First Attempt of Copperplate

[Uberman]

I hope this attached this time. I received my oblique pen holder yesterday and besides a couple words to try it out yesterday, this is my first attempt at real copperplate with the right tool. I have a lot of work to do, slants off, letter size, and gettting the same thicknesses in the letters, but wanted to show my first go at the newest pen. All comments and constructive criticism would be welcomed. Mike

Edited February 9, 2008 by Uberman

[Ann Finley]

Pretty doggone good 1st try with that new pen, I'd say!!!

 

I'll leave it to one of our copperplate experts to give any type of constructive criticism...Let me just encourage you to stick with it and show us some more!

 

Best, Ann

[myremecophaga]

I received delivery of my first oblique penholder about a week and a half ago, and it is taking me alot of training to get the slant right and even again.

[caliken]

This is a very good attempt at copperplate and you appear to have a good feeling for the flow of the script.

I wish that my first attempt had been that good!

 

With regards to "constructive criticism" perhaps this may help.

 

Copperplate (aka English Roundhand), is arguably the most difficult of all hands to write.

This is because of the many variables to be controlled, simultaneously -

Degree and consistency of slope, weight of stroke, height of lettering, inter-spacing of letters, words and lines.

 

It occurs to me that you are making this more diffucult for yourself, than is necessary.

Guide lines are available elsewhere on this network or you can draw up your own. You only have to do this once, as this sheet can be placed under your writing paper as a guide. Better still, print out your practice sheets in a light grey. Again, there are some good examples for download on the IAMPETH site.

 

The guide sheets with slope lines at 55 degrees, will give you the initial assistance which everyone needs when starting this most demanding of scripts.

 

As you are writing between tramlines, as it were, this will automatically sort out wayward letter heights.

 

This small example may help to illustrate

 

Because of the ascenders and descenders, inter-line spacing in copperplate has to be generous. Typically, as in this example, the descenders & ascenders are 1 1/2 times the height of the miniscule letters. If the minuscule letters are 5mm high, this makes the space between the lines of writing, 15mm.

 

Incidentally, the letter t is sometimes written as in the above example, and sometimes with the cross-stroke on the waist line - it's a matter of personal choice.

 

I think that you've made a great start and I hope that this is some help.

 

good luck!

 

caliken

Edited February 9, 2008 by caliken

[Titivillus]

I hope this attached this time. I received my oblique pen holder yesterday and besides a couple words to try it out yesterday, this is my first attempt at real copperplate with the right tool. I have a lot of work to do, slants off, letter size, and gettting the same thicknesses in the letters, but wanted to show my first go at the newest pen. All comments and constructive criticism would be welcomed. Mike

 

 

Great work and isn't the holder alot of fun! I bought one on a whim and have used it occasionally.

 

And don't call it an attempt you wrote it and it has all the hallmarks so why not claim it properly!

 

Only suggestion I could make, mainly because I am guilty of it and really try to stop doing it :ltcapd:

, is to try using a lighter touch to give a crisper wide line.

 

 

Kurt

Edited February 9, 2008 by Tytyvyllus

[losskywalker]

beautiful~

how I wish I could have a oblique pen .....why there isn't anyone selling oblique pen in China????

[tipstricks]

beautiful~

how I wish I could have a oblique pen .....why there isn't anyone selling oblique pen in China????

My oblique holder was a cheapy -plastic- one, and I didn't like it, so I tried to modify it using a 0.2mm brass foil, and this is the result: great feeling and better writing. You can do it on a normal pen holder.

http://lh6.google.com/tipstricks/Rz77FlIZbsI/AAAAAAAABm8/ZweaGZ8jPzQ/s800/Copperplate%20pen%20holder%201.JPG

[thefsb]

First attempt? <sigh> I've been struggling for a few weeks now and it's started looking less horrible but I'm not even expecting to arrive at where you started at the end of my project.

[myremecophaga]

Tipstricks, that penholder looks like the two speedballs that I have... Very very tempting to try that...

[bootyshox]

Overall your first attempt would beat my best. A tiny thing to change is to not let words start to high above the line or below. I only saw this happen on two words, so nothing major.

 

~~Nice