The shapes below will give you a good idea of how letter shapes are built up (click
for larger images). Practise these shapes to get the feel of the pen. It is the combination
of the shapes that make any given letter and you will be learning this in the Basic
Letters page.
Spot the letters within the shapes. Although these shapes may make any number of
letters when combined, you should be able to see the makings of the letters f - l
- o - m/n - i/u/w - j - & i in the pen strokes above. Look for the 'o' shape within
the m/n shapes on the middle line. For some great animations showing how to use the
calligraphy pen click here.
Letter Spacing, Line Height & Word Spacing
By placing a short pen stroke after each letter at its widest point (left) you will
get a good idea of how your letters can be spaced. Spaces between letters and words,
and between the the pen strokes themselves, are important for a good layout, whether
they are uniformly irregular or formally regular.
Depending on the size of the nib you will be using your lettering will vary in weight.
A guide to finding the size of the lettering is pictured left.
Turn your pen sideways so that the nib is at right angles to the paper. With a series
of short strokes measure how high your writing lines are.
By altering the measurement slightly you will also alter the appearance of the letters.
Capital letters can reach as high as the top of the ascender line or somewhere in
between - it depends on your preference.
There is a brilliant piece of equipment you can buy from Scribblers (calligraphy suppliers
- see also 'Links' page), called the X-Height calculator. It is a very simple way of working
out your nib size and the height of your writing line.
If you imagine the letter 'o' between words, you won't go far wrong. You can produce
a flowing, perfectly legible, piece of text with practise.
You won't get an eye for what you are doing without practising the shapes and the
spacing over and over again. Get to know your pen and what it can do (see The Pen).
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By placing a short pen stroke after each letter at its widest point (left) you will
get a good idea of how your letters can be spaced. Spaces between letters and words,
and between the the pen strokes themselves, are important for a good layout, whether
they are uniformly irregular or formally regular. 
Turn your pen sideways so that the nib is at right angles to the paper. With a series
of short strokes measure how high your writing lines are.
If you imagine the letter 'o' between words, you won't go far wrong. You can produce
a flowing, perfectly legible, piece of text with practise.
