Back to Basics (4)

   I took a step back and went back to the basics. This week I realized that I jumped ahead A LOT. Though calligraphy can be something you hop right in and try, I want to fully understand/master it. I finally used the one of the books that my mother bought me. The book is called Creative Lettering and Beyond, and has great basic AND complex tips. The book has several blank and lined pages that allow for warm-up and practice space. There's a lot of writing in the book, but it's worth the read.

   This week I learned a lot more about calligraphy, and I felt more pro-like because I was using slants and all that cool stuff. I learned more about the actual letters, and the basic ways of writing them individually. I practiced the alphabet in basic minuscules (lowercase) that were similar to Copperplate/Engrosser's Script lettering style, and I wrote a few majuscules (uppercase.) Swirly majuscules are great to practice with, and help to work towards embellishing my work (it helps when letters have plenty of curves to build off of.)

 

   Another useful piece of information that I sharpened was how to fit my letters into the basic lines and slants. Here is what I mean: 

   This may look confusing, but it is easier to understand once you know that the X is your writing line. The lines directly above the X's are called Waist lines, and the ones below are called the Base lines. These are the basics, and this is were all of the 'bases' of letters should fit. The line directly above the Waist line is the Ascender line, and this is where the tall letters like 'd' and 'b' should hit. Below the base line resides the Descender line, and this where low letters like 'y' and 'g' should reach. Following these rules and keeping this in mind when I free-write will be very helpful in making my writing look neater. 

   Though my calligraphy is still not great, I do see improvement and I am excited to continue using my lettering books to guide me. I apologize for not including my pretty quote thing in this blog, but I thought I would focus on the details and specifics today. 

   Lastly, I reached out to Seb Lester, but he hasn't responded yet. If he still doesn't respond, I have a few other experts to attempt to contact. I'll keep you all updated!

As always, here is a friendly YouTube video that you'll probably love watching: