If you’ve been following me here at the Happy Hands Project, you probably know that I’ve spent years learning and practicing Copperplate, Spencerian, and brush lettering. But lately, I’ve been feeling the itch to step out of my comfort zone and explore other styles of calligraphy. I started my broad pen journey with Uncials, and ever since, French Roundhand (also known as Ronde, which means ’round’ in French) has been at the very top of my calligraphy bucket list.I was so so excited when day two of the Manila Pen Show 2026 lined up perfectly with a 2-hour French Roundhand capsule workshop!
The class was taught by Eun Bautista, and it was exactly what I needed. Here is a little recap of my experience learning this script and why you should consider adding it to your calligraphy repertoire.
For those unfamiliar with French Roundhand, it’s a classic script that originated in France which is known for its heavy strokes that are nearly upright, giving the characters when taken together a round look. It features a unique combination of heavy vertical strokes and delicate hairlines, written at a specific pen angle. It has a beautiful, rhythmic geometry to it that feels both vintage and modern.
The workshop was focused on French Roundhand capitals, but instead of just writing uppercase letters, we also learned to write full words. This meant we were treated to a bonus lesson on lowercase letters, too! It was the perfect way to see how the script flows together. And it flows together really well.
Upon arriving at my seat, I was greeted with a kit with custom handouts, practice grid sheets, a broad pen, and a vial of ink from Vinta Inks (yay!). I always appreciate a well thought out calligraphy handout. Everything a beginner needs to master the basics of Ronde was packed into those pages, making it a good reference guide that I know I will return to every time I practice.
We kicked off the class by warming up with foundational drills and repetitive geometric patterns. These initial drills were crucial for getting my hand used to the orientation of the nib. Because I was used to flex nibs, I kept putting pressure on the downstrokes, which was unnecessary. That’s the part that I needed to work on. Once our muscles were warmed up, we dove into the capital letters one by one. To keep things engaging, Eun had us write words starting with whatever capital letter we were currently practicing. It kept the momentum going and stopped our hands from cramping up from repetitive letter forms (but since I kept pressing the pen, my hand cramped anyway).
Halfway through the class, I pulled out a couple of pens that I brought along with me to see how they handled the script. Experimenting with different nib widths on the spot was so much fun!
Overall, Eun’s workshop was a fun experience. It was the perfect introductory “taster” session, no pressure to make perfect letterforms, making it incredibly approachable for students who literally have zero experience with French Roundhand. I left the workshop feeling inspired and, honestly, a bit eager to write a lot more in my studio. It gave me the foundational confidence I needed to keep practicing and exploring French Roundhand at home.
After the workshop wrapped up, I packed up my new ink and handouts and set off to roam the rest of the Manila Pen Show. Surrounded by beautiful stationery, incredible pens, and fellow ink lovers, it was a perfect day. You can read about my recap of the Manila Pen Show 2026 here.
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