• Home
  • Learn
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact
Menu

Doorpost Designs

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number

Your Custom Text Here

Doorpost Designs

  • Home
  • Learn
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact

Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating Depth

February 23, 2018 Sarah Mikucki
creating-depth.jpg

One of the hardest parts of learning calligraphy is knowing which parts of the letter should be thick and which parts should be thin—this knowledge is the essence of calligraphy! If you're a beginner, here's a lettering mantra for you: "thick downstrokes, thin upstrokes." Or even simpler, "thick down, thin up."

But, you might ask, what does this even mean? For starters, a downstroke is when your pen moves down the page, toward your body. An upstroke is when your pen moves upward on the page, away from you.

Anatomy-of-a-wave.jpg

Transitioning

Modern calligraphy is not like black-lettering, which sharply transitions between thick and thin in hard angles. In modern calligraphy, we want our transition to be smooth, graceful, and not too sudden. I think one of the best ways to understand how to do this is to understand the “anatomy,” shall we say, of a curve. Don’t worry, I’m not about to get mathematical on you—no ‘wavelength’ or ‘amplitude’ here!

Study the figure above. This stroke is called a “compound curve” and is one of nine building blocks of a basic calligraphy alphabet. I think it's helpful to think through a curve in terms of directions (north, south, east, west). Note the compass for clarity. It may benefit you to mimic this figure with your own pen, noting the different numbered directional changes:

  1. For the upstroke (green), your pen moves up the page and away from you, or "north" on the page.
  2. When you start to enter the curve, your pen edges slightly to the right (blue)—moving almost sideways and up, like “northeast” on the page. There is a subtle shift in direction, but it’s there.
  3. For a split second, your pen goes to the right, or eastward, intersecting with the midpoint of the curve (red hash mark). The amount of time you stay here is almost imperceptible.
  4. Right after the midpoint of the curve, your pen starts moving both sideways and downward, or “southeast” (blue). For a balanced curve, this should be the same length as the northeast/teal first portion of the curve.
  5. Then, in the downstroke, your pen moves down the page toward you; directionally “south.”
  6. Just before the midpoint, the depth tapers as your pen ceases moving true south, moves more southeast.
  7. Just after the midpoint, your pen changes direction and starts moving slightly northeast as it turns and starts the upstroke.
  8. In the upstroke, your pen moves true north.

The midpoint of the curve is where the upstroke and downstroke meet. However, the millimeters just before and just after the midpoint are not true upstrokes or downstrokes, and are not headed due north or due south (these are color-coded blue). This is where the thickness/depth just barely begins to build—or, when you’re transitioning out of the downstroke, where the depth begins to taper. Save for stylistic exceptions that you might make when you become a more advanced calligrapher, the thickness should be nonexistent by the time the curve reaches the midpoint.

nib-diagram.jpg
Screen Shot 2018-02-23 at 4.54.55 PM.png
Screen Shot 2018-02-23 at 4.55.20 PM.png

Mental Model: The Nib

Understanding how calligraphic tools work can be an important tool in helping you create beautiful calligraphy. Having a mental concept of how these tools work helps you to build a “mental model,” a framework in your thought process about how something works in the real world. Getting acquainted with dip pen/quill and ink calligraphy helps you develop an understanding of why calligraphy works the way it does.

The tip of a dip pen/quill is called a “nib.” When you use a quill, you dip the tip of the nib in the ink to fill the nib’s ink well, which in many nibs is just the U-shape that sits just underneath the shoulder. In dip pen calligraphy, thick and thin lines depend on pressure. When you write with the nib, the ink flows from the well through the slit between the two tines, which are flexible. When you apply pressure, the two flexible tines separate, allowing the ink to flow more rapidly through the slit and onto the paper (see the smaller, square images above). In this way, the tines also control the thickness of the line because the ink will naturally flow into the space between them—the more pressure applied, the further apart the tines separate, and the thicker the line.

The structure of the nib actually resists thick upstrokes, almost forcing the user to create thin upstrokes. This is because the tines do not separate unless downward motion and pressure are applied to them. Moving up the page necessitates closed/neutral tines. The only way to get actually thick upstrokes would be to flip the paper upside down!

Shine1.jpg
Shine2.jpg

Mental Model: The Shining Light

This mental model takes second place for a reason; it’s not perfect, but many students of mine have found it helpful.

Pretend your writing is slightly raised on your writing surface—almost like bubble paint that you use to write on fabric. Imagine you place a really strong, harsh light directly to the left of your raised writing, shining to the right. Picture the shadows this would create. 

This is an imperfect metaphor because light and shadows do not discriminate between thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes, but it is helpful in visualizing the transition between thin and thick, because the shadow attaches to the curves of the writing smoothly.

 notebook with hand lettering that says 'creating depth.' text below image says 'basic lettering: learn how to create depth.'

Where to go from here

To create beautiful "faux" calligraphy, there are a handful of changes that need to be made to your basic cursive. I recommend reading The Top 5 Hand-Lettering Mistakes. You can also download my free lettering practice sheets at the bottom of that article. Already been there?

  1. Check out some other articles on learning hand-lettering below.
  2. Follow along on Instagram, where I regularly post tips, tricks, and inspiration.

Other Articles on Learning Calligraphy
Basic Hand-Lettering: Block Lettering
Apr 9, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Block Lettering
Apr 9, 2018
Apr 9, 2018
Mar 19, 2018
Free Calligraphy Practice Page
Mar 19, 2018
Mar 19, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating a Smooth Curve
Feb 26, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating a Smooth Curve
Feb 26, 2018
Feb 26, 2018
Feb 23, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating Depth
Feb 23, 2018
Feb 23, 2018
Dec 18, 2017
Basic Hand-Lettering: The Top 5 Hand-Lettering Mistakes
Dec 18, 2017
Dec 18, 2017
Oct 30, 2017
Free Lettering Practice Sheets
Oct 30, 2017
Oct 30, 2017
Set Up Your Page for Hand-Lettering – The Easy Way!
May 27, 2017
Set Up Your Page for Hand-Lettering – The Easy Way!
May 27, 2017
May 27, 2017
In Learning Calligraphy Tags Basic Hand-Lettering
← Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating a Smooth CurveFree Printable Botanical Valentines →
Featured
Basic Hand-Lettering: Block Lettering
Apr 9, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Block Lettering
Apr 9, 2018

There are two major elements of hand lettering: drawing calligraphy/script letters, and drawing regular/block letters. If you’d like to get started creating hand-lettered calligraphy, I have several beginner’s lessons here. 

Getting started hand-lettering regular letters can be overwhelming. The sheer number of styles makes it hard to know where to start. It’s easy to get lost in the world of Pinterest, thinking that there are hundreds of different fonts, styles, and variations you need to learn. However, I’d like to suggest a far more manageable starting point, which will set you up to be able to learn and develop different styles of lettering down the road with far more ease.

Read More →
Apr 9, 2018
Mar 19, 2018
Bible Journaling: Absorbing Beautiful Truths
Mar 19, 2018

Hand-lettering and Bible study have come together in an outstanding way in the past few years, creating a massive “Bible lettering” trend—and it’s hard to miss on Pinterest and Instagram. I have been warmed to see an outlet that is beneficial both creatively and devotionally. If you’re not familiar with the concept, Bible lettering is a way of hand-lettering or calligraphing a Scripture verse, oftentimes in the margins of the Bible itself. There are now dedicated Bible journaling Bibles for this specific purpose; oftentimes they have more room in the margins, or lots of blank pages to use for this purpose.

I approve of the enthusiasm, as I myself have benefitted from Bible lettering. However, I also have experienced first-hand some reasons why Bible lettering, if taken up with very few restraints, cause me to pause.

Read More →
Mar 19, 2018
Mar 19, 2018
Free Calligraphy Practice Page
Mar 19, 2018

With wedding and graduation season coming up, it's always handy to have congratulatory cards on hand. This practice sheet guides you through seven different styles of 'congratulations,' so you can mix up your style without all the pressure. I've also included, as an extra freebie, a simple floral wreath guide to supplement your calligraphy.

Read More →
Mar 19, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating a Smooth Curve
Feb 26, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating a Smooth Curve
Feb 26, 2018

In this previous post, I discussed how to create calligraphic thicks and thins, and what it means to create thick downstrokes and thin upstrokes. However, it's one thing to define terms, to know which parts of the a letter should be thick and which should be thin, but it's entirely another to know transition smoothly from thick to thin, and vice versa. It is notoriously difficult to make your curves graceful, smooth, and not too sudden or blocky.

If you find yourself irritated with your clunky transitions, there is a solution for you! It is possible; don't give up! Here are some tips that have been helpful both to me and my students.

Read More →
Feb 26, 2018
Feb 23, 2018
Basic Hand-Lettering: Creating Depth
Feb 23, 2018

One of the hardest parts of learning calligraphy is knowing which parts of the letter should be thick and which parts should be thin—this knowledge is the essence of calligraphy! If you're a beginner, here's a lettering mantra for you: "thick downstrokes, thin upstrokes." Or even simpler, "thick down, thin up."

But, you might ask, what does this even mean? Simply put, a downstroke is when your pen moves down the page, toward your body. An upstroke is when your pen moves upward on the page, away from you.

Read More →
Feb 23, 2018
Jan 20, 2018
Free Printable Botanical Valentines
Jan 20, 2018

Printables strike the perfect balance between "DIY Superhero" and low maintenance. Here's a free printable download just in time to start your Valentine's Day prep. These greeting cards come with watercolor illustrated florals, paired with hand-lettering and their symbolic meaning.

Read More →
Jan 20, 2018
Dec 18, 2017
Basic Hand-Lettering: The Top 5 Hand-Lettering Mistakes
Dec 18, 2017

"Faux" calligraphy or hand-lettering is the art of turning your own handwriting into beautiful calligraphy—and because it does not rely on pen pressure, angle, or special tools, it is a great place for the beginner to start! Whether you're a veteran hand-letterer or you just started practicing yesterday, here are five mistakes hand-letterers usually make. By fixing these five items, you'll be well on your way to perfect hand-lettering in no time. 

Read More →
Dec 18, 2017
Dec 5, 2017
Free Printable Holiday Notecards
Dec 5, 2017

We hope your holidays are merry and bright!

Add a little hand-made joy to your gift wrapping this year with some printable notecards! These can also be printed two to a sheet and cut down into gift tags. You can also import into Microsoft Word, and print your Christmas letter on the inside.

Read More →
Dec 5, 2017
Nov 11, 2017
Using Calligraphy in Your Tablescape and a Free Printable
Nov 11, 2017

Hand-lettering/calligraphy has become an incredibly valuable and practical skill to learn! Here are some creative and practical ways to use your calligraphy skills (or the free printable at the bottom of the post) for your Thanksgiving table.

Read More →
Nov 11, 2017
Oct 30, 2017
Free Lettering Practice Sheets
Oct 30, 2017

"Consistency is key!" This worn old adage couldn't be more applicable to hand-lettering and calligraphy. Especially when you're learning, your letters should be consistent—in height, width, slant, and so much more. Of course, I believe that this rule, once learned, can and should be stylistically broken. But you should learn to form letters the way they are intended first, before you can approach variations. Practice sheets will help. 

Read More →
Oct 30, 2017

Get On The List

Sign up to receive updates once or twice per month, plus exclusive freebies.

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

© Doorpost Designs, 2017.