Learning Copperplate...

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

I have given up on thinking anything that comes out of my calligraphy exercises resembles acceptable. Maybe in a few years.

 

Anyway, below is a recent exercise with Zebra G-pen, Pelikan 4001 Dark Green and Clairefontaine 90g/m.

This is the fault either of the ink or the paper, I'm leaning towards the ink.

 

 

This is a recent exercise on my favorite and standard calligraphy practice paper. It's a cardboard of a local factory, 160g/m. We have so much of this paper in the house because one of my nieces is in art high school and one of my siblings is an architect, and they practice on this paper. Incredibly smooth paper, the ink remains on top for quite a few minutes before it dries.

 

Again, I think the fault lies in the ink, Pelikan 4001 Dark Green. But still, my technique is so awful.

 

 

This is my favorite combination by country miles. Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black and cardboard 160g/m.

Technique's still embarrassing...

And I did spent one month practicing only the basic strokes almost every day...

 

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Your angles are so much better here! Great job! The paper does seem to be holding the ink well most of the time. So I'm inclined to agree with you: maybe it's the ink?

Below is a sample from 31 January. I'd picked up a new bottle of ink (Calli brand...claims to be Non-clogging, pigmented, waterproof calligraphy ink ). For the life of me I could not get it to behave. Granted, this is only standard, cheap, notebook paper (I was just getting started, really, and used whatever I had to hand). But using another ink I had on-hand, I didn't see these issues.

 

The nib would just suddenly dump all its ink in a big pool. So you see I've got really random heavy letters followed by more regular letters. These latter were created using whatever happened to be left on the nib following the dump.

 

I've not used this ink since. It was likely a complete waste of money (only about £5, but still).

 

 

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Maybe for your next session, try using the full space available. I see you're stopping your minuscules about halfway up the x-height, but without the defined line it's going to be difficult to get into a rhythm of consistency. EDIT: Exactly like in your first image! ( the only thing...)

 

My advice: start big...use the full space...then reduce as you become more comfortable at the larger size.

Edited March 29, 2018 by jeremiah.l.burns

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Yeah I hate when the ink does that. That's why I'm liking the Pelikan 4001, it's extremely dry and a touch iron-gall, but most importantly it doesn't escape the nib in one go.

 

I'll try fitting the letters to the spaces, hopefully I can get a grip on the angle and the spacing too.

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Yeah I hate when the ink does that. That's why I'm liking the Pelikan 4001, it's extremely dry and a touch iron-gall, but most importantly it doesn't escape the nib in one go.

 

I'll try fitting the letters to the spaces, hopefully I can get a grip on the angle and the spacing too.

I've not tried any iron gall yet. I hear it's ideal. But, like walnut, it apparently is acidic so shouldn't be used for long-term finished pieces...? (I dunno)

 

So using your first image as an example, use the middle line for your x-height (main body of all the minuscules). Use the top line for ascenders like your d, b, l, f, h, k, t; also use for all majuscules, since they will take up the space of two rows (or occasionally 3 (J, for example; also minuscule f)); then use the bottom row for descenders (g, q, p, y, z).

Edited March 29, 2018 by jeremiah.l.burns

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Practice on 8mm guidelines. Since I keep my paper horizontal, the angled lines are hidden by my fingers and the pen holder, so I'm making abysmal progress in straightening my ascending and descending curves. The S is so tricky.

 

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Practice on 8mm guidelines. Since I keep my paper horizontal, the angled lines are hidden by my fingers and the pen holder, so I'm making abysmal progress in straightening my ascending and descending curves. The S is so tricky.

 

 

This is fantastic progress! Look at your angles! And look at the smoothness of your ink! (What did you do to correct that?)

 

I'm still not quite sure about your x-heights, though. I think (but I may be wrong...I'm still a newbie at all this) you should only be using the white spaces. The three lines will make up all the space required for any letterform.

 

Use the centre line (the ones marked 1-7) as your x-height. This is where the bulk of your work will live. That's the main body of all of the minuscules. The ascenders and descenders will then go into the top and bottom lines respectively. Your majuscules will fill both the x-height space and the ascender space. The majuscule J will fill all three spaces.

 

I've tried to show what I mean here. This is using the "Edwardian Script" font in Microsoft Office, but it's close enough to give the right idea.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

This is fantastic progress! Look at your angles! And look at the smoothness of your ink! (What did you do to correct that?)

 

I'm still not quite sure about your x-heights, though. I think (but I may be wrong...I'm still a newbie at all this) you should only be using the white spaces. The three lines will make up all the space required for any letterform.

 

But those lines are incredibly short, just 4mm and I felt like I had no space to practice with! So I printed the guidelines on it and ignored the original layout. Maybe soon I can try printing only the 55 degree lines and practice with the original 4mm lines.

 

Thank you for the feedback by the way, I still zero progress to be honest, my exit strokes are a mess. But I like the practice, especially when I need to take my mind off of things.

 

By the way, the paper is still this Clairefontaine pad that I snatched for 2€, and after having tried Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue and Dark Green with horrible globs of inks as result, I've found that Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black works fine. Who would have thought.

Edited March 31, 2018 by RoyalBlueNotebooks

[jeremiah.l.burns]

But those lines are incredibly short, just 4mm and I felt like I had no space to practice with! So I printed the guidelines on it and ignored the original layout. Maybe soon I can try printing only the 55 degree lines and practice with the original 4mm lines.

 

Thank you for the feedback by the way, I still zero progress to be honest, my exit strokes are a mess. But I like the practice, especially when I need to take my mind off of things.

 

By the way, the paper is still this Clairefontaine pad that I snatched for 2€, and after having tried Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue and Dark Green with horrible globs of inks as result, I've found that Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black works fine. Who would have thought.

Hmm. Yes, I see your point. Smaller is much more difficult. I'm only working at 6mm x-height myself, and 4mm would be a big change for me.

 

I'm glad you're sticking with it though!

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter break! Here's a practise session from the weekend and an i with which I'm rather pleased.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Doctor Who!

Excuse me hello, happy belated Easter break. Your downstrokes look so clean, I envy your steady hand.. How do you like your new pen holder?

 

Here's my Easter practice sheet.

 

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Thanks, you too! We had a bit of a manic Saturday due to problems with the management company for our flat...but otherwise it was lovely. Lots of chocolate eggs had by all. :-)

 

And thank you! It doesn't always *feel* steady. But I am finally in a position where I can objectively see improvement. I seem to have picked up the pen and ink sometime around mid-January. So it's taken me about 3-3 ½ months of steady practise to get here. I'm keen to see how I look after six months. But it's not felt like work this time 'round. It's been fun. And I've not been 'overdoing it'. I'd guess I average 3-4 sessions per week with no more than 30-45 minutes on average per session. Some go slightly longer, and some are somewhat shorter.

 

Your practise sheet looks amazing. I really don't know what you were worried about! I think you're better now than I was in January. So you'll soon be a master.

[smk]

That is a very nice 'i' Jeremiah.

 

The exit hairlines are just right and the shaded stroke reaches the baseline at just the right point. Very nice indeed. I would recommend one adjustment thought - the shade starts to taper at the right spot but finishes a tad above the base line. It should taper to a point just as it reaches the base line. Also, the tittle (the dot) should be halfway between the waist line and the first ascender line.

 

 

I will be adding the lessons soon :-)

 

- Salman

[jeremiah.l.burns]

That is a very nice 'i' Jeremiah.

 

The exit hairlines are just right and the shaded stroke reaches the baseline at just the right point. Very nice indeed. I would recommend one adjustment thought - the shade starts to taper at the right spot but finishes a tad above the base line. It should taper to a point just as it reaches the base line. Also, the tittle (the dot) should be halfway between the waist line and the first ascender line.

 

 

I will be adding the lessons soon :-)

 

- Salman

Thanks,, Salman. I'll look at both of those in my next session. :-)

[Stompie]

I've not tried any iron gall yet. I hear it's ideal. But, like walnut, it apparently is acidic so shouldn't be used for long-term finished pieces...? (I dunno)

 

 

 

 

Long term finish pieces - Iron gall would be ideal as, to the best of my knowledge, so far they have samples dating back 500 years and it is still good. But, I may have misunderstood what you were saying there - as I usually do!

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Long term finish pieces - Iron gall would be ideal as, to the best of my knowledge, so far they have samples dating back 500 years and it is still good. But, I may have misunderstood what you were saying there - as I usually do!

That could be! It's all new to me! ;-)

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Found my new (used) writing desk!

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Found my new (used) writing desk!

Heaven!

This reminds me I should do some calligraphy exercises today or tomorrow, I want to test RK Salix with the G nib.

[jeremiah.l.burns]

Yeah, I've not practiced much this week. Been on half-term with my daughter. But I'm having a go at Salman's advice. Getting these *i*s to taper at just the right spot is hard work! I can't quite manage it yet.

[gshillitani]

Found my new (used) writing desk!

 

I love it!!! I haven't given up on practice, I just seem to be having a comedy of errors, if you will I managed to give myself a goodly gash on my index finger (literally stabbed myself with an X-acto knife on my index finger). It would be wonderful to find a piece like that