(Left) Underturn Practice Sheet (Credit Becca C. Rafter) @ The Happily Every Crafter (Right) My finished practice sheet for the Underturn Stroke.
This one gave me the most trouble. You can see the from the down struck into the light upstroke at the end, the shakiness, line are too thick and the spaces from the two thin lines to the thick lines weren’t lining up. No matter how hard I tried.
Per Becca, the instructor the Compound Curve is the hardest stroke to master. I wholeheartedly agree. If you look at my practice calligraphy sheet, you can see it in every struggle. I’m transitioning from light to heavy back to light strokes. You have to keep not only the strokes fluid, but the gaps between have to be even. You can click here and it will take you to my Instagram, and you can watch me practice the stroke and see just how difficult it is.
I also decided that in the evening practice session, I will also go back and practice each stroke I already have done. I get better at calligraphy. Just practicing one stroke each day, not that I will forget, but it will take me longer to get it. Repeated consistency is key for me to learn. My way of learning will probably be different than yours and there’s nothing wrong with that. Keep showing up, keep practicing, and not give up or convince yourself that success isn’t possible.
