Copperplate Minuscules - Group 1

[ash0kgiri]

You are welcome @vonking1980. Now waiting to see your practice sheets soon.

Keep writing,
Ashok

[jtandy]

My words today

[Salman Khattak]

@vonking1980 - it is nice to have you join us Yvonne. You are not late at all - jump in whenever you are ready for your journey.

- Salman

[Salman Khattak]

@jtandy

What an improvement! You are well over the initial hump Jim and are almost done with this group. 

You have done well to note the curved 'b' and the change in slant. Are you moving the paper as you write - a change in slant often results from writing farther and farther away from yourself as you move along the line.

A couple of other things:

- Square all tops - for the ascenders as well as the strokes that start at the waist line.

- The loop of the 'j' needs some work. The lowest (i.e. the pointed) part of the loop should be centered along the slant line in the middle of the teardrop shape. This will bring it a bit to the left of where you have it.

- The final stroke of the 'w' and the 'b' should be aligned with the slant line from 1/2 x-height and up. It can even curve back ever so slightly as it reaches the waist line. This will make it look better balanced than if you just keep going out at a steeper slant.

Please feel free to change the words if you are bored with them. You have good control of the shades and the letters are generally well formed. We just need to add a bit of refinement before moving on. I am sure you will find the next group much quicker to master.

- Salman

[jtandy]

Thanks for the encouragement Salman! I think the loops on my J's are more balanced in my final two practice j's and in the final words.  Not a lot of words with just these letters!

[Salman Khattak]

@jtandy - yes the descender loops are much better balanced now. However, they are a bit too rounded at the bottom. It is not a big deal and you can keep them as they are if you like it that way but I prefer the thickest part to be around the 1st descender line. This gives the loop a more streamlined look that nicely compliments the overall look of the script.

The finishing stroke on the 'b's in the last line is good. Make sure your dots are all at the same level - the ones in 'jib' are not.

Lets give this group one more try with the following words: but, tub, jib, wilt

Please take your time with this. I have pointed out pretty much all the things you need to keep an eye on so do the analysis yourself before submission. The ability to do this critique yourself is the most useful skill you can develop.

I will be looking forward to your next submission.

- Salman

[jtandy]

Contrary to my multiple posts the last few days, please realize that I am "taking my time" with these letters. This is how I relax after coming home from work. "Empty nest" frees up time to do things we enjoy!
 I must say it's not difficult for me to find minor "errors" with my practice sheets.   Small waviness to my ascenders, slight spacing inconsistencies, not touching the baseline with every letter, exit strokes slightly out of slant etc...  I've marked some of these on this post. Overall I am pleased with how I've progressed since starting this journey with you 1 month ago today.

[Salman Khattak]

@jtandy

Jim - I know I can be rather demanding but bear with me a bit and you will start to see things work.

The reason I insist on taking your time is so you can get to a level where I don't need to point out the same issues again. I can point out some things with your latest submission but, other than some related to spacing, none are new. I think you are ready to start paying attention to some of the spacing and joining issues but these cannot be tackled unless the basic strokes are drawn consistently.

Ideally each submission should be clear of the issues pointed out in previous feedback. I would like to see just the assigned words written such that you cannot see any problems with it. You don't have to write them all in one go. Feel free to cut and paste your best efforts from multiple attempts at each word.

It is clear to me from your work that you have the ability to draw each letter perfectly. There are several beautifully drawn letters in your latest post. My favourite is the 'wilt' in the middle line - it is written beautifully (except the letters don't touch the base line). You have made great progress in just one month.

- Salman

[jtandy]

@smh
I don't know how to cut and paste my photos so I kept practicing until I believe all 4 words are correct  When zoomed in there are some slight irregularities to shading, otherwise I focused on hitting baselines, square tops, consistent exit strokes.  I believe my j is more similar to your example now.
-Jim

[Salman Khattak]

@jtandy - this looks good Jim. The shades need to be more consistent but that will come with time. Please move on to the next group.

- Salman

[vonking1980]

Hi Salman,

I really appreciate you putting this tutorial together and taking the time to critique.

In this particular practice, I am most focused on the bottom turn stroke, but I am seeing that my slant is inconsistent, along with the square offs and shading.

I appreciate any feedback!

Thank you!

[Salman Khattak]

@vonking1980

Since your letters are 'standing up' often, it might be a good idea to turn your paper counter clockwise a bit. It is easier to maintain good slant if the slit n your nib is more or less in line with the slant guides.

The bottom turns are done nicely. They will flow a bit better if you start to taper your shaded stroke a bit earlier.  Currently you are starting the taper about a 3/4 of the way down - start to release pressure about 2/3 of the way down the stroke and you will have more of an oval shape at the bottom with the same exit stroke.

Also, a slightly thinner shade will likely help too. Your shades are a bit too thick for this x-height.

All in all, this is a very good start. Squaring the tops is just a matter of drawing a tiny '7' at the top of the stroke :-)

- Salman

[vonking1980]

@SMK
Thank you for your feedback Salman and helpful tips.  I will repost again when I feel I have corrected some of my issues.

[flummoxed]

I've been guilty of not practicing for a while now due to work and just not picking up a pen. I've had sporadic starts and stops, following by long periods of inactivity (work, family illness and plain laziness- hence the guilt). The plan is to get back to practicing forms and shapes, so that my basics are strong before I do anything fancy this time around.

Here is my practice sheet from today, any comments, suggestions would be helpful.

I got bored in the middle, and tried 'tilt' as indicated in the first post. I then went back to the i's, I think the last line seems to be fairly better than the first lines (before the 'tilt' line). However I might have ruined the nib already because I used it for another drawing (https://www.instagram.com/p/BR8nJDRlcwa/). I still have a problem with the upstrokes as I had posted in some of my other posts. Hopefully, I'll notice it quicker this time and reduce the pressure.

Thank you.

[Salman Khattak]

@flummoxed - good to know you are back at it. There should be no guilt for not practising though - we learn best when we are motivated so there is no point in making this a chore.

You have a consistent slant and shade width. The 'i' looks a bit upright though - do you have your guidelines on the paper you are writing on or on another sheet under it? I strongly recommend printing/drawing your guidelines on the paper you write on as it makes a bit difference.

The bottom turns look a bit too rounded. Remember the curve at the bottom is formed from the outside of the shaded stroke on to the exit hairline. This makes the inside (right side) of the shaded stroke make a fairly steep angle with the exit hairline. Also, make sure you pick up your pen for a beat at the bottom of the stroke. (I uploaded a short clip to IG a few days ago showing a few letters of the first group.)

Make sure you stop to analyse your letters after every group of 5. This is important as it forces one to see the details otherwise missed. I also find it keeps me from getting bored too easily :-)

- Salman