(Left) Underturn Practice Sheet (Credit Becca C. Rafter) @ The Happily Every Crafter (Right) My finished practice sheet for the Underturn Stroke.
I can’t believe it. I’m already on Day 10. Where did the time go and yes, practice does pay off. I watched today’s video on Instagram and seen in real time, being played back of what I did right and wrong is so helpful. I can see where I was going to fast from the thick downstroke transitioning to the curve up (this is where I’m still need to slow down). I will keep this in mind for my second practice drill that I will be doing this evening. I still have some shakiness but not as much. The shakiness comes when I’m doing the upstroke and I’m pressing too lightly. The pen and ink lose contact with the tracing paper.
For the things I did well, consistently holding my pen at a 45-degree angle. Holding the pen at this angle allows me to bend the tip to get the thick down strokes and flexibility in my grip to do the light upstrokes without stopping for a smooth transition. Rotating the pen every few strokes without having to constantly remind myself. This allows for even use of the brush tip. Because my mind wasn’t focused on those two things anymore, I could really focus more on the strokes, getting them right even during the freehand.
I do highly recommend that if you can, video yourself practicing your calligraphy strokes. The camera catches everything, positive and negative. It's amazing what ten days of consistent practice can do. I started from absolute zero. Today, I'm beginning to recognize my own mistakes before someone else has to point them out—and that feels like real progress.
