Character size

[Shelley]

When practicing writing characters what size "font" would anyone recommend, a slightly larger than normal handwriting or try straight off with standard size for normal handwriting?

 

I am torn between larger more legible, neater writing or real world writing slightly smaller, that is not so neat and does not always stay between the lines.

 

Also how would you recommend using lined paper? A fellow classmate years ago used to write in the space but not on the line and then leave a whole space between. so rather than using the lines think of it more as using the spaces. this looked good and seem to be better for characters.

 

What paper would be good for learners standard lined paper or squared paper?

 

If I start with larger characters, will I be able to scale it down to normal handwriting size later?

 

I have been using Hanzi Grids with great success for practice but when I want to write a letter, story or text from my textbook I don't know what to do for the best results.

 

 

[oceancalligraphy]

I think it's better to start with larger size writing in grids. This way it's neat and proportioned. Once you have a handle on the proportions, it's easier to shrink it down.

 

I'm not familiar with Hanzi Grids, so I don't know what size grid is used. I generated my own grid paper before based on what I remember from school. The grid size for lower elementary was roughly 1.5 cm by 1.5 cm. Then in upper elementary the grids were roughly 1 cm by 1 cm. If you want to see examples, I have a blog post with the grid paper. In school we always used grid papers in exams and essays.

 

Now, I use notebooks with lined paper and I write in the space. You can pretend there's invisible lines on the left and right to make up a square to write a character.

 

If the paper had lines spaced

 

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then I would imagine vertical lines

 

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to space out the characters.

 

At some point you'll get the handle on spacing and will just be able to write neatly without having to space it out evenly.

[imron]

I'm not familiar with Hanzi Grids, so I don't know what size grid is used

It's completely customisable.  Just drag the slider to get a grid size you like.

 

In terms of which size is better, why not have multiple sizes - one slightly larger to help with clarity and one slightly smaller to develop fine motor skills.

 

If you're writing a letter, you could always do what I used to do as a child when writing on unlined paper - put a backing sheet behind the page with lines that will show through.  The more you practise the more you'll get a feel for what is correct and you can gradually transition away from the backing sheet.

[Basil]

Hanzi grids are the way to go.

[Shelley]

Ok glad to know that using larger grids is not going to be a problem when later i want to scale it down.

 

I completely forgot about scaling in Hanzi Grids, doh, I suppose it is one of the added things you get when you pay, which I did a couple of weeks ago and have not worked out all the things I can do now, I suppose I can do the same set of characters in more than one size and scale down that way.

 

And yes yst I will practice with lined paper as you suggest, sounds pretty much how I described a classmates use of lined paper.

 

yst you should give Hanzi Grids a look, there is trial version without full functionality but it gives you a good idea of what it can do. See the link at the bottom of imron's post.

[imron]

Nope, scaling has always been free. Paid users get access to handwriting fonts (which cost money to license) and different grid backgrounds.

[Shelley]

oh ok my mistake, thanks for the info imron.

 

I am going to have a good look at the different parameters that Hanzi Grids has to offer.