the Reference Line

The baseline (or "reference line") is the imaginary line where most letters sit. This figure shows, in pink, the baseline of Roman writing.

the Space Between Lines

Now take a sheet of grid paper, and draw some red lines on it (we'll use them to write Arabic on). Draw them in red pencil. When you're done, read below.

All set?

OK, now count how many squares you've left between one red line and the next.

You left two or three squares, didn't you? Most people do that, instinctively. But, sadly, to learn to write Arabic we're going to need at least FIVE squares between lines (we are going to write BIG). Most of the letters will fit inside an area two squares high, but a few will hang below that, or escape above, so we must make sure we leave enough space for everything.

Most of the figures in this web have four blue lines. The baseline is the third one from the top. Remember this, because I'm going to say "start this stroke at the baseline" or "then go back up to the baseline" an awful lot of times. If you were to ignore these guidelines, your handwriting might end up looking like this:

the Direction of Writing

If you started a new notebook for your Arabic practice (didn't I say above "take a sheet", just one?), look at it again. You drew the red lines on the leftmost page, didn't you? News for you: that's the last page! Always think right to left.

Now, you'll have to erase them red lines and draw them again on the first page of the notebook (or simply turn it upside down).

the Kind of Handwriting You'll Find in This Website

The picture gives a rough idea of how Arabs see the Arabic letters of this website. They look kinda childish. Pretty lame, for sure. And, of course, nobody really writes like that. However, these are the kinds of models you should copy. Unlike most handwriting, they are very readable, and unlike most typed matter, they are easy enough to copy.

Your "adult handwriting" will grow by itself in due time, hopefully after you've seen a lot of samples of handwritten Arabic and when you have many options to choose from.

Copyright (c) 2001-2009 Jordi Mas Trullenque.
email: jordimastrullenque at gmail dot com
http://purl.oclc.org/net/arabe/linearefxzx.en.html
Last revised: 2006-04-25

straight strokes

Drawing the Letters

writing_arabic -> the Reference Line