting analysis. A clear and complete signature shows a person who is open, straightforward, and willing to share who they are with others. An indecipherable signature, on the other hand, may reveal a person who is arrogant and self-important.

A short signature If the letters that make up your name are close together and create a short signature, it's because you are reactive, impatient, and have weak concentration. Analysts maintain that it's the sign of someone who is itching to move on to something else: You don't have the attention span to finish writing your name!

Large Signature Large capital letters in a signature also indicate that the signer has a strong sense of self-worth. Barack Obama signs with large capital letters, with a notably strong start to his signature. He aims to make sure his presence is felt.

Slant It's all about the direction you're slanting in! A slant to the right generally means that you have an outgoing personality. A slant to the left, however, means that you don't push yourself forward, as the encyclopedia of handwriting analysis reveals. Downward slant A signature that slopes downward reveals a sense of pessimism toward the world around you. Not only that—it may mean that you're cautious in meetings and gatherings, a person who tends to weigh the risks of your decisions before moving forward and acting.

Legible Surname The encyclopedia of handwriting analysis says that a tough-to-read first name followed by a legible surname shows someone who is reserved and cautious. You want to hold back on being familiar with others until you get to know them better. However, if it's your first name that's easier to read? That suggests you're approachable, direct, and friendly. Signature Placement A signature to the left shows someone who, in public, might seem to be clinging to the past. A signature in the middle shows off self-importance. And a signature to the right means you're looking to the future.

Handwriting sample taken from April, aged 55. See page 84 for an analysis of letter forms and what they say about an individuals personality.

The Art of Handwriting

Personality

COMMON WRITING TRAITS

The Art of Handwriting

Personality

Size

Spacing

Slant

Joined letters

Slanting up or down

Large printing characterizes attention seekers, while small writing points to a person who prefers staying out of the spotlight. Narrow spaces indicate a fear of abandonment, while large distances reveal trouble connecting with others. A right slant indicates an outgoing, futuredirected personality. Left means you're more of a reserved observer. Connecting your letters when you're writing means you're very logical. If your letters are disconnected, you might be more imaginative. An upward slant from the baseline shows an optimistic viewpoint, while downward indicates a pessimistic mood.

Dotting your 'i's

A single straight line represents independence, and a lowercase I symbolizes immaturity. (When used as a pronoun)

Crossing your 't's

Failing to cross your T all the way means you're a procrastinator. Crossing your T high on the stem means you set high goals.

Open 'c's

A completely closed C can indicate a lack of trust. A lack of a gap could signify that you don't want to let anybody in.

Pressure

A light grip belongs to ethereal types. Digging into the page can often convey intensity and strong emotions.

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Some graphologists consider the letter ‘F’ to be the most revealing. It is the only letter that passes through all three zones. How you project your image and react to people is reflected in your ‘F’s.

A top bar that extends over the whole word can signal protectiveness.

A narrow upper loop in a lowercase letter can signal emotional repression. A full upper loop can signal an open minded person.

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A club like, down pointing top bar can be a sign of unkindness and cruelty. Whereas a upwards facing top bar can show ambition and an optimistic outlook.

An 'f' that only extends into the top two zones can show a down-to-earth personality.

An angular 'f' like this can signify cruelty but also madness due to it's harsh strokes.

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The Art of Handwriting

The way the letter ‘T’ is formed allows insight into an individual’s self esteem, attention to detail and whether they are careless or conscientious in their work.

A top high bar removed from the stem indicates aspirations which are not always followed through.

A top bar joined to the next letter means the person is cautious in life.

If the 't' is wedge-shaped this shows a eprson who is always objecting and criticising. A short low cross to the right of the stem is someone who is content with their subordinate position.

The Art of Handwriting

Personality

A high cross at the top of the stem means that person usually possessess good leadership qualities and likes to be in control.

A low cross through the stem of the 't' is someone who is attempting to overcome feelings of inferiority.

A middle cross through the stem is someone who takes responsibility with hesistation.

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The Art of Handwriting

The letter ‘I’ is one of the most important and revealing to the graphologist. It represents the writer’s ego. It is seen as the mediator between the individual and reality.

A single stroke is a sign of someone who is intelligent and straightforward.

A single stroke on the top and bottom signals a high opinon of one's self and confidence.

A dot that looks like a circle is from someone with a desire for attention. A capital letter written as a smaller letter means they have a very immature ego.

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A dot directly above shows a precise exacting nature in a person. A dot to the left shows procrastination and to the right shows curiosity.

A flourish and point at the top shows someone who has a penetrating mind.

A dot that looks like a dash is a signal of a hasty temper and irritability.

The Art of Handwriting

Personality

THE SCIENCE BEHIND GRAPHOLOGY Grapholgy is classed as a pseudoscience due to the evidence behind it.

The evidence often used to prove the validity of graphology include its similarity to forensic handwriting analysis. Graphologist examine many of the same features as forensic document examiners when analysing handwriting. However, they try and use it to analyse personality rather than to detect authenticity or forgery. Another element often used to argue the validity of graphology is the satisfaction rate of clients who have paid for handwriting analysis. Since it is estimated that in France 50-70% of businesses use it, many believe it, and defend it by must be accurate because that many people couldn’t all be incorrect about it. Graphology is not accepted as a real science because of the evidence against it. One way it has been tested is by having multiple graphologist analyse the same handwriting sample. When this was done,

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the graphologists all provided different personality traits, proving there wasn’t a universal accurate way to analyze handwriting. Another reason it cannot be proven to be true is the content of the sample being analyzed often influences the reading more than the handwriting traits. This was seen when the graphologists were asked to describe the personality of subjects when the handwriting sample contained a passage that had been copied from a magazine.

France, and it began there. This could also be partially due to graphology training courses in France that are popularly attended. Because there are approximately 1,000 handwriting analysis practitioners in France, it is probably easier for them to sustain their beliefs amongst others. It could also be popular in France because of a “national proclivity for the abstract; or an instinctive rejection of USorigin “personality” tests”.

If handwriting was truly how the unconscious personality details were being read by the graphologists, then they would not have still been able to describe the personality of the writers. However, they were not able to accurately describe the personalities when the writings were not autobiographical. Many of the people who believe in graphology live in France. This is likely because it is accepted in

There are psychological explanations that account for the belief in graphology. One reason it is believed is because it has the appearance of science. Another reason people believe it is it make appeals to authority, by stating it is based on theories by psychologists. It also relies on confirmation bias, as people will pay more attention to the details the graphologists lists that align with their opinions of the subject.

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THE LEFT-HANDED WRITER Those who are lefthanded were often shunned or forcibly retrained to write with their right hand.

Something that a graphologist needs to know in advance of an analysis is whether the subject is left- or right-handed. (They also need to know the age and sex of the writer. Even today, in some cultures, those who are left-handed are shunned or forcibly retrained. There is a lingering superstition that lefthandedness is somehow connected with the darker side of the human personality. Prejudice against left-handers is reflected in the numerous associations enshrined in everyday language – right equals good (‘dexterous’ derives from the Latin for right, dexter), left is bad (sinister is Latin for left). There is no extensive agreement on the question of the causes of rightor lefthandedness in children. However, it does seem clear that lefthanded parents more frequently have left-handed offspring than do righthanded parents. The consistency with

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which children use one hand in preference to the other varies with age, at least through the pre-school years and sometimes beyond. Although the incidence of left-handedness seems to vary with the way it is measured and with the population studied, it is probably not too far off the mark to say that in the USA roughly one in 20 children are left-handed, while in the UK the figure is more likely to be one in 15.

in judging the speed and trajectory of moving objects. To support this theory, D.W. Holtzen of Harvard Medical School found that the percentages of left-handed tennis players ranked among the top ten players in the world over a 30-year period were up to five times higher than right-handed players.

Left-handed children can struggle, unaided, with poor handwriting skills and equipment designed for right-handed use. They are put at a disadvantage from the start of their education, because few schools teach them how to write effectively. Bad habits and awkwardness can sometimes follow, having a direct impact on their future prospects and choice of careers. In research studies, left-handed boys showed more educational difficulties than their female counterparts. Left-handers were observed by their teachers to have lower reading ability and poorer hand and eye coordination. Many individuals find it hard to produce clear and legible handwriting and this is a problem not only confined to left-handers. However, on average, right-handers have formed their writing habits by the age of eleven, whereas left-handers generally have not. Nevertheless, in some sports, such as tennis, to be lefthanded can be an advantage. Lefthanders tend to have better developed right-brain hemispheres, which gives them an advantage

LEFT-HANDED CHILDREN CAN STRUGGLE, UNAIDED, WITH POOR HANDWRITING SKILLS AND EQUIPMENT DESIGNED FOR RIGHTHANDED USE. The central factor pertaining to lefthandedness, from a graphologist’s point of view, is the slant of the letters. Certain tendencies we expect from a left-handed person will mirror certain negative features in the writing of a right-handed person. Many people may be surprised by the assertion that a rightward slant is linked with righthandedness and a leftward slant with lefthandedness. The fact becomes apparent when a right-hander is deprived of the use of the right hand and has to learn to write with the left hand. They may acquire sufficient skill to produce a script quite similar to their former writing, but the slant will now be leftward instead of rightward. This can be demonstrated by comparing samples of the handwriting of Lord Nelson produced before and after he lost his right

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Personality

"The tendency towards a leftward slant for lefthanders is the product of the awkward reality of writing from left to right using the left hand" Graphologist, Allan Conway states in his book 'Understanding Graphology.'

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arm at Santa Cruz in 1797. An extreme leftward slant in a right-hander points to a criminal personality, the sources of whose sociopathic tendencies lie in early life experiences. It is the mark of an individual who builds up defences in the form of negative behaviour and opposition to authority, regardless of the circumstances.

the left hand, combined with an element of intrinsic frustration at the disadvantage, and associated stigma, of being left-handed in a world designed for righthanders. Interestingly, this sense of being slightly out of kilter with the mainstream is also the basis of the antisocial tendencies indicated in a marked leftward slant in the script of a right-hander. But in no way should this slant factor be seen as any reflection on the integrity and worth of a person who happens to have been born with a left-sided dominance.

The eminent psychologist Mendel made a study of right-handed handwriting with a leftward slant by investigating the early writings of George Bernard Shaw, William Makepeace Thackeray, Maxim Gorky and Henrik Ibsen. He found that each of them had an unhappy childhood, disturbed by an imbalance in the relationship between their parents and family members. The tendency towards a leftward slant for lefthanders is the product of the awkward reality of writing from left to right using

It is apparent that what graphology can reveal about the deeper nature of an individual must always be qualified by a knowledge of the given circumstances. Deductions and conclusions cannot therefore be based on slant alone, and knowledge of whether the writer is right or left-handed is imperative to the graphologists findings.

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THE THREE ZONES & SHAPES There are three zones in letterforms that graphologists need to analyse, the upper middle and lower.

The three zones of a script are known as upper, middle, and lower. Upper zone this corresponds to the head, the intellectual region of the body. Script extending above the line into the upper zone indicates the writers intellectual ability, interest in expanding their mind, and in self-education. Middle zone movement between the two lines on the page in the middle zone corresponds to the area of the body involved with social interaction, emotions, and how the writer copes with the world in which they live. Lower zone what appears beneath the line in the lower zone relates to biological drives and the need for material and sexual gratification. Where the upper and lower zone extensions are of similar dimension, the facts relevant to that zone are kept within controlled limits. However, where there is a disproportion between any of the three zones, the larger

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or dominant zone will point to the writers overenthusiastic response to that area. For example, a small middle zone between a larger upper and lower zone indicates a gulf between a persons ideals and their ability, which suggests a low achievement level due to reaching beyond their capability. A very short upper loop will indicate a poor response to intellectual interests and little ambition in that area. It could also show a lack of spiritual values and awareness.

concepts and modesty. Negatively, they may demonstrate a lack of intellectual ideas and a lack of ambition. Letters that extend into the upper zone include b, d, f, h, i, k, l and t. In this zone exists all the small letters without upper or lower loops. In script these include a, c, e, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w and x. In capital letters some of these may extend into two or even three zones. These middle zone letters constitute a balance between upper and lower zones. They relate to everyday experiences, emotions and social life. A very large middle zone relates to writers with overinflated egos.

The upper extensions or loops are written in varying degrees of size, the normal height being 3mm. Those with higher upper zones will have positive attributes of imagination, intelligence, idealism and ambition, while negatively they may be extravagant or pretentious, or display a lack of objectivity. Those with a low upper zone (less than 3mm) will positively display self-reliance, realistic

These individuals consider themselves very important and will try to demand attention and expect others to adapt to their ways. They will be unable to hold a balanced view of reality, taking an extremely subjective attitude to personal matters, which to them are always the priority in their everyday

The Art of Handwriting

A sample of a womans handwriting that extends into all three of the zones.

Personality

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"Those with higher upper zones will have attributes of imagination, idealism and ambition." functioning. Because their understanding of reality is not usually fully developed, children often produce a large middle zone. A reduced middle zone usually indicates a personality strain in the everyday social and emotional sphere of the writer. This individual would allow their personal life a very small range, and they may not be confident about expressing themselves emotionally. This is the area of instinctive sexual drive and materialistic concern. This zone comprises the lower loops of the letters g, j, p, q, y and z. Analysis of this zone depends on the length and width of the loop and the pressure with which the stroke is achieved. The length of the loop indicates the length to which the person will go to achieve what they need. The further the individual stretches downward, the further they are willing to reach, expand and grow in this area. Positive

traits of long lower loop writers, with pressure on the loop, show that they are physically active and that they have the ability to persevere in difficult circumstances. This style of writing also indicates strong needs for material and sexual gratification. Negative features of this type of writer include clumsiness, domination and materialism. In contrast, a long lower loop with light pressure displays a businesslike individual with a tendency to be petty-minded and sensually indifferent. If the lower loop remains unfinished, the writer has failed to integrate past learning experiences into present-day reality; they have probably failed to learn from mistakes and are likely to repeat them. For writers who do this and who have writing that is rather loose in structure, the discipline of having to keep cool under pressure brings out the best in them.

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INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON HANDWRITING While gender cannot be identified from handwriting, there are many studys that show people can identify between them.

Handwriting is also an essential language skill that has been understudied in the context of sex differences. Beyond its communication function, handwriting is vital to reading acquisition and development. Interestingly, unlike other language skills, behavioral observations have shown reliable sex differences in handwriting. Specifically, blind raters have successfully distinguished writing by males and females, with a large effect size (d = 0.75). There is also ample evidence from studies in large cohorts showing a female advantage in various handwriting tasks, including written composing and written fluency. These differences were stable across historical time and the lifespan. Males and females do tend to have identifiably different handwriting. The general public is able to identify the sex of the author of a sample of handwriting approximately

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two-thirds of the time. Graphologists argue that the influence of personality overrides the influence of gender and the gender of the writer cannot be identified with precision. Typically, the psychologists suggest that females are characterized by neat, even, well organised, rounded, small and symmetrical writing. On the other hand, males are characterized by hurried, uneven, messy, spiky and sloping writings. These differences in handwriting of males and females were attributed to differences in motor coordination or the different types of hormones they produce.

These specific parts of the brain include the caudate nucleus (learning and memory), hippocampus (sense of smell), prefrontal cortical regions (personality/social behavior), superior temporal gyrus (language), and the anterior commisure (pain/smell/speech). Studies have shown that men tend to use only one side of their brain (specifically the left side for verbal reasoning) while women tend to use both sides of the brain for visual, verbal and emotional responses. Therefore, women usually begin to speak and read earlier in life than men and are generally better when it comes to verbal skills, for example, learning a new language or attacking higher level reading. They tend to have a much stronger grasp on spelling and grammar, thus the reason why they excel in handwriting.

The participants were found to spontaneously stereotype texts written with different levels of handwriting legibility by gender. They attributed high-legibility writing to female and low-legibility writing to male writers, presumably reflecting the participants' previous experiences of higher-legibility handwritings produced by females than males. Furthermore, a statistical trend for the participants' lower grading confidence towards lower handwriting legibility even tentatively suggests that handwriting legibility directly affected the process of grading albeit not the grades themselves. The reason for these contrasting handwriting styles is simply and purely scientific. In general, men indeed do have larger overall cerebral size than women after the brain’s development through the teen ages, but there are specific components of the female brain that are significantly larger than that of males.

FEMALES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY NEAT, WELL ORGANISED, SMALL, ROUND, SYMMETRICAL WRITING. MALES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY QUICK, UNEVEN, MESSY, SPIKY AND SLOPING WRITINGS. Females are traditionally taught that it is important to be pretty in any way possibly, including penmanship. They are also simply more methodical in their work. In contrast, males place significantly less emphasis on handwriting and they obtain the notion that work is to be done swiftly and efficiently.

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SOCIAL STATUS & UPBRINGING Today we have a fairly public debate about whether kids should be held to the rigorous standard of cursive penmanship that many adults were once held to. With the advent of smart phones, tablets, and laptops, the need for writing letters or business contracts by hand is next to zero. But, travel back in time to the Age of Enlightenment and those who had the luxury of learning how to write were very strictly held to certain standards based on their class and occupation. The invention of the printing press in the 1450s (and the first Gutenberg Bible) made certain fonts more popular than others. In the 1600s there were several fonts in use in the U.S. and Europe. The so-called Gothic script, named for the fact that only in Germany had the complicated maintained popularity, in the 15th century was also known as blackletter. It was this font that filled the first printed

Bibles, but many people found it hard to read. Gothic had been popular in the American colonies as well, but gave way to the more fluid and legible Italian style style which haled from Florence. Today we know this as italic, but back then it was the very latest thing. Gothic fonts were still used for official documents, and sometimes many fonts could be used in a single contract. Over time the prevalence of the printed word drove penmans, those employed only to write out contracts, letters, or other important papers, to look for work elsewhere. It was these penmans, skilled in many different fonts, who would go on to teach working men of business the proper font for their station in life. Before typewriters and computers, these experts were a standard part of the business world. The fonts used in business affected which scripts were used by professionals.

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Businessmen and bankers were expected to write in the very legible round version of the Italian style, while those with enough money often learned no font at all. This proved that an upper class man didn’t need to obtain an occupation for a living and that he wrote letters for leisure.

In the 19th century, when schooling became more common in many parts of Europe, penmanship became its own area of study, with styles and skill judged by quality. A book on penmanship from 1912 shows how students would have been given a number rating to indicate where their cursive fell on the quality scale.

On the other hand, women of good breeding were often instructed to write letters in elaborate styles with elegant flourishes and even shading, which certainly proved she had no other demands on her time that would interfere with her correspondence. Social standing could be assessed by a person in the know very quickly just by the font and type of lettering that was used. Unlike today’s standards, where doctors are known for their illegible scrawl, a font executed perfectly showed the attention to detail and education that set them apart from the others.

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ANALYSING A WRITTEN ADDRESS An address that covers the whole envelope reveals an obtrusive personality who has little consideration for others, they are usually loud, bold, and strong characters.

for a professional context. An address that is placed in the central left shows someone who prioristes functionality. They are usually practical, reserved and private.

An address that is cramped together in the middle of the envelope and surrounded by a vast expanse of white indicates voluntary isolation, this person is shy and reserved.

An address that is placed very near to the top edge of the paper, with pen strokes slightly upward, is an indication of idealism.

The size of the envelope may force a writer to condense their writing or overshoot the margins. To be able to vary the layout and size of one’s writing in accordance with the available writing area demonstrates signs of flexibility and adaptability. The address in the left half of the envelope shows prudent reserve and someone who usually likes to maintain a continued distance between themselves and others. An address written in this format would usually be used

If the address is pushed over towards the right, this is an indication of extroversion and spontaneous communication with others. An address that is positioned very low on the envelope and is accompanied by heavy pressure or long lower zone projection is usually indicative of materialism, someone who values aestitcs. On the other hand, to make alterations for no real reason reveals a degree of instability or a need for change and an idiosyncratic nature.

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Samples of handwritten letters. Images from The Postal Musuem.

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CHANGES IN WRITING Studys have chosen that handwriting continues to change throughout our lives, mainly after life changing events.

Writing tends to change to some degree as one progresses through life. Those who suffer a major traumatic experience, either in a good way or a bad way, will immediately see their writing change. Some writing will eventually revert back, but others will remain changed forever. A good example is where a couple have been happily married for, say, over 50 years and then one of them dies: the shock will immediately change the writing of the survivor. More often than not the writing will remain changed, as the individual may never fully come to terms with the new situation in which they find themselves. An interesting experiment took place in New York in the late 1950s. Social and psychological workers took 20 teenagers out of their deprived environment in the Bronx for 12 months and placed them with middleclass families in suburbia. These teenagers were not chosen at random. They had all experienced

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disturbed lives (half had undergone corrective training) and a graphologist had also ensured that the handwritings of the teenagers reflected this. The results were quite astounding. More than half turned over a new leaf and became model students. Most of the remainder became ‘adjusted’ individuals. Only two showed little change, and it was subsequently established that these two, after the event, continued their lives as though nothing had happened.

even more aggression and disturbance than before, indicating that the experiment had, in this case, been unsuccessful. Another side of this is where an individual has lived a quiet, wellorganised, disciplined life and suddenly finds they have come into a large amount of money, such as a lottery win. This can affect individuals in different ways.

So what did the handwriting reveal, if anything? The graphologist picked out from the handwriting, with little effort, those who had completely changed. In those who had adjusted, while the handwriting had improved, signs of aggression and irritation still appeared, albeit to a much lesser degree. The writings of the two who had rejected the experiment remained the same. In fact, one of the participants’ handwriting demonstrated

There was the case of a man who in the late 1990s won several million pounds and went crazy, buying everything he could lay his hands on. Interestingly enough, because he was an impulsive individual before winning the money, his writing reflected little change. The only difference worth noting was that after the event the signature showed distinct arrogance. Around the same time an older man won even more money. He was an organised, precise individual and his writing reflected this. After the win his writing became ragged, and unorganised.

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Angular Think of the letters ‘m’ and ‘n’. Written with strong, firm angles, ‘M’ people are persistent and decisive, with intellectual ability and selfdiscipline. They are definite and dislike compromise. They excel at jobs demanding constant attention to detail. Negative characteristics can include aggression, possessiveness, obsessive tendencies and a rigid approach to life, with little flexibility.

Arcades The arcade is in the form of an arch, closed at the top, as in the letter ‘m’. The writer is closed to the outside with a reluctance to allow the emotions free expression, and as a result may appear cold. Formality and convention are the order of the day.

Garland The bottoms of the letters are curved like a cup. Garland writers are open to the world. They are at ease and prefer to be with others of their type. Conflict is far from their mind as they tend to take the line of least resistance. Being sociable and caring, they are often to be found dealing with children.

Threads The connection between the letters appears to be like a piece of cotton and the writing can be described as diminishing. It is often caused by haste. There is an economy of effort and those who have difficulty in writing or are simply lazy tend to produce this script. Such types rely on instinct, and have the ability to improvise solutions and discover opportunities. There are indications of an agile mind which prefers to learn by experience.

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LEVELS OF PRESSURE The change in the level of pressure applied is one of the main signs of a forged document.

The type of pressure employed by a writer determines the quality of the stroke, and this stroke will be unique to the individual. Writing pressure is a complex phenomenon. Careful observation and study are required to determine the effect of pressure on the thickness, darkness, sharpness and shading of the writer's stroke. Like all other features of writing, it is basically determined by the personality of the writer, and not by the tool they employ. Whether using pencil, ballpoint or fountain pen (except for superficial differences in the writing that identify the tool rather than the writer), the writing is always recognisable as one individual’s unique expression. Handwriting pressure varies from individual to individual, but can be grouped into one of three broad categories: heavy, medium and light. Just as heavy pressure leaves a strong impression on the paper, so too the writer ‘leaves their mark’ on the environment. Individuals who write using heavy pressure

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are usually forceful, productive and want to make their mark on society. They possess considerable determination and endurance. Their depth of emotion and aggressive spirit are above the average. There is a vitality and strength that underlines everything they do or say. This intensity of spirit requires release. Often they will be ‘outdoor’ types, releasing pent-up energy through exercise or sports. The deeper the pressure, the deeper the passions: not just sexual energy, but passion for life, travel, challenge and adventure. The risk-takers, the movers and shakers, the leaders in their field (science, politics, business, etc.) will write with a force and dynamism that spells passion. However, such individuals also tend to be set in their ways. They are averse to making any changes they consider unnecessary. Statistics indicate that they usually stay in a marriage longer than people exerting medium or light pressure. A small number of people produce extra-heavy pressure: usually a sign of great emotional tension. Too much pressure on the paper means too much pressure on the individual. Strong feelings of fear, anger or the stress of competition will put their resources on notice, ready to take action, even perhaps when none is needed. Impulsiveness and a wasting of energy will take its toll on the health of one who writes with an extraforceful or domineering hand. Individuals who write with heavy pressure or a sensual line often struggle with their weight and body image and self esteem (depending on the discipline in the writing).

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Those who write with medium pressure possess the same positive drive and determination as the heavy-pressure writer, but not in such great quantities. Energetic and resourceful, they have the ability to see a project through to completion. The writer who exhibits medium pressure may not want to run the company, but would be a great asset to any committee or team, as they can adequately shoulder their share of the responsibility. There is a vibrancy and dynamism to their spirit that, when inspired or motivated, says ‘all systems go’. They recognise that body and mind work as one unit. Rarely will they over extend their energies to the point of depletion or complete exhaustion. An individual who writes with less forcefulness is able to change direction easily. The writer who possesses a light, flexible script is more adaptable by nature. Not averse to change, they may switch jobs, living quarters, or even partners. Lighthearted and easy-going, they are quick to forgive shortcomings, flexible enough to accept a last-minute change to plans, and accommodating enough to settle for quick compromises. However, although quick to adapt, their energy and reserves are shortlived. They quickly evaporate when forced into long-term or overwhelming projects. They may become moody or take short cuts in an effort to see the task completed quickly. When forced to remain in a stressful environment, they become tense. Their gentle nature needs nurturing.

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The light-pressure writer has more mental than physical energy and is more often a thinker than a doer. However, their flexibility and ability to accommodate other viewpoints give them tremendous mental agility. Extralight pressure is usually evidence of anxiety, not to be confused with tension. Tension is positive, in the sense that it arouses a feeling of being ready to act and usually arises under the stress of a deadline or important event such as making a speech, taking a driving test, meeting a new boss, etc. Tension will subside when the circumstances causing it cease to exist. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a constant undercurrent of worry or apprehension – an edgy feeling of insecurity that interferes with concentration, yet is not pinned to anything specific. It never seems to let up, even when the project is completed or the deadline met.

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Some writings may seem to have erratic pressure patterns that alternate between light and dark. When someone cannot maintain a steady pressure, they lose motivation, succumb to periods of fatigue and take the path of least resistance. Physical and emotional reserves work together in a delicate balance and the writer must plan for proper nutrition and rest to keep their spirits positive. Changes in pressure may signal a change in physical or emotional balance. On occasions, it may even be a sign of an underlying medical problem. The Hungarian graphologist Dr Klara Roman identified the term ‘pastosity’ to refer to a ‘pasty’ appearance in the writing, which is sometimes indicative of overindulgence of the senses. This can be good or bad,

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"The passion of the writer determines whether the line will be strong or weak, rich or sparse." depending on the form level of the script. Many gourmet cooks, fashion designers and artists have this in their writing. Sensual sometimes to the point of intemperance, the pastose writer reflects their feelings in their style of dress, speech, occupation or hobby. Their work stems from sensual gratification. In pastose writing, the loops may look ‘flooded’ or closed, and certain formations may look extra thick. In a negative writing, blobs, smearing and crossings-out indicate an overindulgence of sensual gratification by people who have become totally absorbed by their own experiences. Their language is usually colourful too. In addition to handwriting depth, as seen in light, medium and heavy pressure, writing also has a definite width – fat or thin. Handwriting

width, the richness of the line itself, reveals a propensity to explore and appreciate depths of character. It can reveal the extent to which an individual will go to gratify the senses, but the richness of the line itself will indicate how rich or starved are the senses. The same brain that transmits energy patterns also encodes messages from our senses of sight, sound, touch and smell. These neurological messages are transmitted through the pen, allowing handwriting to record our sensual impulses. It is false to believe that the choice of pen solely determines line depth and width. The passion of the writer determines whether the line will be strong or weak, rich or sparse. An individual who deliberately selects a pen to create a rich, full-bodied line could be expressing a desire for sensual pleasure.

Handwriting sample taken from Mathew, a left-handed writer aged 53. See page 68 for how left-handedness effects handwriting.

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CHINESE LETTERING Calligraphy, literally "beautiful writing," has been appreciated as an art form in many different cultures throughout the world, but the stature of calligraphy in Chinese culture is unmatched. In China, from a very early period, calligraphy was considered not just a form of decorative art; rather, it was viewed as the supreme visual art form, was more valued than painting and sculpture, and ranked alongside poetry as a means of selfexpression and cultivation. How one wrote, in fact, was as important as what one wrote. To understand how calligraphy came to occupy such a prominent position, it is necessary to consider a variety of factors, such as the materials used in calligraphy and the nature of the Chinese written script as well as the esteem in which writing and literacy are held in traditional China. The earliest extant examples of Chinese writing are the inscriptions that appear on so-called oracle bones (animal bones and turtle shells) and on bronze vessels, the oldest

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of which date back to the Shang dynasty. Shang kings used these objects in important divination rituals. These early inscriptions were made on the surface of an oracle bone or a bronze mold with a sharp, pointed instrument. As a result of this process, the characters (or "graphs" as they are also called) generally lack the kinds of linear variation and other attributes considered prerequisites of true calligraphy. Those qualities began to emerge very clearly during the Han dynasty, when Chinese artisans perfected the manufacture of the basic materials still used by calligraphers today: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

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China, Anhui province, Tunxi, collection of brushes hanging on wall.

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GROUNDING CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY An interview with François Chastanet, a architect, graphic and type designer.

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The documentary photographer, filmmaker, and designer François Chastanet has been developing a fascinating multimedia project: Di Shu, a survey of contemporary calligraphic practices in Chinese public spaces. The photographic and video documentary began during the summer of 2011 in Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, and Shenyang.

evolutions, their relation with public space and architectural context, and the use of efficient handcrafted tools made of everyday industrial objects. Chinese street calligraphy, using clear water as ink on the pavement, is also very interesting by its ephemeral nature; it is an ode to impermanence.

You’ve done several books on Pixação, the Brazilian graffiti lettering, and Los Angeles’s Cholo street lettering. In each case they are distinct codes designed to appeal to specific groups. What attracted you to Di Shu Chinese street calligraphy? I was firstly interested in documenting a graffiti practice outside of the occidental/ Latin alphabet’s global influence, so I have been looking for a similar practice of massive writing in public space, but this time in an ideogrammatic and logographic civilization. After some research in Asia, Di Shu, or waterbased ground calligraphy in China, imposed itself by its growing popularity. We are not talking here of small underground groups of writers or gangs mainly composed of young people, but about probably several million street-calligraphy practitioners. And unlike in São Paulo and Los Angeles, this practice is largely accepted and respected socially. But even if they’re emerging from very different urban cultures—from socalled vandal graffiti to widely accepted practices like Di Shu—related issues can be noticed. For example: written signs’ formal

What have you learned about the form and the people who make it? It is extremely difficult for an outsider to say something relevant about the Chinese art of writing forms. Not as an expert of hanzi shapes but as an (occidental) observer sensible to the relation between large-format manual inscriptions and public space, I prefered to simply present the roots of this handwriting phenomenon and its actual

"THOUSANDS OF ANONYMOUS STREET CALLIGRAPHERS OPERATE DAILY IN PARKS AND STREETS, THE DIFFERENT PAVEMENTS BECOMING A LARGE PAPER SURFACE." development in Chinese society. I also wanted to focus on the do-it-yourself writing tools specially designed for calligraphy in an urban context. While making this survey, in order to exchange with Chinese street calligraphers, given the fact that I wasn’t able to speak much Chinese, a communication based on

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"In China cosmology, the expression ‹dishu› means square calligraphy, i.e. earth calligraphy" drawing was the only solution (along with the help of a questionnaire pre-translated into Chinese.) It was also necessary for me to demonstrate my capacity to understand a line, a stroke, or a gesture by showing my own calligraphic level in Latin letters—the only way to be accepted as a photographer amongst the different parks and clubs of ground letterers and calligraphers. Calligraphic practice corresponds to a research of self accomplishment or improvement, this improvement modifying our perception of the world. Even if the image of the text is a highly sophisticated object, calligraphy is more a ritual thing and a lifestyle. The process of making is more important than the sign produced: a silent dialogue experiencing the subtle pleasure of discovering yourself through the movement of the brush and your own body. But here the

practice is both individual and collective; I think we can talk of lettering in public space as socializing. Early morning parks are the stage of an essential moment of Chinese life where the need of the group, of sharing, expresses itself — notably amongst elderly people but also young adults and kids. The different practitioners of ground calligraphy refer, first of all, to the fact of being together, meeting, making friends, not staying at home, and sharing moments in a nice environment surrounded by nature. Talking about literature, commenting on a gesture or a calligraphic detail — this seems to be more important than the inscription on the ground itself. But the quality of the calligraphic rendering nevertheless stays the central point of the ongoing debate. The elderly people’s role of transmission is essential; kids are trained by their parents.

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A man in China doing some grounding calligraphy.

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A park in China where people have gathered to look at grounding calligraphy, almost like an exhibition.

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HEBREW SCRIPTS & LETTERING The original, old Hebrew script, known as the paleo-Hebrew alphabet, has been largely preserved in a variant form as the Samaritan alphabet.

Old Hebrew existed in inscription form in the early centuries of the 1st millennium BCE. The pen-written forms of the Old Hebrew alphabet are best preserved in the 13th-century-CE documents of the Samaritan sects. The exile suffered by the Israelites (586–538 BCE) dealt a heavy blow to the Hebrew language, since, after their return from exile, Aramaic was the dominant language of the area, and Hebrew existed as a second and scholarly language. Aramaic pen-written documents began to appear in the 5th century BCE and were vigorous interpretations of inscription letters. Typically, in the surviving documents, the pen was cut wide at the tip to produce a pronounced thick and thin structure to the line of letters. The writer’s hand was rotated counterclockwise more than 45 degrees relative to vertical, so that vertical strokes were thinner than

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the horizontal ones. There was a tendency to hold these strong horizontals on the top line, with trailing descenders finding a typical length, long or short on the basis of ancient habits. The lamed form, which has the same derivation as the Western L, resembles the latter and can be picked out in early Aramaic pen hands by its characteristic long ascender.

constant and practical need for script – for the interiors and exteriors of buildings, street and commercial signs and displays, for corporate identity design, book jackets, record covers, posters, garments, postage stamps and currency, degrees, awards and testimonials, gravestones, jewellery design, typography and the manifold visual aspects of simple everyday life.

Even before the days of printing, there were Hebrew scribes who specialized in calligraphy. Calligraphy, from the Greek kalli (beautiful) graphos (writing), is artistic writing for its own sake. The art was more important than the purpose, and certain kinds of books and shorter texts became popular subjects for calligraphic expression before and after the Renaissance. Hebrew calligraphy has numerous applications. In Israel, there are necessarily more and better-trained calligraphers because there is a natural,

The traditional square Hebrew, or merubba, pen hand was developed in the centuries preceding the Common Era. This early script may be seen in the famed Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947. These scrolls are associated with a group of dissident Jews who founded a religious commune on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea about 180 BCE. Pens were the instruments of writing, in these documents the lamed form remained visually prominent.

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ARABIC LETTERING Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting Arabic script in a fluid manner to convey harmony, grace and beauty. The practice, which can be passed down through formal and informal education, uses the twenty-eight letters of the Arabic alphabet, written in cursive, from right to left. Originally intended to make writing clear and legible, it gradually became an Islamic Arab art for traditional and modern works. The fluidity of Arabic script offers infinite possibilities, even within a single word, as letters can be stretched and transformed in numerous ways to create different motifs. Traditional techniques use natural materials, such as reeds and bamboo stems for the qalam, or writing instrument. A mixture of honey, black soot and saffron is used for the ink, and the paper is handmade and treated with starch, egg white and alum. Modern

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calligraphy commonly uses markers and synthetic paint, and spray paint is used for calligraffiti on walls, signs and buildings. Artisans and designers also use Arabic calligraphy for artistic enhancement, such as for marble and wood carving, embroidery and metal etching. Arabic calligraphy is widespread in Arab and non-Arab countries and is practised by people of all ages.

using the scripts that we’ll look at in this article. In order to understand how these scripts developed into the beautiful and complex shapes we know today, we have to understand the history of Arabic calligraphy.

Arabic calligraphy was originally a tool for communication, but with time, it began to be used in architecture, decoration and coin design. Its evolution into these major roles was a reflection of the early Muslims’ need to avoid, as their beliefs required, figures and pictorials that were used as idols before Islam was established in the Arabian Peninsula. While the Arabic tribes preferred to memorize texts and poetry, the first Muslims tried to document their holy book (Qur’an Kareem)

Over the course of their development, the Arabic scripts were created in different periods and locations of the expansive Islamic Empire. Understanding the history of each script and how Arabic calligraphy evolved over the history of the Islamic Empire can expand our visual experience beyond the beautiful glyphs and forms. Some scripts reflect the time period in which they developed, such as the Musand script, which emerged at an early stage in the history of Arabic calligraphy. Others provide geographical insight into where the artwork was developed, such as the Maghribi script, which distinguishes the artwork and inscriptions of northwest Africa.

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A man writes out traditional Arabic script

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Handwriting sample taken from Alison, aged 51. See page 84 for an analysis of the arches in letterforms.

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ANATOMY OF A LOVE LETTER Slanted handwriting. Writing behaves like the posture of our body before the presence of “the other”. When we find someone we like, we lean our body forward in order to say hello. On the other hand, if the person is a stranger or we do not like this person, we keep our posture vertical. Handwriting works the same way, expressing our greater or lesser predisposition for human contact. In Graphology, a right slanted handwriting means a person who will willingly express their self without any difficulty. They will think and respond from their heart and will establish an emotional connect with people almost instantly and easily. When you write love letters a desire to express your emotional state to the person you love is extremely high and therefore, you will notice a rightward slant in your handwriting. When

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you are writing a love letter you intend to subconsciously reflect your deepest emotional state of mind along with your sub-conscious personality. When you write a personal note to someone, not only do you express your feelings but also subconsciously imprint your emotional state on the paper. That is why the writing looks different when you write to someone you love and when you take notes in the classroom or any other context. A rightward slant together with rounded and graceful letters indicates initiative, an enterprising mind, sociability, and an expansive character with an interest in progress. Very large and rounded letters with a rightward slant betray a restrained impulse in the writer, and an impatient and unconcentrated nature. While this handwriting shows strong and passionate feelings, it may also indicate a thoughtless character.

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WRITING & RELATIONSHIPS If a relationship is to last, it is relevant to pay some attention to the question of suitability, to forewarn individuals whose marriage will certainly (or almost certainly) fail. Graphology is capable of providing prospective partners with a character portrait of each other. This will enable them to check their own impressions and expectations on the basis of an unbiased analysis. The most essential element for the successful survival of a relationship is harmony of objectives. This becomes increasingly evident once the first flush of love and romance has given way to the practical realities of running a home, raising a family and sustaining a relationship. The key to the question of compatibility lies not only in the form of attraction between a couple, but in the potential for two people to develop a sense of companionship and be able to tolerate

one another in the longer term, in a spirit of shared values and aims. A handwriting analysis compares the writing of the two individuals to see how well they are likely to get on together in the longer term. It particularly identifies how they communicate their feelings in relationships. It highlights both partners’ constraint and rapport, their energy levels and anxieties. The more personality traits that are uncovered, the more material there is with which to compare the two writers and estimate where problems are, or are more likely to appear, throughout the course of their relationship. Graphology is unique in its ability to ascertain such factors objectively. It can therefore help to establish whether the proposed match is likely to endure. Good graphologists are able to perceive the character structure of their subjects pretty accurately.

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HEALTH & HANDWRITING Health has a large effect of your handwriting. Two case studies show how this is the case.

When writers’ thoughts dwell on any part of the body, that concern is shown by the stress or emphasis in the corresponding area of the handwriting. The human body is represented in handwriting via the concept of the three zones: the top of the upper zone relates to the head, with the neck and shoulders just below; the upper spine, chest and abdomen are in the middle zone; the genitals, legs and feet form the lower zone of the body. Brain function has a crossover effect, so that injury to one side of the brain results in damage to the opposite side of the body. Similarly, a problem on the right side of the handwriting refers to the left side of the body, as viewed from the front. Illness is shown in the handwriting by certain changes in the script corresponding to the area of the body affected. These indications appear because writers want to indicate a problem.

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A small group of individuals who had experienced the trauma of cancer allowed me to examine samples of their handwriting at three stages: the pre-cancer period, during the illness itself, and when fully recovered or in remission. Although the group was small, some striking similarities were apparent.

letters correctly, resulting in a sudden upshot. The smooth transition from a downward to an upward stroke movement was completely missing. This departure from normal handwriting is caused by the writer’s inability to exert the fine muscle control required to corner smoothly and gradually.

The most significant similarity was a feature of stroke formation called segmentation, which was apparent in the majority of writings prior to and during the period of the cancer. Segmentation is caused by tiny tremors of the muscles used in writing, transposed into ‘up and down’ movements on the paper. This clearly distinguishes it from the signs of tremors, present in the writing of some elderly people, which produce a shake and maybe an early-warning sign of bad health. Another common factor prior to the diagnosis of cancer was an apparent inability to corner

Instead of gliding around the bend in forming the letter, the pen point appears to have been jerked upward, resulting in the sharp strike, which on the downward stroke appears to lose energy, resulting in a decrease in pressure. After recovering from the cancer, the writing returned to its normal curved formation and shape. This was the result for all of the partcipants that took part in the hand writing study. A further shared characteristic, as the cancer took hold, was that the lower-case letters became incomplete and broken.

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"There is evidence that traumatic experiences can permanently change peoples' handwriting." Physical weakness had caused the writing muscles to cease functioning momentarily before the letter could be completed. Instead of being able to produce a continuous movement, the writer had to tack on another stroke to completely finish off the letter. Ink trails are apparent at a number of points in the scripts. The trails are the result of a brief loss of strength where the writer felt insufficiently strong to lift the pen point from the page, instead letting it drop back to the paper momentarily. As the cancer took hold, the baseline of the letters in the sample handwritings became less stable and wavier. However, after having recovered, the patients’ baselines, without exception, returned to normal. It is extraordinary to contemplate how subtle

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and sensitive are the responses of the mind and body where brooding health troubles are concerned, manifesting themselves in minuscule aberrant movements of the hand in the process of writing. The significance is that handwriting provides a scaled-down version of an individual’s response to the demands of life. A weakness in the script is the first indication of a physical weakness. Unless this can be diagnosed and treated it will, in all probability, eventually be marked enough to appear in more obvious ways.

of their efforts and attention. The majority of the sample handwritings indicated that the writers were less at ease when facing problems outside their own close circle of friends or family. Their attachments ran deep and they would be courageous and tenacious in defending them and their beliefs.

It is important to distinguish between shortterm weakness, producing temporary changes in handwriting, and the more permanent indications, which warn of lasting health problems. Although handwriting can reveal early-warning signs, it does not provide a diagnosis and a doctor should always be consulted if you suspect something. In a separate case study a group of individuals who shared a traumatic experience were studied to see the difference in their writing. The group consisted of six men and six women who were all survivors of the Nazi concentration camps of the 1940s. They were all of a similar nature: people whose energy and determination had carried them through personal distress and anxiety and who, for the most part, were capable of pushing themselves to meet the challenges they faced.Their writings indicated that in their youth they were capable of sustained hours of work, giving a project 100 per cent

They all enjoyed the company of others, but felt a great need to withdraw periodically and have time to themselves, perhaps because of their experience in the Holocaust. They also tended to be quite conventional and felt inhibited about breaking free of established patterns of thought. One might conclude that this group had to have these shared characteristics and natures in order to survive. However, there is also evidence that their traumatic experiences changed their handwriting and that the altered script became their norm. When people have experienced a fundamental change in their lives, they will feel they have no alternative but to accept the new situation. This adaptation will become part of their personality as well as their handwriting. Some indications of health issues are as follows. Difficulty in making curves, with the resulting flattening of sides, top or bottom. Pointed loops of ovals. Uneven pressure or avoidance of pressure. Hesitation marks. Interruption and gaps in letters. Changes of direction. A sharp downward baseline. These adaptations can either depreciate over time or permanently alter their writing style.

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Glossary

GLOSSARY Alignment - The spatial organization of the writing on the page.

Direction - The way in which a line of writing proceeds - in the Western world, left to right.

Amplification - The enlarging of the letter forms more than normal.

Disconnected script - Writing in which the individual letters of a word are not joined by a connecting stroke, often called printscript.

Analysis - The graphological conclusions. Angular - A connective form, characterized by points on the change of direction in a letterform or connection. Arcade - A connection in the shape of an arch, closed at the top. Arrhythmic - Disturbed flow of the overall movement in the rhythmic quality of a handwriting, this is often linked with forgery. Baseline - The line, imaginary or actual, on which the writing rests

Dominant - One of the main characteristics in the writing analysed. Elaboration - Letterforms written in a fancy style, often tasteless. Evenness - Relating mainly to the regular formation of letters in a word, often similar to a typeface. Flourish - A fancy stroke, often in the initial or the signature; can also be at the beginning or end of a letter. Forged - Theft of a Signature.

Calligraphy - The art of beautiful writing Form - The shape of letters. Character trait - One facet of general attitude and behaviour. Covering stroke - A stroke which covers another, instead of opening out.

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Level - The overall appearance of a handwriting, the accent being on speed, spacing and the form of the letters; rhythm and originality are a prime factor.

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Glossary

Fullness - Describes letters in which more than normal space is evident, mainly in the loops.

Shading - The contrast between the down strokes and the up strokes in the handwriting.

Garland - A form of connection in which the letters 'n' and 'm' are open at the top, resembling 'u' and 'w'. Graphology - The study of handwriting to determine the character and personality of the writer. Initial stroke - Open stroke at the beginning of a letter, not always essential. Loop - Around or oval shape that curves around to cross itself; can be open.

Signature - A personal sign in whatever form it is manifested; it is a person's mark of recognition - not necessarily legible. Sign - A piece of writing, word or letter indicating a characteristic. Simplified - A piece of writing devoid of superfluous strokes; it must remain legible to be a positive indication. Slant - The inclination of writing - leftward, upright and rightward . Speed - The tempo of the writing movement.

Margin - The space left at the sides, top and bottom of a sheet of writing, acting as a frame. Positive - A characteristic which benefits the writer; an efficient indication PPI – The personal pronoun “I”. Pressure - The depth of the stroke, from which there would be an indentation on the reverse of the paper. Resting dot - A dot formed either by pressure or ink spread when the pen stops the writing movement, while still resting on the paper. Rhythm – The flow of the writing movement which gives life to the overall pattern.

Stroke – A single written line. Temperament - The writer's individual tendencies, relating to the emotions. Tension/release - The muscular action necessary to produce the arm, wrist and finger movements. Thread – A form of connection appearing as a slight wavy line, with no definition. Width - The distance between the strokes. Zones - The upper, middle and lower parts of a letter; the Western'f has all three zones in a single letter.

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Index

INDEX A address 80 age 34, 68 angles 53, 84 angular 84 anxiety 47, 88, 123, 127 Aramaic 102, 103 arcades 84 arch 84 art 25, 33, 41, 89, 92, 97 ascender 41, 103 B Barack Obama 49, 55 baseline 51, 127 Beijing 97 blackletter 78 blackmail 34 brain 33, 69, 77, 124 brush 93

children 26, 68, 69, 84 China 92 Chinese 92, 93, 97, 98 class 78, 79 cognitive 33 counterfeiters 37 court 37 crime 35 cursive 40, 78, 79 D descenders 41, 103 Diana 53 diplomatic 45 dishonesty 37 Di Shu 97 downward 40, 45, 55, 59, 125, 127 E experiment 83 ego 42, 45, 47, 64, 73

C F calligraphic 97, 98 calligraphy 17, 19, 33, 92, 93, 103 cancer 125 capital letters 55 characteristic 26, 29, 84, 126 childhood 42, 47, 71

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flourishes 41, 45, 79 forensic 35, 66 forged 37 France 67 François Chastanet 97

The Art of Handwriting

Index

left-handed 68, 69, 71 leftward 69, 71 legibility 77 legible 55, 69 length 75 letterforms 14 letters 20, 34, 41, 69, 73, 84, 98, 102, 110, 127 loops 73, 75, 89, 127 love letters 110

garland 84 gender 77 Germany 78 Gothic 78 graphologist 20, 21, 29, 31, 34, 40, 43, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71, 77, 83, 88, 123 graphology 20, 21, 25, 34, 37, 51, 66, 67, 71, 110, 123, 124 Greek 103 H Han dynasty 93 Harvard Medical School 69 health 124, 127 Hebrew 102, 103 Holocaust 127 I ideographs 13 illegible 45 illness 124 indecipherable 55 ink 126 inkstone 93 Israel 103 J

M margins 80 Marilyn Monroe 51 marriage 123 N New York 82 nutrition 88 P paraph 45, 46 pen 33, 89, 103, 125 penmanship 77, 78, 79 personality 20, 26, 40, 42, 45, 49, 55, 67, 71, 77, 80, 86, 110, 127 placement 55 pressure 37, 59, 75, 86, 87, 88, 89, 125, 127 printing press 78

joined letters 59 R L language 41, 76, 77, 102 large 55, 59, 76, 97 Latin 68, 98

relationship 47, 71, 123 Renaissance 103 right-handed 68, 69, 71 rightward 69, 110

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S science 21, 25 script 72, 73, 92, 102, 103, 127 sex 34, 68, 72, 75, 76, 87 Shang dynasty 93 shape 97, 125 short 55 signature 37, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47, 49, 55 size 59, 77, 80 slant 55, 59, 69, 70, 71, 110 smartphones 33, 78 spacing 59 stroke 37, 43, 45, 51, 64, 75, 80, 86, 98, 102, 125, 126 styles 79 T technology 33, 42 threads 84 trait 26,67 typography 16, 19, 103 U underlined 40, 55 upward 40, 59, 125 USA 69 W width 75 Z zone 41, 53, 75, 80, 124 Zones 72

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Index

The Art of Handwriting

References

REFERENCES http://www.handwritingpro.com/graphology.html http://www.handwritingpro.com/graphology.html http://www.handwritingpro.com/graphology.html https://www.britannica.com/topic/graphology https://www.handwriting-graphology.com/handwriting-analysis-chart/ https://www.jstor.org/stable/43429884 https://www.forensicrashmi.com/ https://www.exploreforensics.co.uk/forensic-graphology.html https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/forensic-investigation/ https://www.bulldogpi.org/handwriting-analysis-investigations/ https://medcraveonline.com/FRCIJ/ https://www.britishgraphology.org/ https://www.graphology.co.uk/ https://www.businessballs.com/graphology-handwriting-analysis/ https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/grounding-chinese-calligraphy/ https://www.britannica.com/art/calligraphy/Old-Hebrew https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/arabic-calligraphy-knowledge-skills http://www.handwritingpro.com/theory.html http://www.livia.etsmtl.ca/publications/2005/graphology.pdf http://www.livia.etsmtl.ca/publications/2005/graphology.pdf G. Thurman Lowe, Handwriting Analysis at-a-glance. Baltimore: I. & M. Ottenheimer, 1954, pp. 21-32; Hal Falcon, How to Analyze Handwriting. New York: Galahad Books, 1964, pp. 122-134; Andrea McNichol, Handwriting Analysis-Putting it to Work for You. Bangalore: Jaico Publishing House, 1992, pp. 200-201 Irene Marcuse, Guide to Personality Through Your Handwriting. New York: ARC Books, Inc., 1971, pp. 77-78

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Credits Design and Layout by Rebecca Blackmore Text by Rebecca Blackmore (Some text has been taken from various sources without the consent of the originals authors) Photographs and sample writings by Rebecca Blackmore Photographs in 'The Origins' and 'Languages' taken by Unknown Photographers unless otherwise noted. Letters in 'Relationships' from The Postal Musuem With thanks to Janet Bultitude from The British Institute of Graphologists Typefaces Body Text: Degular Text Headings: Roxborough CF Title Pages: Handwriting samples Paper 148 gsm Mohawk Superfine from G.F Smith 135 gsm G.F Smith Colourplan in Vermillion Printed in UWE Bower Ashton UWE Graphic Design 2022