Learning Copperplate...

[ru32day]

Hi Salman - thanks to your tip my s's are improving - nowhere near as nice as yours, but much better than they were before. Thanks

[smk]

Hi Salman - thanks to your tip my s's are improving - nowhere near as nice as yours, but much better than they were before. Thanks

 

Thats great :clap1:

 

I still have a ways to go in making the letters perfectly. I do get lucky from time to time. The shaded stroke is based on the Madarasz 's' as shown in Dr. Vitolo's videos. The first part, including the blob, is from the lessons by W.A. Baird. Interestingly the Baird instruction states that the 's' is likely to be harder to learn than the others.

 

How about posting a scan of your practice sheet.

 

Regards,

Salman

[fuchsiaprincess]

I have been prolific

http://i1027.photobucket.com/albums/y331/fuchsiaprincess/Penman3.jpg

http://i1027.photobucket.com/albums/y331/fuchsiaprincess/Penman2.jpg

http://i1027.photobucket.com/albums/y331/fuchsiaprincess/Penman1.jpg

[smk]

Soki - the fluency in your script is clearly visible. Your practice is paying dividends.

 

I have copied a passage from TUP but found it hard work. The constant stopping to look at the different styles kept interrupting any rhythm I managed to develop. This is clearly visible in my attempt below. I really blew it on the flourishes - a second attempt would have resulted in a much better copy but since this is a learning thread I thought I'll share the initial attempt to begin with. I'll probably do another one in a day or two.

 

 

S.

[Mickey]

Okay, you've got me hooked, and, probably, she-who-must-be-obeyed, as well. (I had to order her her own holder [blackwell} and stash of nibs.) I bought a copy of "The Universal Penman" and have been spending entirely too much time on the IAMPETH website. This may be more addictive than FPs.

 

I've been using pointed nibs for about a month and an oblique holder for the last couple of weeks, but not for Copperplate or Spencerian, just for my day to day writing, which amounts to 4-5 hours a day (writing a novel). Now, I've decided to begin my day with a careful half hour Copperplate practice session before getting down to my usual grind. I'm probably cementing some bad habits with the long writing sessions, but I am rapidly getting comfortable with the equipment.

 

To keep the two types of sessions as different as possible, I use a Nikko G for my writing and a Brause EF66 for my Copperplate exercises. Already there seems to be a small improvement in my daily grind, so something is working.

Edited April 14, 2011 by Mickey

[Ghost Plane]

Love the teal ink. Can see the pauses to check the source in both Soki and Salman's samples, but suspect they'd be much smoother if there wasn't so much back and forth head/eye movement.

 

Salman, I wonder if you'd be as conscious of the flourishes if you couldn't see the original to compare yours against? Looks quite nice coming in "cold" as a viewer.

[fuchsiaprincess]

Yes, pausing and attempting to copy everything verbatim from The Universal Penman is hard work

 

I think it would be much easier if we just wrote our own version of Copperplate and drew our own flourishes. However, we're not in it for the ease, aren't we :roflmho:

[Dueller]

Just signed in after a bit of an absence. Everyone is getting really good and it makes me want to get my pens out of storage but i will have to wait a bit longer before that happens. Will check in every time i get the chance. Keep up the good work.

 

Lee

[smk]

Okay, you've got me hooked, and, probably, she-who-must-be-obeyed, as well. (I had to order her her own holder [blackwell} and stash of nibs.) I bought a copy of "The Universal Penman" and have been spending entirely too much time on the IAMPETH website. This may be more addictive than FPs.

 

This is great news. We'll be looking forward to your work as you progress through the lessons.

 

Have you narrowed down your instruction set? I found that initially I was looking at too many resources, which was a lot of fun but I made steady progress after I focussed on one set of instructions (W.A. Baird on IAMPETH.com). After I had the basics I started copying from the videos by Dr. Vitolo (also on IAMPETH.com). I am practicing majuscules with Dr. Vitolo's videos these days.

 

Its great to have you on board - and you're lucky that the Mrs. is in on it too.

 

Love the teal ink.

 

Salman, I wonder if you'd be as conscious of the flourishes if you couldn't see the original to compare yours against? Looks quite nice coming in "cold" as a viewer.

 

Me too - Soki always uses lovely inks.

 

The flourishes aren't that much off except the one immediately after 'view' but they are not fluid at all and thats what I was trying to achieve with them.

 

I think it would be much easier if we just wrote our own version of Copperplate and drew our own flourishes. However, we're not in it for the ease, aren't we :roflmho:

 

Yup - you summed it up. Anyone attempting to learn Copperplate is definitely not in it for the ease of learning.

 

Just signed in after a bit of an absence. Everyone is getting really good and it makes me want to get my pens out of storage but i will have to wait a bit longer before that happens. Will check in every time i get the chance. Keep up the good work.

 

Lee

 

Great to hear from you - we seem to have lost a few buddies along the way. Will be looking forward to your contribution, hopefully sooner than later.

 

Salman

[Mickey]

Okay, you've got me hooked, and, probably, she-who-must-be-obeyed, as well. (I had to order her her own holder [blackwell} and stash of nibs.) I bought a copy of "The Universal Penman" and have been spending entirely too much time on the IAMPETH website. This may be more addictive than FPs.

 

This is great news. We'll be looking forward to your work as you progress through the lessons.

 

Have you narrowed down your instruction set? I found that initially I was looking at too many resources, which was a lot of fun but I made steady progress after I focussed on one set of instructions (W.A. Baird on IAMPETH.com). After I had the basics I started copying from the videos by Dr. Vitolo (also on IAMPETH.com). I am practicing majuscules with Dr. Vitolo's videos these days.

 

 

Thanks for the welcome. For now, I'm limiting my practice to the basic shapes and the minuscules, since that gives me maximum carry over to my real-work writing. (If I post anything soon, it will likely be from e. e. cummings.) I'm using Dr. Vitolo's videos for guidance on general forms and practices.

 

My new holder arrived today, an Hourglass Adjustable from Pen and Ink. The next hour or so will be devoted to ovals and such as I get used to it. She-who-must-be-obeyed gets the Blackwell, which suits her well.

[Dueller]

Lee

 

Great to hear from you - we seem to have lost a few buddies along the way. Will be looking forward to your contribution, hopefully sooner than later.

 

Salman

 

Will keep checking in when i get the chance. We have sold our house in the UK and all our "stuff" is in storage untill we can finish buying a farmhouse in France. It's got a bit complicated but nothing bad, it will just take a bit longer than expected, so i might have a couple of months living in a caravan.

 

Lee

[fuchsiaprincess]

Hi Lee,

 

Wow! What an amazing adventure!

 

Take care and enjoy the experience!

 

Warm regards,

Soki

[Ghost Plane]

What fun! The transition time always makes me appreciate my new home that much more. We want pictures when you settle.

[Wickwack]

Guess I'm not the only one in transition - we're about to put our house on the market too to move out west, hopefully this fall.

I check in almost daily (who am I kidding, I check in multiple times daily.....) and LOVE to see Salman & Soki's postings

Anyone interested in buying a house on Cape Cod in MA???

 

Rhea (wick)

[smk]

Rhea and Lee - best of luck with your moves.

 

Lee - I once saw a documentary about a couple that did exactly what you are doing and remember thinking how much fun it must be to be able to do something like that - even though it may not feel like it at times but you are living what many dream of.

 

I have done the piece from The Universal Penman again to see if I was more fluid this time. Here's the result:

 

 

I should've kept at least the left side properly aligned but I was too focused on getting the letters right.

 

I think I'll stick to the Majuscules practice now - will post a complete set next I think.

 

How about we write our FPN usernames in Copperplate next? Go wild, add flourishes, do different scripts - anything goes. Who's in?

 

Salman

[Wickwack]

Great idea!!! :meow:

[fuchsiaprincess]

That is a brilliant idea, Salman! By the way, are you still using the walnut crystals? Your ink looks more red than usual. It is beautiful! Needless to say, so is the penmanship

 

Whipped something up quickly today :

http://i1027.photobucket.com/albums/y331/fuchsiaprincess/Jesus1.jpg

[Ghost Plane]

Pretty! Is it me, or do the "e" in permit and separate look a little small compared to the rest?

 

Very consistent rhythm

[Wickwack]

I just got some J. Herbin calligraphy inks in the mail today. Wow, calligraphy ink really does work much better than FP ink! I'll post a photo soon.

However, I just found out it's not water washable.... I had some Fantastic w/bleach that worked but what do you normally use to clean your nibs between colors?

 

Rhea

[Mickey]

I just got some J. Herbin calligraphy inks in the mail today. Wow, calligraphy ink really does work much better than FP ink! I'll post a photo soon.

However, I just found out it's not water washable.... I had some Fantastic w/bleach that worked but what do you normally use to clean your nibs between colors?

 

Rhea

 

I use Sumi inks or iron gall. The Sumi inks are water soluble until dry, so I keep a glass of water nearby and if I stop writing for more than a couple of minutes, I'll put the pen in the water. I also dunk (of wipe down) the pen periodically so that the ink doesn't start to dry out or thicken up while I'm writing and change the characteristics of the nib. For stubborn gunk, I use inkjet print-head cleaner. I don't know what's in it (probably isopropyl alcohol), but it seems to work.

 

For the ink gall, I use very dilute ammonia and water or Windex. Again, I keep a glass of water handy while writing and try not to let the ink dry out on the nib. (I use McCaffery iron gall: great stuff for teeny tiny hairlines. Just remember, this stuff is eventually going to eat your nibs, but the performance justifies the slightly added expense.)

 

For acrylic based inks, I believe isopropyl alcohol or acetone works.

 

The day before yesterday, I accidentally dunked my pen in a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Bummer.