I can't thank you all enough for your advice. I've gone from despairing, wondering if I'll ever get this right, to being excited to get going again and try out your suggestions.
I hope you don’t mind, I’ve replied individually below. But thank you to everyone for your very kind comments about the D – honestly, they've made my day. Whenever I write uncial, D is the letter that my brain is most likely to say “argh!” before writing. (Unfortunately, it’s also the letter that my mouth is most likely to say “argh!” after writing!)
@Erica McPhee Thank you for suggesting this – I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't come across gum erasers before (almost all of the erasers I have are plastic). I'll have to place another art supply order – what a shame!
Since I switched to using a 4H pencil lead, I’ve noticed a few times how heavy handed I can be. I'm often shocked at how deep the groove I’ve carved into my practice paper is.
@FlowerCityLetters Thanks for your suggestions – I do have a lightpad (and some Bleedproof White) and will give both a try. I’m currently writing on a desk easel set at 45 degrees and hadn’t been sure whether the lip at the bottom would be deep enough to hold the lightpad, but I’ve had a look again and it may just be possible. Thanks so much for the link to Jean’s blog post, too – I found it incredibly helpful.
@Estefa Thank you, it’s really good to know that I can mix the two. For practice, I wrote out some place cards on coloured card for my family’s Easter meal this year; I ended up using Bleedproof White because it gave a much starker white than the gouache I tried. And now I think about it, I never had any problems with my pencil guidelines showing through.
Your post has given me a lot to think about with how visible guidelines can actually be valuable rather than a fault. A few months ago, I was looking at the St Cuthbert Gospel on the British Library's website, trying to work out what would have been used for guidelines given that graphite hadn't yet been discovered. It was just like you said: by being able to see the lines that had been scored into the vellum, I enjoyed that bit of insight it gave into its creation.
@jeanwilson I’m really sorry to hear about your traumatic brain injury, and I do hope that things are better for you soon. I’m most grateful for you taking the time to help me with this while you’re still recovering.
It came as a huge relief to read that you've found that gouache, when diluted to the consistency of ink, generally isn't fully opaque.
Thank you for all of your advice. I was interested to read your theory about what might be happening with the graphite particles. I’ll keep experimenting with different grades of pencil and types of lines. I’ve just read your blog post that Elaina kindly linked to – thank you. It’s something I'll return to many times, I'm sure.
Although the gouache has been frustrating at times, I’ve found that, as you mentioned, it’s been enjoyable to experiment and discover what works and what doesn’t. It feels as though trying to get this right has taught me a lot – even if those things have generally been what doesn’t work!
@AnasaziWrites Thank you, I'll give that a try. I'm currently using a Mitsubishi Uni Kuru Toga Roulette 0.5mm mechanical pencil, and even when I've tried to draw the guidelines gently, I suspect I've still been using more than the weight of the pencil.
After reading so many recommendations, I can't wait to try Bleedproof White with gouache.
@K-2 Ah, I'd never thought of using an erasable coloured pencil! Thank you for all of your suggestions – I look forward to giving them a go.
I was sorry to read about your injury. I do hope that you’re one day able to return to hockey. I know how difficult it can be when you’re no longer able to take part in something you love.