Oblique Pen Holder

The script lettering in Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara was made by hand with a steel dip pen. 

The style of lettering is based on the roundhand scripts of the late 18th century, which were written with a goose quill. The standard reference examples for these forms were engraved in copper plates, giving the style the general name “Copperplate.”

The strokes have a strong slant, and they’re thicker on the downstroke. This requires heavier pressure as you pull the pen toward you. These heavier strokes are called “shades,” so this type of lettering is also called a “shaded script.”

Because of the variation in pen pressure, it’s slower to construct than the later American “Spencerian” and “Palmer” script styles, which are relatively less shaded.


To be able to control the pressure—and therefore the spread of the nib—a such an extreme slope, a right-hander like me needs an oblique or “offset” pen holder, also called an “elbow pen.” The cheap plastic pen holders work perfectly well, but I prefer the one at right, which I carved from a small sapling to custom-fit my fingers.

Lots of pen supplies at John Neal Books
Speedball Oblique Pen Holder
Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara
Previously: By Hand or By Mouse