This is our 100th post! and earlier this week our blog was 2 years old!

To date we covered a lot of calligraphy topics. The most popular section of this blog has been Starting Calligraphy.

Writing a blog – well writing this blog can be lonely Many other blogs get lots of comments. Some blogs I read will get up to 20 comments on each post. Thank you to those of you who have written comments, but we would like hear from all you other calligraphers. The most comments I have seen on any post whilst randomly looking at blogs was 795!

WANTED
We would like to hear from you. Email us or comment here on what you would like to see on the blog. Anybody who emails us with an article we can share will receive a coupon code giving them discount on their next order.

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Here are a few thoughts you can practise your calligraphy on. These were emailed to me from a friend a while back:

• Why is it that people say they ’slept like a baby’ when babies wake up every two hours?
• Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?
• Why do banks charge a fee on ‘insufficient funds’ when they know there is not enough
• Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
• Whose idea was it to put an ‘S’ in the word ‘lisp’?
• What is the speed of darkness?
• If it’s true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing here?
• Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

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The Copperplate Special Interest Group was founded in 1995 by Jim Linwood to address the needs of pointed pen enthusiasts. Prior to this, there had been a lack of focus for lovers of Copperplate and other pointed pen calligraphy. The aim of the group is to promote Copperplate as a beautiful calligraphic hand.

Since the group was set up, interest has grown in the hand, and we now have an enthusiastic membership of over 180 worldwide, incorporating all ranges of ability from the very beginner to some eminent and expert broad-edge calligraphers.

We keep our members in touch with four newsletters a year, which include information on nibs, suitable inks and papers, samples of work, hints and tips, events and workshops.

We run an Envelope Exchange scheme every six months, and a ‘mentoring’ scheme in which the less experienced can receive help to improve their Copperplate from the more experienced. There is also an ongoing project which culminates in a yearly calendar.

We are a friendly and inclusive group, and we welcome new members. Membership is open to anyone who has an interest in Copperplate.

Membership is currently £9 per year for UK members, and £13 per year for overseas members.

For more information email Joy Daniels at: joydaniels [at] ntlworld [dot] com

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Books
Few Calligraphy books give instructions on Copperplate writing. In many cases they only give a couple of examples of Copperplate and do not go into any great detail about how the letterforms are constructed.
There are a few good Copperplate books around, but be aware of their limitations.

THE UNIVERSAL PENMAN Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-20616-5 This is a reprint of an 18th century work. There are pages upon pages of Copperplate examples. This is the book for all Copperplaters.

MASTERING COPPERPLATE by Eleanor Winters. Watson-Guptill Publications, NY. ISBN 0-8230-3022-9 A very detailed book, with over 190 pages. This book gives good instructions on constructing Copperplate minuscule letters. Examples of bad letterforms are also included to help identify the most common mistakes. This book is not so good for Capital letters.

COPPERPLATE CALLIGRAPHY by Dick Jackson
Macmillan Publishing Inc. NY. ISBN 0-02-011710-8
This book shows you what not to do as well as what to do. A bit prescriptive, saying you must do it like this.

THE TECHNIQUE OF COPPERPLATE CALLIGRAPHY by Gordon Turner.
Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-25512-3
The whole of this small book (42 pages) is written in Copperplate. Unlike the other books, it does not go through the basic strokes that make up the lower case letters.

Scribblers Copperplate books

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The follow posts have been taken from Scribblers Community. You may find them useful if you are new to Copperplate.

I’m left handed and want to learn copperplate, will I need left handed nibs or is it immaterial with pointed nibs? This might sound stupid, but I’m only at the “get a dip pen” stage. Martin

No, pointed nibs are all good for left- and righthanded writing. Nonetheless you will need to experiment and find a different way of writing; since while holding the pen in the left hand, it is leaning to the opposite direction than in the right hand. Don’t let this discourage you, I’m lefthanded too, and I don’t find it particularly difficult For example, turn the paper around to fit the strokes. I usually turn the paper 180 degrees, and letter upside-down, that way my hand is before the letters, not behind them. It’s not too difficult to see your letters upside-down. Gabor

Copperplate is actually EASIER for left-handers than right handers in as much , as you DON’T have to turn the paper at all, just keep writing lines horizontal as usual, and ensure pen holder is aligned in direction of the slope lines ( ie 54 degrees from the horizontal) so nib is in alignment with the slope lines too). Brause EF66 are excellent nibs for copperplate. Gaynor

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