Samples of what I've done

[brandonC]

These are a few pieces I tried out.   Please be brutally honest.   I know the tips aren't squared. 

[Erica McPhee]

Hi Brandon,
You have an excellent start! I will suggest a couple of areas to work on so as not to overwhelm you.

Your slant is spot on. I can tell you are taking your time and have worked at your consistency. I think you will find much satisfaction in working on your joins. They are a bit round. Try lifting your pen every time you come to the baseline. Then making the next stroke. For example, in the word, "matter," the connection from m to a to t should all be the same. Same for the entrance stroke to "life" and the connection between l and i. Can you see how they are ever so slightly different in your samples? Just this one thing will bring a nice improvement to your already pleasing letterforms.

Second, open up your top loop on f's, l's, and h's. They are a bit narrow. Moreso in the first and last samples and better in the middle one. Experiment with making them from the midpoint - up and over, versus starting at the top and coming down clockwise to the right. See which one you prefer and gives better results. At least initially, if you try starting at the top and come down, use a light hand and do not add a shade. Once comfortable with this method if you like it, you can then start adding a light shade.

Lastly, work on guidelines, whether behind your paper on a lightbox, or practice directly on a paper with printed guidelines. The latter is my first choice for practice as it really helps train the eye for consistency. The first two samples are nice and straight and then the last one is a bit wonky.

Overall, you have a very nice hand and with a few adjustments, you should be really pleased with your improvements. 

[brandonC]

Thanks Erica for the constructive feed back.   Really appreciate it.  I had a feeling my loops weren't right but that is great insight into the connectors.  Hadn't noticed the last one was off a bit.  I must of let the guide sheet move.   Can't wait to get home tonight and work on these areas.

[Erica McPhee]

I was practicing this morning and thought this may be helpful for others following along.

The spacing in the second line represents where I lifted my pen - each time I hit the baseline. While this is definitely not necessary for Roundhand, I have found it to really help me improve consistency and spacing.

The h variations show the direction in which the upper loop was made. It is really quite difficult to do the top down loop without any shade. But it is also difficult to add just a touch of a shade as in the last letter. I go back and forth about which method I prefer. 

Hope that is helpful!  I look forward to seeing more of your work.

[Erica McPhee]

P.S. You can click on the image to see it larger. 

[cejohnson]

Very nice Brandon! It is always inspiring for me to see the work of others in progress.

...and thank you Erica for providing the image with your breakdown of the letter formation. This is helpful for me 

[brandonC]

Thanks again.  Wonderful break down.

[brandonC]

Quick practice tonight.  Shoulder has been killing me all day.  Trying to focus on spacing.

[Erica McPhee]

Nicely done! Beautiful joins! One small tip - watch the downstroke on the a (and letters like b and d). The downstroke should not bump into or interrupt the oval.

Really good overall! 

[Erica McPhee]

P.S. If your shoulder is aching - take a break - otherwise you could end up with repetitive strain. I sometimes have to force myself to stop as well. 

[brandonC]

Thanks for tip.  I tend to miscalcute and run into those ovals.  I think I naturally wanna narrow the script.

[ash0kgiri]

Hi Brandon,

Sorry for the late comment. You are up to a wonderful start. Erica have almost covered everything I'm sure you will follow it closely.
My 2 cents. I would start with basic letter forms and focus on those. I would not move to words until I had built muscle memory for those letters. Once Im comfortable I would make up words in that letter group and practice those after that I will more on to next group of letters.

As Erica said try and lift your pen every time. You tend to forget in the beginning but you will get used to it. I still practice on the printed guideline paper which helps me focus on the script rather than worrying about by slant angle. At what angle you keep you paper also helps you get consistent slant angle. You can refer to Salman's tutorial for more details http://theflourishforum.com/forum/index.php?board=45.0.

Coming to your shoulder pain. Assuming its not because of writing. As Erica said take rest and don't strain yourself. Maintain correct posture while writing.
Can't wait to see more of your practice sheets.

Keep writing,
-Ashok

[brandonC]

Thanks Ash.

Based off the breakdown of the h Erica did, I am lifting my pen at all the points except the between the final downstroke and the upstroke.  that is new to me.

I do practice letterforms and groups daily.  Its my main focus.  But I will turn to a word or small series of words just for a change of pace and added amusement.

My shoulder is much better.  Not sure what I did to it. I manage a warehouse which includes plenty of heavy lifting.  Posture is brutal for me.  Good posture is almost un-American. lol.  But am I trying to stay sitting upright but always end up slouched down towards the paper at some point.  A combination of just bad posture and a habit of getting a close to detail while painting or drawing.