Learning Copperplate...

[jeremiah.l.burns]

They all sound adorable...! Belle looks like a white lab with a thick, fluffy neck until you hold up the tops of her ears to make them stand upright. Then you go, "Oh! Husky!" You can see them both here:

https://goo.gl/photos/ijG2st5xgsQaEJeb7

Edited March 16, 2018 by jeremiah.l.burns

[gshillitani]

That was a very pleasant way to spend an hour You're quite the accomplished photographer, I see! The area where you live is beautiful. I'm a city dweller and there just aren't many places like that around here - not to mention the subtropical climate, so the trees and plants we have are very different and there's a distinct lack of seasonal changes.

 

I think stuffed toy evisceration and carrying plastic bottles are universal dog traits One of ours has a plastic water bottle he brings me when he really, really wants something

[gshillitani]

Haven't gotten very far with practice lately, but I did make a really pretty ink and wrote very poorly in it. I also hacked together a way to use a pencil in an oblique holder. I wrote very badly with that also

 

I know it's a bit off topic, but I plan to make other inks to use when I can write decently in copperplate

 

ETA the sparkle of the mica does not show up at all in the photo, so you'll have to trust me that it's super sparkly LOL

Edited March 19, 2018 by GinaS

[jeremiah.l.burns]

That was a very pleasant way to spend an hour You're quite the accomplished photographer, I see! The area where you live is beautiful. I'm a city dweller and there just aren't many places like that around here - not to mention the subtropical climate, so the trees and plants we have are very different and there's a distinct lack of seasonal changes.

 

I think stuffed toy evisceration and carrying plastic bottles are universal dog traits One of ours has a plastic water bottle he brings me when he really, really wants something

Haha, thanks for the kind words. Not overly accomplished, really. But I do like to dabble a bit. I don't get out with my camera nearly as often as I'd like these days.

 

Yes, it's lovely around here. It's a nice neighbourhood with good neighbours (very important!) and it's got a lot of park land and farmer's fields surrounding. Sadly, they're trying to develop on the parkland...right where I walk the dogs...to turn it into about 200 homes. Really hope that doesn't happen.

 

Not sure if you've been here. But the climate is generally mild. We get a lot of wind and rain, but very little in the way of snow and frost (though we had some really cold spells these last two months and I had to go unfreeze pipes!

It's very different from where I originate ... Michigan! :-)

 

We've been to Florida twice. Did the whole WDW thing. Can't wait to go back. Lovely weather the whole time we were there, except for one night where we had a thunderstorm (which I actually enjoy...we don't get them in the UK and I miss them.)

 

Actually, that's a picture I'm particularly proud of!

 

And yes, gutted toys are the absolute best thing ever (apparently...if you're a dog.) :-D

 

Haven't gotten very far with practice lately, but I did make a really pretty ink and wrote very poorly in it. I also hacked together a way to use a pencil in an oblique holder. I wrote very badly with that also

 

I know it's a bit off topic, but I plan to make other inks to use when I can write decently in copperplate

 

ETA the sparkle of the mica does not show up at all in the photo, so you'll have to trust me that it's super sparkly LOL

Don't be too hard on yourself! Remember that you're recovering! Great job jumping back into things!

 

I saw some inks at the local hobby store this weekend and got all excited. Might have to go have a play when I've got some pocket money again. :-)

 

I did a practice session last night too.

 

I think I've been pressing too hard on my shades. I'm going to try to lighten my stroke...but not too much, as the whole point is contrast with the hairlines.

[gshillitani]

 

>Not sure if you've been here. But the climate is generally mild. We get a lot of wind and rain, but very little in the way of snow and frost (though we had some really cold spells these last two months and I had to go unfreeze pipes!

It's very different from where I originate ... Michigan! :-)

 

I lived in Ann Arbor for a few years, I loved it there! Unfortunately I've spent most of my life in Florida - heat and I are not friends. How does that saying go? Nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there? LOL

 

I've never been to Europe, and I don't see it happening for me. I'd love to go, but my goal would be visiting textile related places in addition to/instead of the usual touristy stuff; places with bobbin lace history like Bedfordshire, Honiton, Torchon, Duchesse, and many more. I'd like to visit historic wool areas, like the Shetland islands, the Harris Tweed weaving setup in Scotland, historic spinning areas... the historic knitting locations... embroidered tapestries like the Bayeux... I'd love to visit the V & A for the same reasons. I'd start in NL and work my way down to Spain Way more than you wanted to know about my other hobbies, eh?

 

Beautiful photo - there are thunderstorms nearly every day in the summer, and hurricane season goes from June 1 to November 30 (yes, six months out of the year). The storms are beautiful though.

 

>I think I've been pressing too hard on my shades. I'm going to try to lighten my stroke...but not too much, as the whole point is contrast with the hairlines.

 

I do the same thing. I'm pretty sure it's a common problem because so many resources online and in books recommend the Nikko and Zebra G nibs due to their resistance to being sprung by heavy handed calligraphers I may try to get some practice in later today - wish me luck!

 

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Good luck! :-)

 

And no, it's nice to get to know a bit more about someone's hobbies. I did a bit of knitting myself a few years ago. I wanted a copy of Tom Baker's immense scarf from his stint as Doctor Who. And you can buy cheap replicas easily enough, or you can spend a little (or a lot) more to have someone knit you a stitch-for-stitch copy of the real thing.

 

But that's too simple. So I taught myself to knit and made one myself. It took me about 3½ months, but it's mine! It's a stitch-by-stitch copy of the scarf's first appearance. Even the odd colour-changes on the backside, where you can see 5 or 6 stitches of the old colour blending into the new colour is screen-accurate. My yarn colour-choices could be improved if I ever make a second one. But I'm so happy with it.

 

Over the years, the scarf was altered, mended, and actually made significantly LONGER than this.

 

Unfortunately, one of the dogs jumped up on me last week to say "hello" and I've ended up with an issue...I need to figure out if this is fixable.

 

But enough about that! Interesting you say that about the Zebra G, because I've heard the same said of the Principal EF...but for the opposite reason. Apparently, it's much more flexible, and thus encourages a lighter hand. If my new oblique shows up or if I get around to finishing my own pen holder, I'll know for sure. :-)

[gshillitani]

Good luck! :-)

 

But that's too simple. So I taught myself to knit and made one myself.

Over the years, the scarf was altered, mended, and actually made significantly LONGER than this.

 

I love it!! LOL you sound like me - why buy something when you can spend a lot of time and money making it yourself It's true though that you have a lot better quality, not to mention your own design decisions, when you make things yourself. I'm a heathen though - I've never seen Dr. Who *gasp*

 

Unfortunately, one of the dogs jumped up on me last week to say "hello" and I've ended up with an issue...I need to figure out if this is fixable.

That is absolutely fixable! What you have to do is ease the stitches back into place bit by bit. Let me see if I can find a better example than me trying to explain it... here we go https://lifehacker.com/fix-a-snagged-sweater-by-pulling-the-yarn-back-in-1741108747

 

I never did get any practice done yesterday, I got lured in by the urge to try making ink from various things I had around the house. Make all the shiny!

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/757ogqwphw7c1nt/AAAIRzD3O3WaoyF1a91xiGQLa?dl=0

 

 

[jeremiah.l.burns]

In honour of Tolkien Reading Day. This year's theme was hearth and home.

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Thank you for the tip, Gina! I'll give it a shot!

[gshillitani]

Thank you for the tip, Gina! I'll give it a shot!

 

Let me know how it goes

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Hello everyone,

Since I only have a straight holder I haven't made much progress in learning Copperplate. I keep my A4 paper horizontal, which is very awkward and uncomfortable for me, and with Clairefontaine paper it's almost impossible to see the guidelines, so I mess up constantly.

 

In contrast, faux calligraphy (so using fountain pens) seems to progress, even if by baby steps. I keep the guidelines nearby and keeping the paper itself straight (meaning vertically) is helping me. Or maybe this is just my impression, I don't know. Anyway, I prefer this way.

 

Thanks to everybody in this thread for the inspiration and indirect support. The image below is one of my most recent exercises. Please note that this is a picture, so the angle of the letters is not right, I'll upload the scan soon.

 

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Hey RBN! Happy to have someone else on-board! Your forms are looking (to my novice eye) like they're on the right track. Lovely forms. I wish I could get my tops as square as you seem to be!

 

I'd focus on your angles. You're not quite steep enough. You look to be approaching the right angle in some places (your ascender in "d" - "dare", for example), but other places you're not steep enough (your "t" ascenders...your "r" shades".

 

Through a combination of man-flu and a chaotic week with home life, I've not managed solid practice for near enough a week now. Poor excuse. I need to *make* the time. I'm desperate to sit down with the pen. I think I'll have time this afternoon. No after-school clubs for my daughter, chilli is already in the slow-cooker for dinner...I can just relax.

 

I've seen Salman's newest video on the first group of letters, posted this week on YouTube. I'll be focusing on those in tonight's session.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Hey RBN! Happy to have someone else on-board! Your forms are looking (to my novice eye) like they're on the right track. Lovely forms. I wish I could get my tops as square as you seem to be!

 

I'd focus on your angles. You're not quite steep enough. You look to be approaching the right angle in some places (your ascender in "d" - "dare", for example), but other places you're not steep enough (your "t" ascenders...your "r" shades".

Thank you so much for the feedback. This picture shows a strange angle, below is the scan.

 

 

Also there seems to have been a misunderstanding, this is FAUX CALLIGRAPHY, not proper calligraphy, I trace the lines with fountain pens. My calligraphy exercises are way too ugly to be shared, I'm deeply ashamed of them.

Perhaps using a straight holder doesn't agree with me, I ought to buy an oblique one.

 

Another faux calligraphy exercise I did for the Quote of the Week thread:

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Yay! More examples!

 

this is FAUX CALLIGRAPHY, not proper calligraphy, I trace the lines with fountain pens. My calligraphy exercises are way too ugly to be shared, I'm deeply ashamed of them.

Perhaps using a straight holder doesn't agree with me, I ought to buy an oblique one.

I wasn't sure I was understanding what you meant by FAUX calligraphy. So I jumped in my Googlemobile. Is this what you mean?

 

If so, I can see it being a potentially great way to learn and memorise the letterforms in terms of basic shape and structure. But I bet your calligraphy isn't as bad as you think.

 

The angles still look shallow. For copperplate, I'd go steeper.

 

If you're thinking about dipping (ha! get it?) back into 'traditional' copperplate, and so thinking of changing your pen holder, can I ask: are you right- or left-handed? Lefties generally do better with straight pen holders (or so I believe!).

 

I actually just received my new pen holder today which I've been waiting on. It was only £4.99 (including UK delivery) and feels remarkably solid (weighs in at 21g (including Principal EF nib) vs the 8g (including Gillott 303 nib) of my plastic Speedball oblique holder). I don't yet know if the extra weight is a good or bad thing.

 

Looking forward to trying out the Principal EF nibs at last. Though I understand they take getting used to so it may well be 1 step forward, 2 steps back.

 

 

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Yay! More examples!

 

I wasn't sure I was understanding what you meant by FAUX calligraphy. So I jumped in my Googlemobile. Is this what you mean?

 

If so, I can see it being a potentially great way to learn and memorise the letterforms in terms of basic shape and structure. But I bet your calligraphy isn't as bad as you think.

 

The angles still look shallow. For copperplate, I'd go steeper.

 

If you're thinking about dipping (ha! get it?) back into 'traditional' copperplate, and so thinking of changing your pen holder, can I ask: are you right- or left-handed? Lefties generally do better with straight pen holders (or so I believe!).

 

I actually just received my new pen holder today which I've been waiting on. It was only £4.99 (including UK delivery) and feels remarkably solid (weighs in at 21g (including Principal EF nib) vs the 8g (including Gillott 303 nib) of my plastic Speedball oblique holder). I don't yet know if the extra weight is a good or bad thing.

 

Looking forward to trying out the Principal EF nibs at last. Though I understand they take getting used to so it may well be 1 step forward, 2 steps back.

Excuse me, I should have used a link. Yes, that's faux calligraphy. I was getting discouraged with my first forays into Copperplate, so I asked around, in calligraphy Youtube channels and instagram profiles mainly, and I've received suggestions to try faux calligraphy and get used to the strokes and angle with an instrument that I had already practice with, meaning the fountain pen.

 

I do still practice with the pen holder, at least twice a week, but you'll get how bad it is once I scan something. I'll do it later today or tomorrow, once I retrieve a recent exercise.

 

The angle is tricky isn't it? Every time on the downstroke I need to remind myself to go steeper. It's part of the fun now that I use fountain pens.

 

I'm right-handed and I'm thinking of buying a holder just like yours, a simple one to start with.

 

Also, I adore your desk! The ancient kings, Minas Tirith, the walnut ink, Captain America, and the gorgeous windowed pocket watch. Be still my heart.

 

EDIT: This is my holder. I found in a local shop in a big city nearby. I don't use the grip though, I grip it very near the nib.

 

Edited March 28, 2018 by RoyalBlueNotebooks

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Excuse me, I should have used a link. Yes, that's faux calligraphy. I was getting discouraged with my first forays into Copperplate, so I asked around, in calligraphy Youtube channels and instagram profiles mainly, and I've received suggestions to try faux calligraphy and get used to the strokes and angle with an instrument that I had already practice with, meaning the fountain pen.

 

I do still practice with the pen holder, at least twice a week, but you'll get how bad it is once I scan something. I'll do it later today or tomorrow, once I retrieve a recent exercise.

 

The angle is tricky isn't it? Every time on the downstroke I need to remind myself to go steeper. It's part of the fun now that I use fountain pens.

 

I'm right-handed and I'm thinking of buying a holder just like yours, a simple one to start with.

 

Also, I adore your desk! The ancient kings, Minas Tirith, the walnut ink, Captain America, and the gorgeous windowed pocket watch. Be still my heart.

 

EDIT: This is my holder. I found in a local shop in a big city nearby. I don't use the grip though, I grip it very near the nib.

 

 

I look forward to seeing it! I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. We all start off looking terrible and we're always our own worst critics because we compare ourselves to where we want to be rather than where we came from. :-)

 

I think you said you may be trying some new paper soon? That could help with the angles. Either print the guides directly on the paper (as I do for most of my practice work) or, if the paper is suitable, you can sometimes see the guides through the paper. The trick is balancing a paper with a high enough weight (90-100gsm) whilst still being thin enough you can see through it!

 

And if you're right-handed, you should definitely notice a difference in achieving that steeper angle if you switch to an oblique holder. Just make sure whatever you buy accommodates your preferred nib ... or else you'll end up in the same boat I just got out of (my black plastic Speedball didn't take Principal EFs).

 

And thanks! I like my desk too! It's good to have a space in which you like to write.

 

Here's a better shot. The desk isn't much...just an old, cheap computer desk, really. I'd like to replace it with a writing bureau with lots of cubbies, drawers, and shelves for all the inks, pens, and paper (to say nothing of the geek paraphernalia....though I don't know how the Millennium Falcon would fit into that!).

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement, and let me tell you, your desk is the best I've seen. I tip my metaphorical hat to that. : )

[gshillitani]

Yay, pictures! I still haven't been able to practice properly since the surgery other than the silly inks I made and used a straight holder (and very messy penmanship LOL).

 

I often print guidelines onto paper also. The paper I use (and have seen recommended quite often) is HP Premium 32 lb, this is the US Amazon link. I practice right on the printed guidelines sometimes, and I print some with extra heavy lines to use as guidelines under other paper.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000099O2W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I'm not sure of the availability in the UK and Italy, but I'm sure there's something similar. I've had luck using guidelines even with that heavy paper using a fairly inexpensive (less than $25 US) LED light pad

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M26S3VY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Again, that's the link to the US Amazon site but I'm sure there's an equivalent in the UK and Italy.

 

I also use a Rhodia dot pad with the guidelines I print out. It's nice because the Rhodia paper is so smooth, but thin enough to see guidelines without a lightbox - plus you can keep all of your practice sheets together in the same pad (if you don't tear the pages out, of course ).

 

Keep practicing!

 

P.S. No, I don't work for Amazon

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement, and let me tell you, your desk is the best I've seen. I tip my metaphorical hat to that. : )

Just wait until I actually kit out my man cave with book cases, hang my swords on the wall, etc. (my Mrs is kindly working on a cross-stitch map of Middle-earth which will hang on the wall as well!)

 

I often print guidelines onto paper also. The paper I use (and have seen recommended quite often) is HP Premium 32 lb, this is the US Amazon link. I practice right on the printed guidelines sometimes, and I print some with extra heavy lines to use as guidelines under other paper.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000099O2W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I'm not sure of the availability in the UK and Italy, but I'm sure there's something similar. I've had luck using guidelines even with that heavy paper using a fairly inexpensive (less than $25 US) LED light pad

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M26S3VY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I can second HP paper. I've not used the exact one Gina has linked, but I'm currently using the HP Premium Choice 100gsm paper, which also works really well. It doesn't seem to bleed (see below detail). Note that although it's £11.99 on Amazon (UK) I found it for half that price in the supermarket (after I'd bought it online, of course!).

 

I like the idea of the light box, Gina. I may look into it. I can't tell - is there a clip or something to keep your paper in-place?

 

Anyway, I finally got to use my Principal EF nibs last night! Yes, they're very different from the Gillott 303, but not as scarily different as I expected. It seemed to 'glide' more easily in downstrokes, and didn't catch at all on hairlines. But I was using the HP paper which has virtually no tooth at all. Will be interested to try it on some of my rougher paper as well.

 

I also need to find a nice paper for writing letters, since I've started pen-pal'ing to try to give me excuses to keep practising. I could just use the HP, but I'd like something that looks a bit more interesting; an ivory or, preferably, a light to medium brown...but with at least 90gsm.

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Quick post, particularly for RBN: You're worried that your 'proper' calligraphy isn't up to scratch. I mentioned we all started off that way. Every post I make I'm just a wrack of nerves because I feel like I'm exposing all of my flaws. However, I take a look back at old work and I'm stunned by my own progress.

 

Take these w minuscules, for example. The one on the left is from just over a month ago ... 22nd of Feb. The one on the right is from last night ... 28th March.

 

Looking back at it now, I can't believe I thought the one on the left was approaching acceptable.

 

And that's me trying to practise at least 2-3 times a week for maybe 30 minutes at a time.

 

Sometimes I do more. Sometimes I do less.