If you find a good example of handwriting you like online, print it out onto a sheet of regular printer paper. Historical documents with decorative handwriting can be found many places online, and copies of documents can be found at museums and national parks for purchase.
Architect Tables are desks with internal light sources that light your documents from below as you work on them. Light boxes are usually made of wood, with a white plastic top and an internal light source. They are usually small enough to place on top of a desk or table to use in the same way as an architect table. Windows can suffice if you don’t mind writing with your documents upright instead of flat on a table. Simply tape your original to the window, then place your blank piece of paper over the original on the window. Pencils work better than pens when using this method.
Once you have traced the entire document, use a new blank sheet of paper to keep practicing. Choose individual letters or words to trace for practice or trace the entire document. Choosing a document that uses all of the letters in the alphabet will ensure you can capture how each letter is formed.
When you forget how to properly shape a letter, refer to the original document as a refresher. Form new words so you are not getting too caught up in copying the content of the source. Keep practicing or go back to tracing until you have mastered the style.
You may be able to scan a document and then blow up the image with your computer. The more space between letters and words, the easier it will be to identify the different letters and how they are drawn.
Recreate each letter individually with a particular focus on the separate elements of the letter. Tails or serifs, for instance, can change the shape of a letter through the use of decorative additions. Focus on creating one letter at a time until you have mastered it.
Look at the source document as often as you look at your sheet to ensure that the way you are writing matches what you are copying. Eventually move on to just keeping the source document close by as a reference, once you have a better grasp of the style.
Use the source document as a reference to better understand proper spacing within your writing. Identify letters you struggle with and go back to practicing their individual elements while analyzing the source document.
